Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 5 days ago
I’m so excited to share this episode of Mask Off. This time, I’m sitting down with one of my closest friends, actor and director Jay Hernandez, for a conversation that goes way deeper than Hollywood.
Jay opens up about growing up surrounded by violence, panic attacks and addiction, and how watching his brothers struggle shaped the pressure he’s carried his entire life. He talks about feeling responsible for his family from a young age and how that became the driving force behind his career.
We talk about Hollywood stereotypes, almost walking away from acting before Suicide Squad changed everything, and why success never actually made him feel like he had “made it.”
He also shares how years of anxiety, self-destruction and emotional walls eventually pushed him toward deeper healing and self-awareness. From Malibu retreats and breathwork to Burning Man chaos and near-death horseback riding accidents in Mexico, this episode goes everywhere. 😂
This is a conversation about identity, survival, masculinity and what happens when you finally stop being so hard on yourself.
MY CHANDRA SKINCARE ESSENTIALS (use code MASKOFF15):
chandrabeauti.com/products/the-super-bundle
FOLLOW:
Kelly Gale — instagram.com/kellygale
Joel Kinnaman — instagram.com/joelkinnaman
Chandra Beauti — instagram.com/chandrabeauti
Edited by:
Magnus — instagram.com/thepodfather_magnus
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Feet jokes and Hollywood beginnings
03:20 Directing his first feature film
05:08 Growing up blue collar and work ethic
06:50 Hollywood stereotypes and representation
14:50 Kelly’s horseback riding accident in Mexico
21:40 Malibu healing retreat and deepening friendships
24:40 Confronting yourself and emotional walls
26:50 Feeling responsible for family from a young age
31:00 How Jay accidentally became an actor
34:30 Destiny, loss and the manager who changed his life
37:00 Masculinity, self-love and emotional suppression
39:20 Panic attacks, anxiety and depression
42:10 Breathwork and trauma stored in the body
43:40 Self-destructive behavior during success
45:40 Why Jay never felt like he “made it”
50:00 Filming in Kazakhstan and dangerous stunts
52:10 Almost quitting acting before Suicide Squad
58:50 Burning Man chaos, RV disasters and fishnets
I’m so excited to share this episode of Mask Off. This time, I’m sitting down with one of my closest friends, actor and director Jay Hernandez, for a conversation that goes way deeper than Hollywood.
Jay opens up about growing up surrounded by violence, panic attacks and addiction, and how watching his brothers struggle shaped the pressure he’s carried his entire life. He talks about feeling responsible for his family from a young age and how that became the driving force behind his career.
We talk about Hollywood stereotypes, almost walking away from acting before Suicide Squad changed everything, and why success never actually made him feel like he had “made it.”
He also shares how years of anxiety, self-destruction and emotional walls eventually pushed him toward deeper healing and self-awareness. From Malibu retreats and breathwork to Burning Man chaos and near-death horseback riding accidents in Mexico, this episode goes everywhere. 😂
This is a conversation about identity, survival, masculinity and what happens when you finally stop being so hard on yourself.
MY CHANDRA SKINCARE ESSENTIALS (use code MASKOFF15):
chandrabeauti.com/products/the-super-bundle
FOLLOW:
Kelly Gale — instagram.com/kellygale
Joel Kinnaman — instagram.com/joelkinnaman
Chandra Beauti — instagram.com/chandrabeauti
Edited by:
Magnus — instagram.com/thepodfather_magnus
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Feet jokes and Hollywood beginnings
03:20 Directing his first feature film
05:08 Growing up blue collar and work ethic
06:50 Hollywood stereotypes and representation
14:50 Kelly’s horseback riding accident in Mexico
21:40 Malibu healing retreat and deepening friendships
24:40 Confronting yourself and emotional walls
26:50 Feeling responsible for family from a young age
31:00 How Jay accidentally became an actor
34:30 Destiny, loss and the manager who changed his life
37:00 Masculinity, self-love and emotional suppression
39:20 Panic attacks, anxiety and depression
42:10 Breathwork and trauma stored in the body
43:40 Self-destructive behavior during success
45:40 Why Jay never felt like he “made it”
50:00 Filming in Kazakhstan and dangerous stunts
52:10 Almost quitting acting before Suicide Squad
58:50 Burning Man chaos, RV disasters and fishnets
