Jordan Alexa Davis on Her ‘End of Oak Street’ Breakout, Learning From Anne Hathaway & Her Future Behind the Camera (Exclusive)

Jordan Alexa Davis is having a major big-screen moment.

The 23-year-old actress is stepping into the spotlight with The End of Oak Street, Warner Bros. and Bad Robot’s new sci-fi thriller from writer-director David Robert Mitchell, where she stars as Jeannette Christiansen alongside Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella and Christian Convery.

Set in 1982, the film takes an unsuspecting suburban neighborhood and drops it 250 million years into the past, forcing its residents to navigate a world of dinosaurs, survival and plenty of unexpected twists. At the center of it all is Jeannette, the mysterious new girl on the block who initially comes across as quiet and sweet — but quickly proves she has a much stronger side.

For Davis, the role marks an exciting new chapter in a career that began when she was much younger. Audiences may recognize her as Sarah Grohl in Apple TV+’s Defending Jacob, but The End of Oak Street represents her first experience tackling a film of this scale — and sharing the screen with actors she grew up watching.

“It felt so surreal getting the call,” Davis tells Celeb Secrets. “I was so excited to be able to join such a great team of people and learn from such talented creatives.”

That learning experience extended far beyond simply being on set. Davis says working with Hathaway and McGregor taught her the importance of balancing preparation with spontaneity, a lesson she continues to carry with her as she develops her craft.

“I think it’s a mixture of preparation and play,” she explains. “You shouldn’t come to set with an overly rehearsed way to do the scene because things often shift once you’re on set.”

And while Davis is establishing herself in front of the camera, she’s already looking toward everything happening behind it. The actress is currently studying film production at USC, where she’s exploring sound, editing, writing and cinematography — skills she hopes will eventually allow her to create the stories she wants to see herself.

“I think she’d be proud of the way I’ve learned to take my creative passions into my own hands,” Davis says of what her 15-year-old self would think of her career today. “It’s more fun to make your own art, rather than waiting around for people to hire you. I feel more fulfilled now than ever.”

Before she gets behind the camera, though, Davis has plenty to celebrate about her latest on-screen adventure. Now that The End of Oak Street is out for the world to see, Celeb Secrets is giving you the scoop on what you need to know about Jordan Alexa Davis as she opens up about her breakout role, the lessons she’s taking from some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and why she’s already preparing to tell stories of her own.

Celeb Secrets: You found out about The End of Oak Street almost as quickly as audiences are discovering it now. Take us back to those first moments when you heard the news that you were going to play Jeanette. 

Jordan Alexa Davis: “It felt so surreal getting the call. I was so excited to be able to join such a great team of people and learn from such talented creatives.”

CS: Jeannette is the ultimate “there’s more to her than meets the eye” character. She’s quiet, mysterious and seemingly sweet, but absolutely holds her own when things go completely off the rails. What did you want audiences to understand about her that maybe isn’t immediately obvious?

JAD: “Yes exactly that! I think she is quiet and sweet though she is also very strong. It’s beautiful that those contrasting qualities exist at the same time within her.”

CS: If you were dropped into Jeannette’s world (dinosaurs, wormholes, survival mode and all) do you think you’d actually make it? And, more importantly, which Oak Street character would you want on your side when everything starts going sideways?

JAD: “I think I could make it but only with the help of others. I often get worked up in situations of emergency, so I’d need someone more levelheaded to bring me down. Denise is such a badass, I would definitely want her by my side.”

CS: This was your first film on this kind of massive scale, and you were surrounded by people you grew up watching. What was the biggest “pinch me, I’m literally at work right now” moment you had on set?

JAD: “Just that first day during pre production, David, Anne, Maisy, and I walked through all the sets they had built so far. I remember looking at boards filled with a bunch of images that the production designer, Maya Shimoguchi, created for the tone of the movie and it was all so beautiful. I felt so lucky to be a part of a larger team of people who were all so talented.”

CS: You’ve said one of the biggest lessons you took from working with Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor was learning to come to set confident in your choices while still being willing to play. How has that changed the way you approach acting — and maybe even the way you trust yourself outside of acting?

JAD: “I think it’s a mixture of preparation and play. You shouldn’t come to set with an overly rehearsed way to do the scene because things often shift once you’re on set. The scene rarely plays out the way you anticipated it to, but that’s an epic thing to lean into.”

CS: You created a whole playlist for Jeannette, which we absolutely love. If we opened her Spotify on day one of filming, what three songs would absolutely be sitting at the top?

JAD: “‘Woke Up Laughing’ by Robert Palmer, ‘So Far Away’ by Carole King, and ‘867-5309/Jenny’ by Tommy Tutone.” 

CS: You’ve gone from Defending Jacob as a teenager to leading a major studio film as an adult, and you’ve described the two experiences as completely different chapters of your life. When you look at 15-year-old Jordan versus 23-year-old Jordan, what do you think she’d be most proud to see you doing now?

JAD: “I think she’d be proud of the way I’ve learned to take my creative passions into my own hands. It’s more fun to and make your own art, rather than waiting around for people to hire you. I feel more fulfilled now than ever.” 

CS: You’re also a singer-songwriter, and now you’re studying filmmaking and learning more about what happens behind the camera. Do you feel like you’re moving toward a future where you’re not just waiting for the right story to come along, but creating the stories yourself?

JAD: “Yes exactly! I’m at usc right now studying film production. I’m very curious about all of it. Sound, editing, writing, cinematography. I love movies more than anything and there’s a lot more to it than just acting.”

CS: You’ve talked about being drawn to flawed, complicated characters and stories about people “coming of age” throughout their lives. What is it about messy, imperfect characters that makes you want to spend time inside their heads — and is there a part of yourself you tend to find in the characters you play?

JAD: “The pieces of art that move me the most tend to be the ones that feel like real life. The ones that deal with the complexities of being human. I guess I think that art imitates life. There’s no better way to convey that then depicting both the good and the bad.”

CS: You’re entering this next chapter with a major movie under your belt, film school underway and a lot of creative directions you could explore. What are some dream roles of yours that you’d love to land?

JAD: “I’d love to write and direct. It’s different from an acting role, but that’s a role on set I’d love to land.” 

CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, can you share some secrets from filming The End of Oak Street that we wouldn’t know just by watching?

JAD: “We had a great time on set despite constantly being terrorized on screen. The night shoots were fun because we all got quite delirious while shooting during those long and late hours. There were lots of runs to crafty and crossword puzzles.”