Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Scagliotti.
Hi Allison, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
21 years ago, I got off the plane from New Orleans and began my journey as a child actor. Over 120 episodes of television later (seven of those as director), I’ve had my likeness preserved as an action figure and on a magazine cover, played my guitar in some of LA’s most iconic music venues, released 2 French language vinyl LPs, and continue to survive the tumult of the business called show. The logical next step feels like sharing my skills with the next generation.
The landscape for young talent was very different when I was coming up. I never felt that my uniqueness (read: weirdness) was an asset. Thankfully, the tide has turned and it comforts and inspires me to see people fiercely embracing their individuality through their creativity.
All the same, there’s no substitute for technique and craft. Through my coaching, I hope to share my two decades of expertise with folks of all ages who seek to develop their artistry and stay true to themselves.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
At the risk of stating the obvious, showbiz is not a safe place for a young woman, nor is it a kind place to an adult woman emerging into new phases of her career. At all times, I have been my own fiercest advocate and extracted myself from situations that threatened my safety and integrity. That kind of boundary setting can rile people up.
The biggest challenge has been accepting that success shows up in all manner of costumes you never expect, taking you down paths you never knew existed. Malleability is something I’ve had to learn along the way.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m known for my on-camera career as a smart-talking sidekick on cable TV. Millennials will recognize me from Drake & Josh, One Tree Hill, Warehouse 13, Stitchers, and the Vampire Diaries. I have been so fortunate over the years to bring complex characters to life that I remain proud of with the passage of time.
What I’m less known for but perhaps more proud of are my achievements as a multi-cam director and independent musician. As an actor, I felt very little sense of control over my body of work aside from what I could say no to. As a director, setting the tone that I always looked for in leadership was affirming after seeing an absurdly low ratio of female directors.
And it’s in my musical identity that I get to create the roles I never got to inhabit as an actor. A little bit more mysterious, other-worldly, and seductive than the snarky nerds I played on TV. I created my French lounge act La Femme Pendu when I was finishing my undergrad at Berklee College of Music, and today I play guitar with 7Horse and Fainting Party. It’s an auxiliary dream come true.
What’s next?
I’m currently working away, writing new material to record in the fall and booking performances with my bands.
Meanwhile, I am asked for advice and guidance regularly by young creatives looking for perspective on leading a healthy and balanced life of pursuing their dreams, which is why I’ve finally begun to offer coaching and creative consultation to folks who are interested.
And after surviving a lockdown where all of our best-laid plans were dashed by global calamity, I am maintaining total flexibility with regard to what the future holds. Actor, director, musician, writer, educator; as long as I get to keep living creatively. I’m available for all of it.
Pricing:
- $50 – 15 min consultation
- $75 – 30 min consultation
- $125 – 30 min coaching session
- $175 – 45 min coaching session
Contact Info:
- Website: silentgentertainment.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/wittyhandle
- Twitter: twitter.com/allisonscag
- Other: lafemmependu.com, https://open.spotify.com/artist/4bQRWieAl8z6asLWigR0za?si=6-I_jFFhQfmQF6l5re0w1w
Image Credits
Red beret/bikini photo, by Patrick John Horne for Sidway Swim instagram.com/patrickjohnhorne Guitar photo by instagram.com/chrvstinephoto All other photos by Jackson Davis Photography instagram.com/jacksondavisphoto
