Biography

Maya Jenkins is an American actress, songwriter, recording artist and musician.

The actress is also known as simply Maya J in the music world, as her pop recordings are released with this shortened (and trademark protected) version of her name.

Maya J often says that she was made to "act, create melodies, write lyrics and share art."

Once Maya's childhood eyes set sights on becoming an actor, she auditioned for and was accepted into a bicoastal (New York City / Los Angeles) acting conservatory while still a high school student; then she proceeded to continue her drama training at renowned L.A. acting studios such as the Groundlings Theater, Upright Citizen's Brigade comedy theater and Zak Barnett Studios. Within her acting career so far, she remains grateful to have worked on television and film projects from HBO, Freeform/ABC and more.

Since 2022, Jenkins has worked closely with the ARPA International Film Festival in Los Angeles as both a panel judge and an awards presenter.

Musically noted by her smooth, melodious and typically emotional blend of indie, pop and R&B, Maya continues to carve her own lane in the world of music and record making. It has been said that her underground influence on the music industry's indie R&B pop landscape has helped push forth more melodic pieces to the mainstream. Being a lifetime music study and a violinist has greatly contributed to her harmonious composition abilities and her eloquence by nature has been at the forefront of her unique lyricism, which audiences can hear in her popular music recordings.

While well on her way to mega-success in entertainment, she celebrates the wins that she has already seen in her career with previous TV/film roles, being a proud SAG-AFTRA member, song charting history ("Princess" #11 on iTunes Pop), major TV songwriting credits ("Tell Me" for ABC Television Group) and solely owning and operating an RIAA-member independent record label, Glitter Rain Entertainment, which she founded in 2016. Maya's belief in being forever a student-of-life keeps her focused on honing her crafts as she remains committed to her musicianship and further acting pursuits.

Listen to all Maya J music across streaming platforms. Including the International Songwriting Competition's finalist-placing single "Hurricane," the iTunes pop charter "Princess," and the Shazam/Apple Music favorite from Maya J "Chills." Other notable Maya J singles include "Trouble," "Like You," and the very first single of hers to ever receive major radio play "Come Find Me."
- IMDb mini biography by: Riss Greene