JJ is not a traditional Actor of modern time, but rather that of an old soul. She has chosen to serve her nation first. After over a decade of service and two overseas deployments JJ charges forward with her compassionate drive to entertain. JJ's motivation is; " I like to create something which causes people to smile, laugh, or feel a calm. We can't always get what we want, but we sure as hell can try!"Arends grew up in between Montana and Wyoming. She was always lost in her imagination, but found focus as the years went on. She attended a community college in Cheyenne, Wy where she first set foot on a stage. This stage performance (Lead; 'Anton In Show Business')brought her to a scholarship which afforded Arends to achieve her Associates of Art degree. (The first college degree of her family.) Degree in hand, Arends moved to Montana to attend MSU. After a semester of playing Trombone with the College Marching band and Jazz Band, she decided to serve her Country. Arends served the Montana National Guard for a year before moving to Oklahoma and interstate transferring to Oklahoma's National Guard. Upon arriving in Oklahoma, Arends signed up to audition for the University of Oklahoma Pride marching band. She made the cut and studied Architecture at OU as she played her Trombone in The Pride all the way to the Tostito's Fiesta Bowl. Arends halted her college when an Iraq deployment came up. After returning to America, she returned to her civilian work and struggled to re-integrate. Within the next 2 years she married her best friend Randy Dunning and she supported an Afghanistan mission from America for a year and a half as Randy served overseas in Afghanistan. At completion of their mission, she went back to college at Southern Nazarene University. Arends achieved her Bachelor's degree (first Bachelor's degree of her family) and left the enlisted side of the Army at the rank of Staff Sergeant and accepted the new challenges and responsibilities of being an Army Officer. She deployed again overseas (this time to Kuwait) in the spring of 2017, two weeks after wrapping on set of Christmas In The Heartland.JJ has played diverse roles on the Stage with Oklahoma City community theatre before she transitioned into film. JJ adored being on set with Garrett Hedlund during the filming of the Kings of Leon's Beautiful War. She knew at that moment this [acting] is where she is meant to be. JJ resides in Norman, OK with her Husband Randy and their Basset Hound named Sasha. She and her husband continue to serve their Country to this day. Show less «