We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Allisha Pelletier a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Allisha, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I’m happy to say that most of my work is meaningful, but the one that brings me the most joy is the project I am currently working on called, “The H Word”. It’s a comedy series about growing up with a Cleft Lip. As a creator with a facial difference, it’s important that I bring awareness to how those with facial differences are portrayed in media. Although it is my love letter to the Cleft community, anyone who grew up feeling different can relate to this show. Creating content that provokes positive change will always give me purpose and meaning.

Allisha, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a Canadian Actor, Producer and Writer with a Unilateral Cleft Lip. I have been actively working in the industry for 11 years, starting out as an actor and then began producing and writing three years ago. To date, I have successfully co-written, produced and starred in the comedy series, “Stoney Lonesome”, that has two seasons and a Christmas Special on Bell Five TV1 and produced and starred in the drama series, “Two Brothers”, that has two seasons on OUTTV.
Having struggled to book roles as an actor with a Cleft Lip, I have realized the importance of creating the projects and the roles that I want. My newest show, “The H Word”, is very close to my heart and is heavily based on my experiences growing up with the Cleft Lip. As an advocate for equal representation and inclusivity, my hope is that the show will demonstrate how those with facial differences are being represented in the media.

Like all my projects, the goal is to have a positive impact on society. Whether it’s creating awareness so all walks of life can be accurately represented on screen, or offering laughter to escape the heavy world we live in.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I first decided that I wanted to pursue a career in acting, I was running a cleaning company in Calgary. In hindsight, giving up my business and starting a new career made no sense, but I felt like it was the only thing that would actually make me happy and give me purpose. So I sold and gave away everything I owned and moved to Toronto to learn more about film and television. But unfortunately, I had already spent so much money on post secondary education, that I couldn’t afford to go to film school. I felt like I had everything stacked against me. I was in a new city, with very little income and minimum knowledge about the entertainment industry. I knew with my “unique” look, booking work would be hard and having nothing but theatre experience on my resume didn’t help. BUT, I was unwilling to give up and my heart was set on making it work.

I took whatever unpaid acting jobs I could find while also working a full time time job (yes, it was exhausting). I did this for almost 6 years! A lot of actors will tell you, “never work for free!”. However, I considered this to be my free education! I believed I had what it took to be successful, so I showed up to set ready to work hard, to learn and make connections. Never undervalue the power of making connections! I have those updated jobs to thank for a lot of my current success. People on those small projects have now called me back to work on bigger shows. They have also helped with my producing my own successful projects. It’s taken a long time to get where I am now and I feel like I’m only getting started!

The point is, success comes to those who WANT it. If you’re willing to put in what it takes, no obstacle or amount of time will keep you from pursuing your dream.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Pay attention to the content you watch and where. Large streaming services are great, but there are lot of incredible shows and talent on smaller networks and platforms that need your support. Help the up and coming creators by supporting local artists through funding campaigns. Check websites like Kickstarter or IndieGoGo to name a couple, to see what small productions companies are trying to get funded and need your help to do so. Also, word travels fast thanks to social media, so don’t hesitate to like and share artists that you love who could use the exposure!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @allisha.pelletier
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllishaLynnPelletier/
• Twitter: @AllishaLynnP
• Other: @TheHWordSeries

Image Credits
Victor Cooper, Ash Murrell, Gabriel Capati