Jes Macallan

Jes Macallan – Life, Career, and Creative Journey

Discover the life and career of American actress and director Jes Macallan (born August 9, 1982): from her early dance training to roles in Mistresses and Legends of Tomorrow, her directing work, and her broader impact in television.

Introduction

Jes Macallan is an American actress, director, and producer known for her roles in television dramas and superhero series. She gained wide recognition playing Josslyn Carver on ABC’s Mistresses, and later as Ava Sharpe on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. In addition to acting, she has directed episodes of TV shows and created short films, demonstrating her ambition to expand her creative reach beyond acting.

Her journey illustrates how performers can evolve into multi-hyphenate creators in the modern entertainment landscape.

Early Life & Education

• Jes Macallan was born August 9, 1982 in Sarasota, Florida, USA.

• From a young age, she trained in dance, starting around age three, and continued dance classes for many years.

• For her higher education, Macallan attended the University of Florida, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration / international business / marketing (various sources use those terms)

• As part of her studies, she spent a term abroad at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy.

• After college, she studied acting more formally in Los Angeles and New York, including training at the Maggie Flanigan Studio in New York City.

• Before acting, she did some modeling in cities such as Miami, New York, and Milan.

These early experiences — classical dance, business education, modeling — contributed to her versatility and foundation for a career in entertainment.

Acting Career & Breakthroughs

Early Roles

Jes Macallan’s early career included many guest roles across TV shows:

• Grey’s Anatomy (guest)

• NCIS: Los Angeles (guest)

• Justified (guest)

• Shameless, The Protector, Femme Fatales and other series as episodic characters.

These appearances helped her build credits, experience, and visibility in the industry.

Breakout: Mistresses

In 2013, Macallan was cast as Josslyn “Joss” Carver on the ABC drama Mistresses, a central role she held until the series ended in 2016. That role gave her wider exposure, showcasing her ability to handle emotionally complex drama and interplay with ensemble casts.

In Mistresses, her character was part of a group of women navigating relationships, betrayal, ambition, and personal challenges.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow & Directing

In 2017, she joined DC’s Legends of Tomorrow as Ava Sharpe, initially a recurring role, later becoming part of the main cast. Her portrayal of Ava Sharpe—an agent in the Time Bureau—was well received for bringing intelligence, wit, and emotional depth to a genre show.

Beyond acting, Macallan expanded into directing:

• She directed two episodes of Legends of Tomorrow while still acting in the series.

• She also directed episodes for All Rise and All American.

• In 2016, she wrote, produced, and directed a short film titled Self, E as part of her submission to the Warner Bros. Television Directors Workshop.

• She later graduated from that Directors Workshop (class of 2019).

Her shift into directing signifies a desire to influence storytelling not just in front of the camera but behind it as well.

Style, Traits & Strengths

Range & Genre Adaptability

Macallan has shown valuable adaptability—she moves from dramatic ensemble shows (Mistresses) to genre/sci-fi in Legends of Tomorrow. That flexibility is a strength in the modern TV landscape.

Collaborative & Growth-Oriented

She has embraced the challenge of directing while maintaining acting duties, showing a willingness to learn new crafts and step into leadership roles on set.

Discipline & Multi-Skill Foundation

Her background in dance likely cultivated discipline and comfort with physical performance; her business education may help her understand the logistics and professional side of the industry.

Emotional Anchoring

Even in a genre context, Macallan’s performances often root in character relationships, stakes, and emotional truth—she doesn’t lose the human core amidst spectacle.

Personal Life

• Jes Macallan was married to actor Jason Gray-Stanford from 2012 until their divorce in 2017.

• After that, she has been reported to be in a relationship with actor Nic Bishop (they have been referred to as partners/engaged in some sources).

• She has at least one child (according to some sources) though public details are more limited.

Macallan tends to keep her personal life relatively private, focusing public attention on her work.

Legacy & Influence

Though still in active stages of her career, Jes Macallan’s trajectory offers useful lessons and potential influence:

• Actresses as storytellers: Her movement into directing suggests a model for actors who want to expand their influence beyond performing.

• Genre legitimacy: She shows that actors traditionally known for drama can credibly inhabit genre work (sci-fi, superhero) and maintain depth.

• Career longevity via diversification: By adding directing credits, she broadens her professional footprint and resilience in a changing TV environment.

• Mentorship & representation: Her path can serve as an example for younger performers (especially women) who aspire to take creative control.