“Real Detective” depicts true life cases with actors performing the events and those involved. Investigator Clarence Douglas tackles the case of Angel Doe, a little girl found dead in a ditch near the Houston Bayou, promising not to neglect her in death like she was in life. “Angel Doe” was an unidentified 5-year-old girl whose body was found in 2001, two days before the 911 attacks. Her body showed signs of abuse, but investigators said she died from blunt trauma to the head. “Angel Doe” is later discovered to be Raysate Knight who was beaten, starved, and kept locked in a closet by her own parent. The story is based on a true life case. As Aurelia, Jaeda appears as a young girl living in constant fear of her father. The death of her sister has magnified this and traumatized her. Aurelia believes that her sister speaks to her after dying.
The show’s director Gabriel Pelletier had seen Jaeda’s previous work in the documentary film “The Silence” and was an early champion for her being awarded the role of Aurelia. Pelletier professes, “Her delivery was emotionally charged and effortlessly pulled on the heartstrings of viewers. Few actors can translate such raw emotion without ham-fisted overacting but Jaeda avoided this pitfall. It was obvious to me that she would be incredible as Aurelia, which she was.” To deliver this performance, an actor has to place themselves in the mindset of the role; this can prove more difficult for a young actor as hearing about these situations can be a first instance for them. After discussions with her mother about the types of abuse that Aurelia and her sister underwent, Jaeda went silent as she comprehends the malevolence of the circumstance. She reveals, “Knowing that a mother could be addicted to drugs and still choose to give birth to her baby, passing along her addiction of crack cocaine to that new fragile life. This girl was then taken by the grand-mother for a few years but when she returned home. Aurelia’s sister was abused, confined to a closet, burned with cigarettes, starved, and beaten with a belt and with a switch made from the thorny stem of a palm frond. She was kicked by your dad so hard that she just never woke up. It’s a story that you don’t want to believe and yet it was true. It was a difficult story to be involved in and yet I understood that by telling it we might help someone who can still be saved. I think it’s good to act to entertain people but you also get the chance to help people by acting and I think that is important as well.”
LeBlanc confirms that she was able to learn a great deal by listening to the input and actions of the more seasoned professionals around her on set. Director Gabriel Pelletier gave Jaeda input concerning the real Aurelia based on his conversations with the true life detective Clarence who worked the case. She also observed her fellow actors like Karen Glave who performed the role of Detective Darcus Shorten on the case. Glave confirms, “During the filming I felt the connection and energy that she was giving. I connected with Jaeda on a higher artistic level. Many young actors might have struggled by overdoing the emotional scenes but Jaeda’s did not. This young actress was committed and had become Aurelia. When she had to explain the horrific death of her sister, it was even hard for me to listen as I had almost forgotten that I was on set; that how real it was. In my twenty years of acting I have rarely seen an actor of such a young age perform this well. Jaeda has the talent of a great actor.”
While those around her marvel at the ability of one so tender in age, LeBlanc sees it differently. She doesn’t think of herself as a child actor but rather simply an actor. It’s every actors job to bring energy and believability to their role and Jaeda feels that no matter what he or she looks like on the outside, if they cause the other actors and the audience to look beyond the actor’s appearance and immerse themselves in the reality of the character…then they are a good actor. The attention which she received from the cast/crew and viewers was humbling she states, adding, “I will cherish being a part of ‘Real Detective’ and telling this story for a very, very long time. I hope that one day I can become a role model for many kids around the world so they can feel strong enough to go after their dream whatever path they choose…and hopefully consider how they can do for others at the same time.”