IN CONVERSATION WITH JACK WRIGHT

Digital Superstar & Gen-Z ‘It-Boy’ Jack Wright is a dancer, athlete, actor and mental health advocate who has become a social media phenomenon over the last few years. He was part of a successful campaign with Shaun White and attended Menswear and Haute Couture shows in Paris & Milan, where he sat front row at some of the biggest designers’ shows.

Jack, why did you decide on intensively focusing and putting your time into TikTok?

Before Tiktok, it had been a while since I was able to express myself creatively. I used to dance and perform with my twin, but once high school started sports pretty much took over. When TikTok came out, it not only gave me a creative outlet, but it also brought my twin and me together more and inspired us to dance together again. Since then, I have made a wide variety of content, which has continued to be a great outlet for creative expression for me. 

With a range of content including wildly popular lifestyle vlogs of your day-to-day life you have amassed millions of followers. How has TikTok, and social media in general, changed your life?

It has changed my life so much. It has allowed me to travel all over the world and meet so many cool people who are motivated by similar things as me and working towards similar goals. I have found a community that supports each other’s creativity, which I hadn’t had before. Social media has also opened so many more doors for what I want to do next, like acting, fashion, podcasts and more. 

How does living in a ‘spotlight’ impact your day-to-day life?

Social media has allowed me to meet a ton of new people, both in person and online, and I feel like I’ve created a community of my peers both in person and online who really support me. 

You are also a mental health advocate. How do mental health and social media interconnect? Why is mental health in this aspect especially important?

I have struggled with mental health issues since I was little. I used to think I was alone and the only one, but once I joined social media, I realized that everyone deals with some form of mental health and people want to talk about it and help each other. I take the responsibility of my platform very seriously and hope to continue to encourage people to talk about what they are going through by being vulnerable about my own experiences. As I continue to support and build up this community, I hope to be part of the end of the stigma around mental health and remind everyone out there that they are not alone. 

You have a background as a dancer and athlete. What sports were you into? How has dance and sports shaped you as a person?

I have played all sports, but Pole Vaulting was my main sport. I even made the Junior Olympic team. Playing sports both on a team and as an individual has taught me how to support others around me and to have a really strong, dedicated work ethic. With a job like mine, a lot of the responsibility relies on me and the work I put into my content and brand. It is imperative to have a strong work ethic and to stay consistent, so I am grateful to all of my coaches and teammates over the years for instilling that in me.

You got an opportunity to work on a campaign for Celsius with Shaun White. How was it working with such a legend? What have you learned from working on this campaign with him?

He is such a cool guy. Shaun has been a huge role model for me my whole life. They say don’t meet your heroes, but I met mine and he was incredible. He treated me like I was one of his friends and made me feel super comfortable the entire time and we had a blast. I admire how hard he works and how committed he is to his career, craft and working towards what’s next. 

Recently, you attended Fashion Weeks in Paris and Milan, sitting front row at some of the biggest designers’ fashion shows. What do you love the most about fashion? And what is the most exciting thing about attending Fashion Weeks?

What I love most about fashion is that you can express yourself and be whoever you want through clothes and the ways you style yourself. It’s another great creative outlet for me. Being able to experience such high-end and iconic fashion brands up close, as well as meet some of the top designers, has educated me so much on the industry as a whole, as well as the time, thought, visions and teams that go into every collection. I appreciate fashion so much more and I am excited to continue on my fashion journey and learn as much as I can. 

How would you describe your own personal style?

I definitely have a range of styles and I love that I have a versatile wardrobe. I love bright colors, vintage clothes, earth tones and beachy vibes. I have also been styled by some of the most amazing teams, which has opened my eyes to so many different looks and ideas. 

Jack, what are your plans and goals for the future?

I have always wanted to be an actor. I am currently working on a movie and doing everything I can to perfect my craft and grow as an actor. I am also really excited about continuing to grow in the fashion world and exploring new avenues for myself there. 

interview by JANA LETONJA @janaletonja