Jonathan Simao was born on April 12, 2000, in Burnaby, British Columbia, and spent his formative years in White Rock, BC. His fascination with acting and storytelling began during his childhood, but it wasn't until he was 12 years old that he started to seriously pursue and study it.
Throughout his teenage years, Jonathan took numerous acting classes and gained valuable experience through high-school theater productions. His hard work paid off when he landed his first booking at the age of 17, playing the role of Grey, a murder victim, in the web-series Blue Steele. This initial success gave him the confidence to use his creative instincts to make his own short films as a teenager, which in turn sparked a passion for the technical side of filmmaking.
After attending film school, Jonathan found that his creative intentions weren't being met, but he was inspired to create his first official short film, "Separate Sights," in 2020, alongside his fellow filmmaker friends. Around the same time, his acting career experienced a surge in momentum, with him landing the role of Kayden Peterson, a non-verbal kid with autism, in the film "When Time Got Louder" (2020),marking his feature film debut.
Jonathan's personal life has been marked by his experiences with Asperger Syndrome, which he was diagnosed with at the age of 11. This diagnosis helped him understand and explain his behaviors, and it also gave him the confidence to use his unique perspective to create characters and stories that are both distinct and relatable for audiences.
Throughout his journey, Jonathan has demonstrated remarkable resilience and dedication to his craft, and he remains committed to continuing to push himself until he feels that his work has made a meaningful impact.
