After appearing in some TV commercials you started your real acting career at the age of six, playing episodic roles in TV shows like "Strong Medicine", "Friends" and "Judging Amy". How did you become interested in acting and when did you decide that you want to do it professionally?
When I was very little, my parents would take me to a lot of local theatre productions. I was a talkative and fearless child, and during the performances I would try to interact with the cast, desperately wanting to join them on stage. Instead of discouraging this outgoing behavior and telling me to sit still and be quiet, my mom and dad decided to take me to an acting class at age four. At my very first class one of the coaches, Lynne Marks, asked if she could represent me as my manager. My parents said yes, and began driving me to auditions nearly every day. I started getting hired for commercials frequently, and my dad ended up quitting his job so he could be with me full time.
My parents always made sure I was happy while working and that I never felt pressured to pursue an acting career. Acting always felt like a hobby to me. After school, my friends went to soccer practice, and I went on auditions. Other little girls at auditions would have brand new outfits and would be all dolled up with perfect hair, but I went into all of my auditions barefoot with stains on my shirt and unbrushed hair. I think my authenticity helped me book so many jobs growing up. I was always having fun auditioning and being on set, and it showed in my work. My parents did such an incredible job making sure that my acting career never got in the way of having a normal and fun childhood. They even turned down jobs that conflicted with play dates and friends' birthday parties to keep me from getting burnt out. There is no way I would've gotten to where I am today without the support and help from my parents.
From 2009 to 2013 you played the role of Zora Lancaster in Disney TV shows "Sonny with a Chance" and "So Random". What are your favourite and most hilarious moments from playing in Disney? Are you still in touch with your friends from these times?
While working on "Sonny With A Chance", I created a life-size dummy that I named Ortho. I bought a set of men's clothes and boots from a thrift store, then stuffed them with towels and blankets and duct taped it all together. I attached a basket ball as his head, then completed the look with a hideous vampire Halloween mask I found at a local pharmacy. I made Ortho stand up by tying him to one of my dad's microphone stands. I hid him in my cast mates dressing room, then waited around the corner to hear them walk in and scream. To make it fun for everyone, I put a sign around Ortho's neck telling anyone who got spooked by him to sign his jacket, then put him in someone else's room. Everyone loved it, and Ortho got passed around all the dressing rooms, and even made it into the writers' room, the hair and makeup room, and the prop closet!
I filmed season 2 of "Sonny With A Chance" at Hollywood Center Studios. Several other Disney shows shot at that lot, including Disney XD's "Kickin' It!" I became close with Dylan Riley Snyder from "Kickin' It", and we took my life-size vampire, Ortho, over to his set and hid it in Olivia Holt's dressing room. When Olivia walked in and saw Ortho, she freaked out and production got upset! Dylan and I kept it a secret for awhile that we were the ones who pranked her.
I still keep in touch with many of the Disney actors from that generation, including Dylan, who I am actually marrying in September of 2019! Many of our cast and crew members from our Disney days will be attending the wedding.
The character you played in "Sonny with a Chance" was described as "very smart, mysterious, crazy and clever". Do you have anything in common with Zora? What is your opinion about her?
Zora and I are both extremely outgoing and not afraid to speak our minds. I think our biggest similarity is that we are unapologetically ourselves. We may be a little odd, but we embrace it!
You also had an opportunity to be a voice actress of Stormy in a children's animated show "Jake and the Never Land Pirates". What was the most exciting thing about voice acting for a TV series for kids?
Voice over work is the best! Recording sessions are so quick, easy, and fun! Plus, you can even show up to work in pajamas if you want.
Now you are a grown-up woman and you started making movies yourself. This year a thriller short "Nasty Habits" premiered and it was directed by you. Can you tell us something more about this amazing project?
I'm very passionate about filmmaking, and for the past several years I have been working on transitioning to a career behind the camera. I graduated high school at age 15 and began taking cinematography classes in college. I started producing short films in 2016 with my fiancé Dylan Snyder, and longtime friend Bryan Morrison under the name Watch The Footage Productions. A few years later we added our talented friend Joey Luthman to the mix, and the four of us are now gearing up for our first feature film! All the recent festival success that our project "Nasty Habits" has received has been overwhelming. We are all very excited for what's to come! You can follow our Watch The Footage social media pages to stay updated!
Most of the roles you played so far were funny and comedic, but I guess you don't want to be pigeonholed in one type. Would you like to play more dramatic characters or do you prefer the comedic ones?
Throughout childhood, most of the roles I got were dramatic. When the audition for "Sonny With A Chance" came in, my agent had a meeting with me to look at the script and asked me if I was interested in the project. Disney comedies are a very different acting style than most shows. They tend to be larger than life. You need to have lots of energy and understand the comedic timing of the channel. I loved the character Zora, so my agent sent me out for the role, and after a very long auditioning process that lasted several months, I got the call that I booked it! I had an absolute blast working on Disney, but it's hard to say whether I prefer dramatic or comedic roles. I enjoy any character with layers that I can connect with, regardless of genre.
Apart from being a gifted actress, you are also a talented and prolific artist. We can see your amazing paintings on your website. How can you describe your main sources of inspiration?
My father is a talented artist and a musician, so I grew up in a very creative household where I was always encouraged to express myself through many outlets. I drew for hours every day while in the waiting rooms of auditions. I've always loved making homemade birthday presents and giving art pieces as wrap gifts to the cast and crew of a show at the end of a season, but I didn't pursue art professionally until age fifteen when I had my first gallery showing. My debut art show benefitted a close family friend who had just lost her husband to cancer and needed assistance paying medical bills. It was a truly incredible night, being able to showcase my work and raise money for a good cause. Painting is a passion for me, so even though I sell my work, I make sure to only paint when I feel inspired so that it remains enjoyable and never feels like a job.
I know that you are interested in scuba diving and it is one of your favourite free time activities. How did you fall in love with scuba and what do you like most about it?
I have always been fascinated with sharks, so my fiancé, Dylan Snyder, and I decided to get certified. We have been fortunate enough to dive in Lanai, Hawaii and all over the Caribbean. My younger sister, Josie, recently got certified as well, so now we all get to dive together! The three of us actually went diving on Christmas Day of 2018, and got to swim with dozens of nurse sharks!
How can you describe your main aims and plans for the foreseeable future?
I am currently devoting the majority of my attention to filmmaking. Our production team is gearing up to produce a feature film I wrote. I do plan on continuing to paint in my downtime, and I will take acting jobs that work with my schedule, but my main priority is to further my career as a screenwriter and grow my production company.
If you want to learn more about Allisyn Ashley Arm and her career, please visit her official website:
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