jordan mitchell - writer on the icarly reboot & raven’s home: the writer’s journey of creativity, hustle, and leverage

Written by: Jacob Chandler

Jordan Mitchell’s Biography:

Jordan Mitchell is a Los Angeles–based television and film writer with credits on the Emmy-nominated Raven’s Home (Disney Channel) and the iCarly reboot (Paramount+). A graduate of Loyola Marymount University’s MFA Screenwriting program, Jordan has developed original projects for talent including Cedric the Entertainer and Gabrielle Union. His work spans comedy, drama, and family entertainment, often blending heartfelt storytelling with sharp social insight. In addition to his industry work, Jordan mentors emerging writers through his sitcom writing program, guiding new voices from concept to completed pilot.

Author’s Note:

I was given the incredible opportunity to interview Jordan Mitchell, a distinguished LMU alum, storyteller, and versatile creative. Mitchell’s talents extend far beyond writing; with a resourceful slew of of creative skills and experiences under his belt, Mitchell has made undeniably impactful strides in the entertainment industry… and he’ s just getting started. When asked to introduce himself, Mitchell offered offered a a multifaceted response: he is fundamentally a dedicated storyteller, a comedian, an actor, an educator, a former athlete, and a Christian for whom faith is paramount.

The catalyst

Growing up in Hawthorne and attending school in Redondo and Gardena, Mitchell knows his way around Los Angeles. He compares his core being to the Myth of Sisyphus, "a person who is trying everyday to wake up and push that proverbial rock up the hill." Ultimately, he hopes to be a person “who can inspire others, who can entertain others, who can uplift others as well. That’s what I really hope to be.” Mitchell’s foundational connection to storytelling began early, rooted in his childhood as a relatively quiet kid who loved to draw. Starting in third grade and continuing heavily through fourth and fifth grade, he and his best friend, Tanner Brown, would dedicate themselves to drawing comic strips like "Fat Man and Jelly Donut," creating lengthy story arcs on notebook paper. Mitchell recalls that even while playing sports and often being the tallest kid in his class, his mindset remained fixed on movies, cartoons, comics, and franchises like Star Wars, rather than what was considered "hip" by his peers, like discussing star basketball players. It wasn't until later, possibly in high school, that he recognized drawing was merely the medium he chose; his true aspiration was to be a writer. His deepest personal role model remains his father, Haven Mitchell, who is also a writer. Mitchell’s father instilled biblical values, discipline, and responsibility into his life. He also was instrumental in introducing Mitchell to critical cinematic and comedic works, including The Simpsons, Seinfeld, and critically acclaimed movies like The Apartment and Sideways. Mitchell and his father write together frequently, a relationship that, like any dynamic, involves occasional disagreements but is rooted in mutual respect and support.

Basketball teaches discipline

Mitchell’ s early life as an athlete, specifically playing high school and college basketball, was critical in shaping his professional endurance. In 2010, he won the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) and State championship as a player for Sierra High School’ s team. This earned him a scholarship to attend Cal State Northridge, where he joined the Big West all academic team. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film/Cinema/Video Studies from California State University, Los Angeles, between 2013 and 2015. Mitchell credits basketball with providing invaluable discipline and conditioning. The hardships of waking up early to run, lift weights, attend every class as required of a student athlete, and study while physically exhausted constituted a " trial by fire" . He believes to this day that there was nothing physically harder than having to guard a seven-footer in a big game after traveling for hours. This conditioning made the difficulties of professional life, such as working jobs he might not prefer, seem less daunting. The experience also instilled a crucial philosophical lesson for Mitchell: that, often in sports (and in entertainment), one can work diligently and execute their part perfectly, but the team may still lose; they must return the next day and continue to work hard. “ You need to have the bravery and the courage to do your part, even though it’ s not guaranteed you’ re going to get the outcome that you want.”

His Time at LMU

When asked why Mitchell chose Loyola Marymount University (LMU) for his post-graduate studies, he highlighted that the university offered a beautiful campus environment and aligned with his Christian values. He felt he was at the right school and strongly contends that without the LMU Master’s program, particularly the instruction received in Beth Serlin's class, he "would be much behind" in mastering the craft of writing. While attending LMU, Mitchell also served as a Graduate Assistant from 2016 to 2018, handling administrative duties and assisting the director of student housing affairs. But his initial taste of the entertainment world came via internships. He candidly described these internships as good learning experiences but on the other hand, they were very limited and lacked creative opportunities.. He felt that he could contribute more with his skills. Mitchell gave crucial advice for emerging storytellers: do not pour all effort into speculative opportunities for someone else, especially when a full time job is not guaranteed. Instead, creatives should focus energy on creating their own endeavors—writing a screenplay, making a short film, or producing content on new platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, or Discord. He advises that while paid internships are worthwhile, the priority should be building a body of consistent work and focusing on development.

In the Writer’s room for the iCarly Reboot & Raven’s home

Mitchell’s personal professional creative industry trajectory began after LMU, leading him to the highly competitive Nickelodeon Writing Program (NWP), where he was accepted in 2020 after being recommended by his manager and submitting an Atlanta spec script. The fellowship was originally scheduled for six months but was extended due to the pandemic. Following the NWP, soon after, he secured a position as a staff writer on the iCarly reboot (2021) for Paramount+, where he worked collaboratively with other writers. From brainstorming sessions, pitching jokes, to rewriting scripts, Mitchell was fully hands-on. He then served as a staff writer on Raven’s Home for eight months, and described the in-person writer’s room experience as invaluable. He worked alongside figures such as Nori Reid, Jed Elinoff, Scott Thomas, and Anthony Hill. The show was already in its sixth season, meaning the "ball was already rolling" and the characters were well-established. It was during this time, specifically while working remotely to write one of his two episodes, that he realized he could successfully deliver high-level work under extreme pressure, having only about two days to write his second episode with a provided outline.

However, Mitchell quickly encountered the unexpected challenges of the professional writer’s room. As one of two Black writers on iCarly, he faced specific hurdles related to diversity. For instance, a professor character he wrote specifically to be a Black man was ultimately rewritten to be a "John Oliver type". Additionally, the love interest for iCarly in his credited episode was originally envisioned as a person of color, but the role eventually went to an actor with "blonde hair, blue eyes". However, rather than accepting defeat, Mitchell channeled these experiences into a pragmatic strategy. He now advises emerging writers of color facing similar situations to prioritize gaining "leverage" through building "time and wins". His core advice is to "get your check" and "get over the hump" to build the momentum necessary to eventually have greater power in the room, recognizing they are not yet in the position of established creators like Jordan Peele or Issa Rae. Furthermore, the lack of certainty in the industry prompted Mitchell to strategically "expand a bit" beyond singular writing for film and television, leading him to pursue stand-up comedy as a means of creative survival and diversification.

Stand-Up Comedy & other jobs

The WGA strike served as a catalyst, prompting Mitchell to understand that he needed to expand his creative footprint beyond singular writing for film and television. This led him to stand-up comedy, a field he entered after being inspired by Raven’s Home writer Nori Reed, who successfully juggled the writer room with her own separate comedy career. Mitchell signed up for a stand-up class at UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade) under the tutelage of comedian and improv giant Londale Theuss – today Mitchell currently performs couple of days a week.

Mitchell’s career since leaving the writer's room demonstrates his adaptability. In the face of industry contractions and disruptions like the WGA strike, Mitchell currently juggles multiple roles to support his main creative pursuits. He worked full-time as a Substitute Teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Now, he maintains a job in social services at night, and provides writing mentorships to clients developing sitcom pilots. Mitchell emphasizes that the teaching job offers a vital connection to the young adults he often writes for, providing "real-time" insight that studios and production companies sometimes lack.

His advice to filmmakers:

In his life outlook, Mitchell stresses the difficulty of forecasting the future, noting that "life will throw a lot of curve balls at you," requiring adjustments on the fly. His goal is simply "not quitting". He currently works hard to stay "two if not three steps ahead" in his writing, anticipating market changes, even while cautioning that one should not solely write for the market.

Future Projects

Regarding future plans, he is currently pursuing several projects: he recently completed a heist comedy feature script, and is also in pre-production on a potential short or web series featuring artist Marco Bernard (Masterminds Connect). He continues to teach and offer mentorships, encouraging other creatives on the importance of mindful work choices: if they must take side jobs, those jobs should allow for the mental space necessary to think, develop stories, and outline screenplays during downtime, rather than being mentally draining.

Giving Thanks

Ultimately, Mitchell gratefully acknowledges the support he has received throughout his journey, specifically his father Haven, his mother Rhonda Bayche, his Aunt Lisa, his sister, Jade, his nephews (all 3 of them), his best friend and former CSUN teammate, Josh Greene, his instructors at LMU, and all the mentors and industry figures who have provided opportunities for him along the way. “If you are reading this, there’s so many people we can name, and I hope anybody reading this, anybody who’s successful: we cannot do this alone. There will always be people, supporting characters, in your film who are going to help you and who you have to help to get to where you’re going.”