Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Zoe Alliaume. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Zoe, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Moving to America was- and still is- a risk for me.

Right after graduating High School (I was only seventeen then) I decided to move to the United States to study acting. It was a huge leap, especially with Covid still going on. Everything felt so new and overwhelming: starting University, dealing with a different culture and currency (seriously, 12$ for a coffee??), figuring out the NYC subway… I was adjusting to another world.

I’ve never handled change easily, so all of this was a lot to take in. I was lucky that my mom could stay with me for the first few months to help me settle in. Not everyone has that kind of support, so I definitely don’t take this for granted.

Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice. I know acting is an unpredictable career, and it gets me thinking, “Why am I putting myself through the stress of auditions and portfolios when I could just move back to France and be with my family?” But the thing is, I really love what I’m doing, and I really want to succeed, so I’m going to keep pushing forward. I know France has a great cinema industry, and I’m not dismissing that option. But I’m drawn to the opportunities in America- the chance to push my boundaries and challenge myself in a new environment.

The risk isn’t only about the uncertainty of the job; it’s also about the financial side of things. Living in the U.S. is expensive (I’m looking at you 12$ coffee). Between tuition, student debt, and visa fees, it adds up fast. Even with two jobs, I can’t manage on my own. I will once again say how privileged I am to have parents who approve of my life choices and have the means to help me financially.

I am happy I took this risk. It’s been challenging, but it’s also been rewarding. From the friends I’ve made, to the networking connections, industry insights, and life lessons, it’s pushed me way out of my comfort zone, but I’m learning to embrace it. I’m proud of how much I’ve grown, and I’m excited to see what’s next!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

If you don’t know me, hi there! I’m Zoe Alliaume, a French actor and dancer based in New York City. I recently graduated from the New York Film Academy with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. I love to perform, whether it’s on stage, in front of a camera, or even working on set constructions, and assisting with backstage operations.

I’ve dreamed of becoming an actor since I was a wee lad. I realized that this job could make all the hobbies and careers I wanted to try, come to life. Plus, you get to drag everyone around you into that fantasy world. Love it.

Throughout my studies, I’ve had some amazing experiences working on short films. I played the incredibly dramatic Infanta Juana in “A Chill in Seville”, vengeful Fanny in “Never Let Go”, and broken Phoebe in “Bury Him”. It’s a great way to understand how movie sets function, especially when it comes to conserving energy during long wait times.
In the theatre world, I got to play the famous Dr. Van Helsing in “Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy”, Infanta Juana (yes, again!) in “The Hunchback of Seville”, and Korée in “Pluie de Cendres”.
I’ve also dipped my toes into the film festival world, the most recent highlight being the SOHO International Film Festival, where I had the honor of handing out the awards at the closing ceremony.

When I’m not acting, I’m dancing- channeling my inner Fred Astaire. I grew up dancing at DanceSteps Studio in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. Although I was born in France, I spent most of my life in KL (clarifying for context). Over the years, I performed in annual dance shows and earned my Advanced 2 ISTD tap certification, and an Intermediate ISTD certification in modern. I’ve also had some ballet training, and recently, I’ve been performing as a hip-hop /commercial dancer at the Nickelodeon & DreamWorks park at the American Dream Mall.

Voilà! That’s me! If you want to know more, check out my socials and feel free to contact me.

Have you ever had to pivot?

A pivot I had to do was my approach to auditions.

I didn’t expect online auditions to really become a thing. As far as I know, self-tapes weren’t that common before COVID-19, so back then I assumed in-person auditions would resume once the pandemic died down. However, when I started university, our teachers began training us to record self-tapes, and I realized this was the new normal.

The positives: I get to manage my schedule, which makes it easier to balance work and auditions. It also allows me more time to analyze scripts, experiment with my performance, and try out new ways to approach scenes… Though I’m pretty sure my neighbors can recite some lines by heart at this point (sorry y’all).

Negatives: I am now responsible for every part of the process: acting, sound design, lighting, camera work, editing… It gets extremely frustrating and time-consuming, especially if you don’t have a good setup. My friends have witnessed my DIY, MacGyver-style tripod and lighting because obviously, I couldn’t afford the proper equipment. It’s also when you wish that the city that never sleeps, had a bedtime. Is it too much to ask for five minutes without the sound of a helicopter or a firetruck to record myself? Apparently yes.

But while I didn’t expect this turn in the industry, it has challenged me and equipped me with valuable skills that will benefit my career, and I’m happy to have learned them.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

For me, acting and managing my career is all about trial and error.
Sure, books can give you a head start, but it’s the actual experience that teaches you. It’s like kissing- you can read all the guides on how to do it, but you don’t really get it til you try it. But seriously, it’s the same for social media and self-tapes, which are huge for getting your work out there and gaining visibility. You never really know what people are looking for, so you just try to put what you think is relevant and go from there. With self-tapes, it’s about performing the scene in a way that feels right to you and then working on improving yourself through your life experiences. And taking a director’s note.

I’ve never been particularly drawn to traditional business/help books, or TED talks, even though I know they’re helpful to people. I just want to read Harry Potter or something fun. I’ve read about heartbreak many times in multiple romance novels, where authors describe it so clearly with specific words. Still, it wasn’t until I actually experienced it myself that I truly understood the depth of that emotion. That’s why now when it’s time to act out heartbreak, I think about all its complexities: the confusion, anger, vulnerability, etc.

So yeah, for me, life itself has had the biggest impact on how I approach and manage my career.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.zoealliaume.com
• Instagram: @zowee.alm
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-alliaume

Image Credits

Alex Settineri
Jonathan Fernandes