Biography
Jaclyn Hales was born on September 4th in Syracuse, New York, to Julie Lea Hales, a homemaker and real estate agent, and James Rulon Hales, a retired pharmaceutical district sales manager. She is of Scottish, Italian, and English heritage. At six years old, Hales made her stage debut as "The Shrunken Alice" in a production of Alice in Wonderland at the Seacoast Repertory Theater in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she was raised. She participated in numerous productions throughout her childhood until her family relocated to North Salt Lake, Utah, when she was fourteen. It was there she decided to pursue TV and film.
Hales was first scouted by a modeling agent at a Janet Jackson concert. However, modeling did not work out as she was unwilling to quit the swim team, leave her friends, or lose the extra inch off her waist they desired. At sixteen, she met a talent agent nearby and quickly landed her first television role on The WB series Everwood, marking the start of her professional acting career.
She studied acting at Utah Valley University, earning a BS in theater performance. During her time there, she received awards for "Best Actress 2009" and "Best Student Director 2009" from the theater department.
Her career gained momentum when she was cast in the lead role of the indie feature Unicorn City (2011), directed by Jon Gries, which earned her the Best Actress award at the LA Comedy Festival in 2012. This success led to roles in various films and TV shows including FX's Legion (with Jean Smart and Jemaine Clement), HBO's Mosaic (featuring Garrett Hedlund and Sharon Stone), and Christmas Eve (starring Patrick Stewart). She held two series regular roles: Lynn in Extinct (2017) on BYUtv and Claire in Cypher (2021), which premiered as The Roku Channel's first exclusive series. In 2025-26, she secured a Top of Show Guest Star role on Apple TV's Imperfect Women, starring Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, and Kate Mara, and directed by Leslie Linka Glatter.
In 2020, Hales co-wrote the scripted dark comedy podcast The Bystanders with Ash Lendzion. The project was produced by Heather Morris (Glee) and Black Label Media (La La Land, Sicario).
The Bystanders, Season 1 (2021), featured Jane Lynch (Glee), Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked), Oscar Nunez (The Office), Ed Westwick (Gossip Girl), and Michael Hitchcock (Best in Show). The season received critical acclaim and secured a second season.
Season 2 of The Bystanders (2023) starred Jane Lynch (Glee), Kathleen Turner (Romancing the Stone), Margaret Cho (PsyCHO), Beth Dover (Orange Is the New Black), Joe Lo Truglio (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Jon Gries (Napoleon Dynamite), Luke Cook (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Darren Chris (Glee), and Wayne Knight (Jurassic Park).
Now a writer, producer, director, and actor, Hales maintains a diverse career, embracing many roles within the entertainment industry.
