On the heels of being the master of ceremonies at Warrior Con 26 last weekend, a feature in the Los Angeles Times, and his award-winning debut documentary “You Look Fine,” earlier this year, J. Snow’s presence in the film industry is on the rise.
Compton native Jared “J.” Snow, 28, is a comedian, actor, writer, filmmaker, and sickle cell advocate who isn’t a typical archetype in his field. He reflects on hosting Warrior Con 26 and being surrounded by others like himself.
“It’s an honor and kind of surreal to be invited to those spaces in that capacity because you know there was a point where I didn’t really talk about sickle cell, and lo and behold, talking about it has opened the doors to so many other opportunities in my life that I could never have imagined. I’m grateful for that.”
He further added thoughts on what made Warrior Con 26 different from other spaces he frequents in the industry. “The biggest difference is that it’s a room full of people who understand what you live with and what it’s like to live with this condition… being on that frequency with that many people is just very different than anywhere else I’ve ever performed.”
A person who has had a tough life journey, grappling with sickle cell dDisease, and who has merged his life experience into his work has cultivated the artist we see today. He has used his story to be an advocate for the sickle cell community.
He spoke about how although his family is very supportive, he often felt alone at times during his childhood and teenage years with sickle cell, as many people did not fully understand his health struggles. His mother, a graveyard-shift single parent doing her best to raise four kids, J. Snow was the youngest and only one with sickle cell, and remains very close to his mom and siblings, who still live in the city.
”It was kind of a really lonely road growing up with sickle cell, to be honest with you… I kind of had to find my way with it. A lot of my friends didn’t know anything about it. I grew up around people who knew nothing about sickle cell.”
He continued, “My mom was extremely supportive. Anytime I was in the hospital, she would leave work to come be by my side or help me through these tough times.” He also said that his mother and siblings didn’t know much about sickle cell, yet focused on guiding and keeping him away from street life to not only keep his health intact but help him achieve the success he currently has today.
Balancing film-making, comedy and advocacy
J. Snow focuses on being as real as he can, even while navigating health woes.
In his debut documentary, J. Snow has used his life with sickle cell and VLOG footage of his treatments in the hospital to inform his storytelling as he balances health battles. The film won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at Slamdance Film Festival.
”These are moments that I’ve started to record at times where I felt like I was either very bored or in fear of my life.” He continued, “Sometimes it’s not necessarily because I want to capture a clip and have a moment. It’s because I need to document what’s happening right now. After all, if something goes wrong and I don’t make it out of here, I need people to know what happened.”
His debut feature documentary allows audiences to witness his tenacity and love for long-form storytelling through filmmaking. Other accolades of his, this past decade, include winning Best Director for “FLAWD” in 2020.
Through his comedy, he focuses on being relatable, sharp, and to the point. “As a comedian, it’s my job to tell the truth, and sometimes that isn’t always in our favor…I want to bring you into it. I want you to feel the frustration of these circumstances.”
J. Snow’s physician, Dr. Patel, explains what sickle cell is and the toll it can take on one’s body. “Sickle cell disease is a blood disorder, and blood goes everywhere in your body. It affects every organ and can cause incredibly painful crises when blood doesn’t flow, and the area doesn’t get enough oxygen. That not only creates pain, but also organ damage,” said Dr. Patel, associate director of the sickle cell program at UCLA.
Almost 100,000 people in the U.S. have sickle cell disease, with more than 90 percent of patients being Black, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC also reports that about 1 in every 365 Black Americans is born with sickle cell disease. About 1 in every 13 Black Americans carries the sickle cell trait (SCT) and doesn’t know it because it rarely has symptoms, according to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America.
J. Snow’s health has caused him to miss out on certain job opportunities within the entertainment industry, but he has been able to endure.
”As a sickle cell warrior, you miss even more opportunities. Like, I’ve lost jobs while in the hospital.” He continued, “I wanted to make a film that tells the story of what it’s like to live with sickle cell. I didn’t imagine it’d be a documentary where I’m the subject of it. ’You Look Fine’ is me dipping my toe into that… not waiting, not asking for permission, not letting anything hold me back, and literally just doing it.”
”At first I’m like, ‘this sucks,’ and then eventually I get around to, ‘What’s meant for me is meant for me.’ I have to find that optimism. It’s a delusional optimism, but it works.”
What others see
An illness that is often invisible; most people don’t understand the lifestyle of a person living with sickle cell disease. Dr. Patel explained sickle cell disorder and how people with demanding career paths manage their lives. She, of course, spoke in general terms to honor HIPAA law and also in protection of J. Snow’s privacy.
“It’s definitely an invisible disease. [People] don’t see it [when they look] at an individual. However, there are a lot of complications and a lot of things that [a person with sickle cell] has to do in order to make sure [they’re] able to not be in a pain crisis.”
Dr. Patel says that stress can trigger painful episodes in which sickle cell has to immediately be managed. A person with a career that has rigorous deadlines, demanding flight schedules with high altitudes, and overall industry pressure can cause one’s sickle cell crisis to activate.
“Even if you do everything right—take your medicines, follow your regimen—you still can’t always control when you’ll have a painful crisis. You might have to cancel a show or miss work, and that can set back your career, even when you’re trying your best,” she said.
She further added, “For people with sickle cell disease, what really sets them apart is seeing their physicians, taking medications as prescribed, working with their treatment team, and truly advocating for their own care. That’s what improves overall outcomes, especially in a high‑stress job.”
Don Scott, an older brother of J. Snow, reflects on when he noticed J. Snow’s innate talent during his formative years in junior high school and how he supports his sibling during the quiet moments of everyday life.
“Even back in junior high, he had that spark. He and his friends recreated scenes from The Last Dragon for a school project, and for his age it was incredible. Later he cut together this little 60‑second preview of a movie idea—no script, just scenes he’d edited—and you watched it thinking, ‘When is this coming out?’ It wasn’t even real, but you could already see he had it,” he said.
“People assume we’re part of his process, but we’re really not. Jared will stay up all night writing, then send me a full script in the morning—‘Read this, tell me what you think’—and by the next night he’s already rewritten it. His laser focus lets him see a concept all the way through, come hell or high water. My role is just to remind him to keep pushing the boundaries: ‘You’re J. Snow. What you’re doing is working—so keep going,” said Scott.
Scott Don also recalled J. Snow’s laser focus and ability to visualize projects from inception to completion. He said that J. Snow’s stage presence was evident even in awkward moments, like when he they both and Don pretended to be newscasters at CNN while he was a student at Clark Atlanta University.
A dear friend of J. Snow, actor Marcus Henderson, best known for his roles in Walter in “Get Out,” Granville “Granny” Smith in “Tacoma FD,” and Sgt. Andre Wright in “Snowfall,” discussed their four-year friendship and J. Snow’s impact on his life.
”I’ve met so many people in my life, and really nothing compares to Snow’s determination and dedication to self—and not just self, but bettering the people around him. Because that’s what we are: we’re reflections of each other, and I think he realizes that. And that’s what makes him so bold and brave to face the world, even when nature isn’t treating him the best,” said Henderson. he said.
Henderson described J. Snow’s comedic timing as ‘sharp’ because his health makes him realize the importance of time. The sharpness is seen in his comedy through his punchlines, his daily meditation, film writing, and overall intentionality through life, according to Henderson.
”He gets up and does it every day. The cameras are off, and he’s still meditating, he’s still writing in his journal, he’s still creating, he’s still thinking about the future, he’s still making plans. No matter what—whether he has to draw blood or do a transfusion or something like that—he’s still going to do it, and he doesn’t let it stop him,” he said.
While comedy and advocacy have opened many doors for J. Snow, filmmaking is his north star, through works such as “You Look Fine.” With the skill set of editing, writing, producing, and filming, he hopes to continue his path in filmmaking for the long run.
”For me, my north star was always filmmaking. My north star was always becoming a writer-director of feature films that play in theaters,” said J. Snow.
