Actor Jay Reeves is currently starring in two major streaming hits simultaneously: Nemesis on Netflix and Marshals on Paramount+. It’s the kind of moment that most actors spend years chasing. For Reeves, it’s just the beginning.

The road to get here wasn’t a straight line. Reeves grew up bouncing between New Jersey and Charlotte, North Carolina, before finishing high school at Fairfax High in Los Angeles, the school he says put him in the industry.

Before acting, he was an athlete, and the discipline he built on the field became the foundation he carried into every audition room. His entry into entertainment came through doing football stunts for commercials and films, grinding alongside people who would later become his castmates. His Nemesis co-star, Tre Hale, who plays Stro, was right there with him.

Those early years weren’t without hardship. Reeves has been open about going through a rough stretch in L.A., where he didn’t always have a place to stay. He went back to Charlotte to regroup before returning with one clear intention: to make it as an actor.

He did. And then some.

Nemesis, co-created by Power Universe architect Courtney A. Kemp and Tani Marole, is a psychological crime drama that follows two men on opposing sides of the law, LAPD Detective Isaiah Stiles, played by Matthew Law, and master thief Coltrane Wilder, played by Y’lan Noel, in a cat-and-mouse game across Los Angeles. Reeves plays Jamel Brinkley on the series, which has taken over social media since its May 2026 premiere.

On Paramount+, Marshals follows Yellowstone‘s Kayce Dutton as he joins an elite U.S. Marshals unit in Montana, balancing family, duty, and the high psychological cost of frontier law enforcement. Reeves plays Roner, part of the tight unit at the center of the action.

We sat down with Reeves to talk about both shows, his journey through Hollywood, what’s coming next, and the discipline that has carried him through it all.

[Interview has been edited for length and clarity]

QG: You grew up in New Jersey, then Charlotte, and finished high school in L.A. How did that journey shape who you became as a creative?

Reeves: Honestly, growing up in Jersey was awesome. Jersey is a place that’s super close to New York and also in itself full of the arts. Just spending my time there. I also grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, and then I came to Los Angeles and finished high school at Fairfax, which was really what put me in the industry.

QG: You’ve spoken before about going through a difficult period in L.A., not having anywhere to go. How did that chapter shape you?

Reeves: I had some rough times in L.A., where I didn’t have anywhere to go. But I stayed here and I thugged it out. I even went back to Charlotte for a little bit, to get right, and then I came back. I just knew I wanted to do this acting thing. So it worked out. I’m happy it did. Looking back, discipline is what really helped me and work ethic. But that comes with discipline. When you don’t have anything else, the only thing you do have is yourself. And that’s where discipline kicks in. That’s when you’re able to really accomplish and lock in. One of my favorite quotes right now: lock in and achieve things.

QG: How does it feel to be starring in a Netflix hit and a Paramount+ hit simultaneously?

Reeves: Unreal, dude. So unreal. Both of these shows taught me how to shoot a gun. I wasn’t a gun person until I got on TV with these guys. And also being surrounded by such a strong cast on both projects really just redefined what I even thought about my career and this acting journey.

QG: Talk to us about your approach to Jamel Brinkley on Nemesis.

Reeves: When I first read the role and approached it, he was complex. And I knew that everyone else was going to play him so cool and swaggered. But I’m like, this is a guy who’s really trying to figure himself out. Imagine being the new person in the room. I wanted him to feel like that. Not try to put on any bravado, but really live in the moment. And that was fun.

QG: How are you reeling in the success of Nemesis?

Reeves: Honestly, man, it’s crazy. I went to 7-Eleven today, and they were like, “Yo, can I get a photo?” I’m like, this is crazy. Nemesis is great. Working with Courtney Kemp and Tani [Marole], they’re awesome writers and showrunners. Netflix, the whole team, they’re great. To be under a powerful project like Nemesis, with such a powerful cast and powerful writers and studio, it’s a dream.

QG: And then Marshals on Paramount+. How did you approach your character Roner?

Reeves: Marshals is really fun. The team over at Paramount is really tight on the information they give out. So when I got the audition, I really just went into my imagination bag and studied as much as I could in 24 hours on YouTube about soldiers. Luckily, it worked out and we became the four musketeers.

QG: Which did you film first?

Reeves: As soon as I finished Nemesis, I went into Marshals. It was like as soon as I could grow a thicker beard, I went into Marshals.

QG: What was your most memorable moment on each show?

Reeves: For Nemesis, honestly, episode six. The shootout. But more importantly was how fast we did it. We prepared that in a few weeks, went up and shot it quickly, got the whole thing done in one day. And that was one of the first times where we got to be with the entire cast. A lot of us hadn’t been seeing each other, the cops and robbers, you know. So that was probably it. For Marshals, definitely in the hooch with the guys. That’s like the tent where anyone in the armed forces might stay. Just hanging out with those guys, especially offset. And Luke Grimes, who was awesome. They were giving me advice.

QG: What are your thoughts on the current landscape of Hollywood as a Black male actor?

Reeves: Go for it. That’s my current thought right now. Go for it. I feel like it’s a beautiful time for any person of color in this industry and I think we should take advantage of that and use it. There’s never been a time where there’s been as many opportunities for people of color — and people of color who are creators. A lot of my projects have been from people who are my skin color. This is how it is and it’s great. Lean into it and use it.

QG: What’s your advice to young Black male actors thinking about making the move to L.A. or New York?

Reeves: Go for it. Right now is the best time. Hollywood is here. You have to show business — that’s what you do here. Take that step. Get in class. That is probably the most important thing. Get in class and use your own technique. Find your own way. Class is going to help you figure that out, but it’s up to you to really dive in and figure out what works for you. I wish somebody would have told me that way earlier.

Check out the full interview.