The Arlington native came back to Scottish Rite to tour the hospital where he was treated for cerebral palsy and scoliosis as a child.
DALLAS — Jordan Walker Ross grew up in North Texas quite differently than some of his peers.
“Scottish Rite was like a second home to me growing up from, before I was 1, I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and scoliosis, so I spent a lot of time here getting X-rays, getting back braces made,” Ross shared. “Seven or eight years old, I had the full spinal fusion.”
In a recent visit to his old hospital, WFAA had an opportunity to talk to the man making his mark as a professional actor and podcast host, while highlighting his disability.
“When I found out I had a Scottish Rite checkup, I was really excited because I knew we’d stop in the cafeteria and we’d get popcorn and you know I’d get to see the fish tanks and like it was always something I looked forward to which yeah even coming back here today it’s been really nostalgic,” Ross smiled.
He shared some of the tough experiences that truly shaped him. Ross recounted, “In high school 9th grade, the bullying got so bad I was, you know, sitting between the vending machines at lunch. There was a little gap I could squeeze between and I would hide there and, I was going through some pretty intense depression and suicide ideation and you know, wasn’t really sure who to talk to.”
Now, he’s an advocate for those with disabilities and believes, “The more vocal I’ve been about it and the more I’ve talked about those insecurities, the less power they’ve had over me and the more it’s helped other people open up about their insecurities to me as well and the less alone we all feel.”
After moving out to Los Angeles and trying to launch his acting career, “I felt like I was stuck like I was missing the opportunities in LA, and I hadn’t booked anything in five years. I was just doing odd jobs trying to like get by and then I got the audition for ‘The Chosen,’ and that’s what kind of changed everything for me,” Ross explained.
Now, five seasons later, his career is thriving as he calls North Texas home once again.
“I did ‘1883.’ I was in 9 episodes of that,” Ross said. “Had a small part in ‘Black Panther Wakanda Forever’ that ended up in the deleted scenes, but you can still see it on Disney Plus.”
In “The Chosen,” Ross plays Little John. “Dallas Jenkins saw my limp and he saw it as an opportunity, and we ended up incorporating it into the storyline,” he said. “I’m now an apostle who has a physical disability that’s not healed, and he’s watching all of these other people get healed. So, it’s been such an empowering journey getting to play Little James. I feel this protectiveness of Little James because I’m kind of a few steps ahead of him in my own personal journey, but I know exactly what Little James is experiencing by comparing himself to others and not feeling good enough, questioning his own worthiness or his, his own abilities.”
Look out for Jordan Walker Ross in season five of “The Chosen” which premieres on March 27. It is one of the most-watched shows in the world with over 253 million viewers, 800 million episode views, and 16 million followers on social media.
Ross believes, “The more we can normalize diversity in different body types and different skin colors and disabilities and all of that stuff, I think that the, the more it will just be something that people are able to accept and understand on a deeper level.”
When asked what seeing Little John would have done for him as a child, Ross replied, “It would have been a game changer, for sure. You know that has been the biggest blessing for me when it comes to ‘The Chosen,’ to be able to hopefully give other kids that have dreams of being actors that may have a disability of their own, something to look at and say, OK, it is possible, there is a place for me in the industry.”
His upcoming projects include Josh David Jordan’s second feature, “El Tonto Por Cristo,” and the upcoming film “Rise & Shine,” based on the book Remembering Terri.
Jordan Walker Ross also hosts a podcast called, “What’s Your Limp?” He sits down with celebrities and public figures to untangle how perceived weaknesses can be turned into strengths.
