Alisha Mullally is a native of Danville, California. She has been working in the acting industry since the age of 11, with some of her most notable work including Days of Our Lives, Nickelodeon, Macy’s, Coca-Cola, Cisco, Toyota, and Outback Steakhouse. Alisha has been involved in voice over work, numerous television and radio commercials, and six feature films acting along side many well known names, such as Juliette Binoche, Richard Gere, Mindy Sterling and Sean Patrick Flanery.
Most recently, Alisha has been developing her craft with Groundlings and Joshua LeBar Studios. Her time spent working on advancing her acting skills has allowed her the opportunity to work with Margie Haber, Marnie Cooper, and Bob Luke. Last year, Alisha finished off a year long international tour with Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival, where she starred as the lead female actress and dancer. Recently, Alisha booked the National Commercials and Print Ads for Kellogg’s Special K Cereal.
Outside of acting, Alisha enjoys spending her free time assisting local animal shelters, and volunteering for the Orange County Coastkeepers. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies & Dance from California State University, Long Beach, and she is a certified Barre/Pilates Instructor in Los Angeles. Alisha has comprehensive training in jazz, ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, gymnastics, modern, and tap.
We had an opportunity to catch up with Alisha, to discuss her latest projects. Check the interview below.
Hi, Alisha! You have a growing portfolio. You recently completed an international tour with Disney Live. Awesome! Tell us about the experience.
The tour was an absolutely amazing experience. I had a ton of fun traveling all over the United States and South America, and it was a great learning experience; both with the performances and from a cultural perspective. I learned a lot about the different places we went, and got to see firsthand the little differences between cities, both in stuff like food and music but also just in the way of general energy of each place. No spot was exactly like another. Being on the road for two years was a very exciting and stimulating experience. Also, I had also always dreamed of performing at Madison Square Garden, and that dream got to come to fruition on the tour. It was literally a dream come true.
You are very athletic, having trained in several forms of dance. We definitely could see you in an action film. What are your thoughts on starring in action roles?
Dancing and movement have been a huge part of my life since… forever really. I also did some gymnastics and tumbling when I worked at Disney. All of that could help me transition well into action roles. I’m a very physical person, and doing action roles would be a lot of fun.
When you’re acting, tell us what experiences you draw on to play the role.
I can draw on anything from my life, depending on the role. Each role requires something different, but there’s always something from reality I can bring into my performance to ground it and make it feel more real, both for myself and for the audience.
Let’s talk Nickelodeon. It has launched several careers. Can you contribute your success to appearing on the network?
I did work with a lot of well-known child actors during my time at Nick, which was a learning experience. They were my same age but had done a lot more so I had a lot to learn from them. I was brand new to the game back then! I grew up quickly because of being in the industry, but it was both fun and inspiring working with other people my age.
You’re appearing in national commercials and print ads for Kellogg’s Special K Cereal. Tell us more.
I’ve done a few commercials. Commercials are fun because they’re very high energy. The first role I ever booked was a Toyota commercial when I was ten! Special K is one of the commercials that were the most memorable and special to me for several reasons. It was my first time working on a set where they shut down streets and had a big crane camera, and for that reason it stands out. The Special K commercial was also important for me because it’s been running for so long. I have a new Taco Bell commercial coming out soon, which is just a voice over, but it’s still exciting. It should start appearing this summer.
What has been your favorite performance to date?
Besides Madison Square Garden? I liked playing Molly in “Annie” back in the day. I was nine years old. They threw me in the hamper and covered me with clothes. I can’t help but smile thinking about it. It was a ton of fun. My mom got me the cutest little dress for it too. It was when I was still starting out, so everything was so new and exciting for me.
What types of roles do you hope to be cast in the future?
I’d love to keep doing projects with a deeper message, like “13 Reasons Why”, something that is both interesting and entertaining but has a larger goal of making social change. It adds a whole new dimension and challenge to the performance, as well as a lot of gravity in bringing something so meaningful to life.
Thus far, what has been the best experience working in the industry?
The first film I ever did was with dogs and I was obsessed with dogs. It was great because I got to spend six months in the snow with my co-star who became one of my best guy friends. We just got to play in the snow, hang out, play with dogs, and shoot a movie. It was a perfect experience. It was a Christmas movie called “The Twelve Dogs of Christmas”.
What do you like to do between productions?
I love to keep active and exercise. I actually teach Pilates classes! Anything to help me further my knowledge of the body and how to stay in the best shape and keep myself healthy and fit is something I’m into. I also studied physiology and anatomy in college, so learning more about it is always fun and interesting to me.
Do you have any upcoming projects that we haven’t mentioned?
I just finished up a recurring role on the show “13 Reasons Why”, which has been a big hit on Netflix. A lot of people have been talking about the show both because it’s very high quality and because it has some controversial themes and scenes. The show was a lot of fun to work on, and it was great getting to know the rest of the cast. I’m currently working on a show called “Backstabber”. It’s a more comedic show, and my character is a lot more talkative than previous roles I’ve played. She’s a little awkward and annoying at times, but she’s got a big heart. The show started out as a web series, but Amazon picked it up, so the next season, the one in which I appear, should be on Amazon in the fall.
Do you have any upcoming projects that we haven’t mentioned?
If I had the opportunity to do anything I want, I would love to be a part of some project that inspires people and brings about social change. I want to make a positive impact on the world.
Connect with Alisha:
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1566591
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alisha_Mullally
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealalishamullally
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alishamullally
Web: http://www.alishamullally.com
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