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On her days off, you might find actress Jayden Bartels hitting up a yoga sculpt class, making mems at an escape room with her pals or putting together pieces from HomeGoods (yes, she even has her own tools). But lately her life has looked much less chill—and much more ~chilling~. 

As the star of Goosebumps: The Vanishing (Season 2 of the Disney+ show, based on the beloved book series, just dropped!), she's been busy bringing spine-tingling stories to life. And even after years of experience in the industry as a singer, YouTuber and influencer, her skyrocketing success still feels surreal.

"The first time I saw myself in an episode that wasn't a rough cut was actually the night it aired," she remembers. "I was with a few castmates and friends in their New York apartment, and we watched it at 3 a.m.."

A witching hour viewing party feels totally fitting for the teens from the spooky series—and Jayden couldn't help but get a little starstruck. "We all just started looking at each other with these huge eyes, not believing it."

She sat down with us to dish on her behind-the-scenes besties, her big dreams for the future and more. Think you know the truth about the real Jayden Bartels? Guess again…

Disney/Francisco Roman

1. She's the polar opposite of her onscreen character, Cece.

It's...FALSE!

While many of Jayden's Goosebumps: The Vanishing castmates were v. different from their characters in real life ("Francesca [Noel]'s nothing like Alex," she reveals), she connected on a deep level to the polished 'n' perfectionistic Cece.

"From the moment I read the script, I immediately felt like I understood her," Jayden says. "I related to her determination and her expectations for herself—she likes being the leader, and I do, too."

In Jayden's words, portraying Cece (a star student, former debate team champ and textbook high-achiever struggling to stay afloat amidst all the pressure) was a little bit like "going boss mode." 

"In school, in my career, in all of these parts of my life that I take so seriously, I'm Cece." she shares "My parents watched some of her scenes and were like, 'That's not even acting. That's just you.'"

2. She's *actually* friends with her co-stars.

It's...TRUE!

Turns out the tight-knit bonds between the Goosebumps gang still exist when the cameras aren't rolling. "We all have really unique personalities," Jayden says of her buds. (Peep the exclusive behind-the-scenes disposable cam shot above for photographic proof!) 

Jayden describes her downtime on set as full of "lots of goofing off," whether the squad was firing off witty banter in the GC or trying to beat each other's time in the stopwatch challenge (Jayden spills that Stony Blyden, who plays Trey, was crowned the winner with a record 0.01 seconds!).

Disney/Francisco Roman

3. She's a scaredy cat IRL.

It's...FALSE!

Considering that Cece has to face everything from an oozing, evil blob to a possessed self-driving car, it's no surprise that Jayden can hold her own when it comes to offscreen scares, too.  "I love spooky stuff," she says. "I could do horror movies until the day I die and be so, so happy."

And stay tuned for Jayden's villain arc: As much as she adores Cece, she's hoping she'll get the chance someday to swap her good girl persona for something drama-filled and darker. "In a future horror project, I'd love to play the monster instead of the survivor—I love to challenge myself and be people I've never been, you know?" 

4. She's the unofficial queen of Halloween.

It's...TRUE!

Too early to start counting down to October? Not according to Jayden, who looks forward to the night of frights all year long.

"My birthday is November 1, I was actually due on Halloween," she says. "So my whole life, I've gone all out celebrating." She's got a history of epic costumes to back it up, too, from a DIY mermaid getup, astronaut helmet and, ofc. punny "Chef's Kiss" ensemble (aka an adorable apron, matching hat and red lipstick kisses all over). 

5. She's done obsessing about what other people think.

It's...TRUE!

Prepping for high-intensity scenes (no spoilers, ofc, but expect a fair number of blood-curdling screams) taught Jayden a valuable lesson about banishing that inner critic. "You have to, in those moments, shed any ego you might have. You really can't care about what anyone thinks," she says. "It's easier said than done when there's 50 people and four cameras watching, but you just have to tap in and go for it."  

She carried this cool-girl confidence with her even after filming wrapped—and letting go of other's perceptions of her has been oh-so-freeing. "As girls, we feel like we need to have this list of achievements to prove ourselves to the world," she says. "But remember that even without all of that, we're still so successful, valid and worthy."

Stream Goosebumps: The Vanishing here!

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Slider and top image: @jaydenbartels

by Madelon Basil | 2/7/2025