We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Allison Delaney. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Allison below.
Hi Allison, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I remember being in my first play when I was about seven years old, and I just never stopped! I continued to do theater throughout my childhood, and through high school. However, it wasn’t until I started my BFA program at Emerson College that I really learned what acting was. I worked with incredible professors, and studied everything from Meisner to Laban. I learned to think of acting holistically, which made me able to move from theater to film and back seamlessly. I learned something new every day, and by the time I graduated, I felt ready and trained enough to take on any opportunity that came my way. Then, a whole new learning process began when I moved to Los Angeles to begin my journey as a working actor. I had learned about the business of acting, but now it was time to implement it, which was a whole different beast. I went from being in an acting studio with a camera or scene study in the theater surrounded by other students and teachers, to standing in front of a blue screen filming a self tape with my roommates. The self tape became a whole new thing to master. So, experience by experience I started to learn how to be fully free and creative in what felt like such a small box. I took on-camera auditioning with Robert D’Avanzo, which really led to a lot of discoveries and helped the process. I also learned from Gregory Berger that self tapes aren’t an excuse to let go of creativity, and that who I am as an actor is completely enough! I feel very strongly now that I have to think outside the box and really find the joy auditioning, and think of it not as a job but as an opportunity to do what I love!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Allison Delaney! I’m an actor newly local to Los Angeles after earning my BFA in Acting from Emerson College in Boston. I grew up there, in a small community right next to Logan Airport. (So, yes of course I can do the accent). I grew up doing a variety of activities, including basketball, guitar, figure skating, etc, but for some reason I always gravitated toward the arts.
I am extensively trained in acting for the camera and for the stage. My recent instruction also includes on camera auditioning with Robert D’Avanzo at RD Studio and I’m currently enrolling in classes at Berg Studio as well as the Groundlings. I’m often cast as a scream queen in horror films, as well as complex/gritty characters (think: the Walking Dead, Silver Linings Playbook, the Hunger Games) or feral comedic roles (ie Mean Girls, Easy A, Booksmart).
Since moving to LA, I’ve been doing short films and indie TV productions, as well as theater! I am an associate company member at the Echo Theater Company, and we’re currently working on a new play directed by Stephen Laughton. One of my favorite projects thus far has been creating a new theater company with my college peers, called Three Piece Theater. We recently just put up our first showcase of contemporary works.
I think what sets me apart is my diverse background and my upbringing. I definitely come from a unique, amazing family that isn’t afraid show who they really are. What inspires me as an actor definitely comes from my faith, because as a Christian I believe in purpose, and that acting has the ability to impact people. I think that being an actor reminds me that the world is so much bigger than just myself.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I always thought that I would end up in New York City. Even as I approached my senior year of college when I would have to make decisions about my future, I really only pictured myself living there. I was obsessed with the city as a kid, and definitely romanticized it a lot. However, as time went on, and I started to gravitate toward film and television, I started to think about LA. I had never been to the west coast before, and I came to visit California for a week. I sort of instantly felt like this was probably where I was supposed to be. I decided to make the move, and obviously it’s hard because my entire family is back on the east coast, but it’s also so different from what I’m used to and it’s an opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
There is this software called Auditional, it’s basically an app that tracks your auditions. I just started using it, and it’s honestly amazing. It tracks everything including casting directors, type of project, etc. I can be a disorganized person sometimes so it definitely helps me to feel more structured and on track.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.allisondelaney.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisondelaneyy/?hl=en
- Other: My art instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/artbyallisondelaney/?hl=en
Image Credits
Headshots: Wolf Marloh Photo