Jessica O'Donnell – Screenwriter, Actor & Comedian

What does it really take to walk away from a stable career and step into a creative life?In this episode of Next Act with Jeff Ornstein, Jeff sits down with Jessica O’Donnell - screenwriter, actor, comedian, and story analyst - who made the leap from finance and higher education into the world of entertainment.Jessica shares how the pandemic became a turning point, giving her the space to finally write the screenplay she had always envisioned - Falls Candy - a grounded, character-driven story inspired by her hometown of Niagara Falls. From there, her creative career began to snowball.They dive into the realities of building a career in film and TV, including: How to evaluate what makes a story “commercial” vs. just compelling  Why real-life experience can be an advantage in acting  The discipline behind writing (even just a few minutes a day)  The difference between performing on stage and analyzing scripts  And what it looks like to build momentum across multiple creative paths Jessica’s journey is a powerful reminder that your “next act” doesn’t have to be one thing - it can be a combination of passions that finally align.If you’ve ever thought about reinventing yourself, this conversation will make you rethink what’s possible.