Meet Jon-Lee Jonni” Campbell | Actress

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jon-Lee “Jonni” Campbell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jon-Lee “Jonni”, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I became a paraplegic at the age of 16 due to a car accident, but I have always loved acting and performing. Acting roles for disabled actors are few and far between, because even though (according to Google) about 26% of adults in American are living with some form of disability, the disabled community is only represented in 1-2% of TV and films. So, with the experiences that I have encountered, my dream to be involved in the entertainment industry and my drive to help the disabled community, I started a non-profit, Differently Abled Entertainment and our mission is to promote and encourage differently abled artists in the entertainment industry by producing content featuring their talents. It’s my hope to help tear down some of the barriers in the way for disabled actors, entertainers and crew members.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a published model, having been in over 15 publications. I have performed in over 30 plays, 6 films, 2 commercials and 1 tv show. I tend to stand out because most of these things I have done after my accident. I consider myself a body positive model and an advocate for my causes.

Getting here was definitely not easy. I have faced many challenges as a disabled person in a society that often doesn’t expect much from me and isn’t very accessible in general, which makes just functioning on a daily basis difficult sometimes. My stubbornness and determination have been key to keeping going when the world often told me to just give up. I was raised to always speak my mind and stand up for those who need it; I’m grateful for that because it has helped me to endure a lot of naysayers.

We host a variety of photoshoots and have helped over 20 disabled models achieve their first publications as well as a good number of disabled photographers also. We started our magazine, Seize the DAE, last spring which focuses on helping raise awareness for different health and social issue every month. Although, the magazine and everything else was on hold for about 8 months while I was dealing with an apartment fire my family suffered last fall, and we just got the organization up and running again in May of this year and our relaunch of our magazine was in August. We have helped with a few music videos and that is something we are hoping to do more of in the future. Right now, we are working on our first theatrical production under DAE (Differently Abled Entertainment) due to hit the stage mid-October. We are also in the process of putting together our first podcast/YouTube series. We are also working on plans for our first full-length feature film, to be filmed fall 2023.

We are an all-inclusive organization; meaning we believe that everyone is different and therefor approaches life, differently.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Two things I love in Tucson that are easy to find are KARAOKE and NEW FOOD. As someone who loves to sing, I love the fact that you can find karaoke in Tucson 7 days a week. One of my favorite places that has it 7 nights a week is Margarita Bay. Other places I love include Bumsteds (who also have an incredible menu), and the newest place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays is the LemonShark Poke, where they have amazing poke bowls and other food also.

As far as food and restaurants go; you can find practically any kind of cuisine you want in Tucson, and I love trying new places and variety.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I must start with saying thank you and rest in peace to my biggest mentor, Pat Ennis. She was the one to encourage me to start directing and to know all the angles of the industry because she knew the challenges I would face as a disabled actress. She gave me a scholarship and made me assistant director at the college I was attending and told me by knowing all the angles that it wouldn’t matter if finding roles was difficult because if nothing else, I could start my own company. Next would be fellow actor, director and friend, Byron Allen. Thank you for showing me your tenacity and encouraging me to never give up on my dreams, and always believing in my talents.
Finally, my mom, for always backing me in my pursuits.

Instagram: @differentlyabledentertainment

Linkedin: Differently Abled Entertainment

Twitter: @DiffAbledEnt

Facebook: facebook.com/differentlyabledentertainment

Other: DAEmagazine.magcloud.com etsy.com/shop/DiffAbledEntMerch

Image Credits
Seize the DAE Ashlee Sanderson Jesus Cheno Jerry Collis Mark Bishop (with Barbra from IMPACT)