Alyssa McClelland

Acting

Alyssa McClelland

Born 1981-01-01 · Australia

Alyssa McClelland is an internationally acclaimed director of film, television and commercials. She is currently the set-up Director and Executive Producer on the TV adaptation of the famous Australian novel My Brilliant Career for Netflix. Prior to that Alyssa directed all 6 episodes of hit BBC comedy Amandaland - the new spin-off of Motherland - which was released to rave reviews in February and has already been renewed for Season Two. "A spin-off that punches above its weight: it is lovely, life-affirming escapism." - The Times "Amandaland: the Mother of all comedies" - BBC Alyssa was the set up director of Everything Now starring Sophie Wilde and Stephen Fry for Left Bank Pictures, along with directing several episodes and the finale of International Emmy award-winning Sex Education for Eleven Film. Both shows were distributed worldwide by Netflix. Alyssa wrote and directed the short film Second Best. After a successful international run, the film won the Australian Directors Guild Award for Best Direction in a Short Film as well as best short film at Flickerfest, the Milan International Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival. She also directed, produced and co-wrote two seasons of Funny or Die's cult web series One Step Closer to Home. In commercials, Alyssa has directed international campaigns for brands such as Apple, Google, Bumble and Air New Zealand. She won the coveted Black Pencil at the D&AD Awards and the award for Direction at the London International Awards. Alyssa studied Media Arts and Production at UTS in Sydney, majoring in Directing. A scholarship from the Australian Theatre for Young People led her to study at the Atlantic Theater Company in New York in the technique of Practical Aesthetics - a course developed by David Mamet and William H. Macy. Alyssa was also the recipient of the InStyle Magazine Woman of Style Scholarship for her work as a filmmaker in Australia.

Acting credits

Knowing poster
6.3

A teacher opens a time capsule that has been dug up at his son's elementary school; in it are some chilling predictions -- some that have already occurred and others that are about to -- that lead him to believe his family plays a role in the events that are about to unfold.

Knowing

2009

Son of the Mask poster
4.2

Tim Avery, an aspiring cartoonist, finds himself in a predicament when his dog stumbles upon the mask of Loki. Then after conceiving an infant son "born of the mask", he discovers just how looney child raising can be.

Son of the Mask

2005

Queen of the Damned poster
6.1

Vampire Lestat awakens from his slumber and becomes a rock star. But chaos strikes when his music awakens Akasha, the vampire queen, who may not rest until she makes Lestat her new king.

Queen of the Damned

2002

Restraint poster
5.9

Two fugitives land in hot water when they take a hostage who poses a threat to their well-being.

Restraint

2008

Growing Up Wild poster
7.1

Life is an adventure - especially for a newborn animal who has so much to learn. "Growing Up Wild" takes audiences to the wildest corners of the planet to tell the tales of five courageous animals as they tackle the very first challenges of their young lives. With a little guidance from sage family members, each must figure out how and where to find food, while learning to recognize the very real threat of danger. From their first steps of exploring their world to their final steps into independence, "Growing Up Wild" reveals the triumphs and setbacks of five young lives in which instinct, parental lessons, and trial & error ultimately define their destinies. Featuring the stunning imagery and iconic storytelling that makes Disneynature's big-screen adventures an inspiring movie-going experience, "Growing Up Wild", brings home a special look at how similar and different these young lives can be. - Written by (C) 2016 Disney Enterprises

Growing Up Wild

2016

The Eleven O'Clock poster
7.1

The delusional patient of a psychiatrist believes he is actually the psychiatrist. As they each attempt to treat each other the session gets out of control.

The Eleven O'Clock

2016

The Bet poster
4.6

Young Sydney stockbroker, Will, makes a bet with his rich mate Angus - who can make the most money in three months with $50,000? Obsessed with winning, Will finds himself engaged in high stakes games and deception, bending all the rules, until he discovers that winning at all costs could mean losing more than he could ever imagine.

The Bet

2007

No artwork available
5.8

A disgraced young Melbourne lawyer is sent to purgatory in Broome - and discovers a body, himself, and Paradise.

Second Chance

2005

Small Claims: White Wedding poster
7.0

Jo has a family wedding to attend, but the wedding is in crisis. Chrissy and Jo face the twin tasks of bringing the wedding to a successful conclusion, whilst at the same time, investigating a murder in which all the suspects are key figures in the wedding party.

Small Claims: White Wedding

2005

Surviving Georgia poster
4.0

Surviving Georgia is a heart warming Romantic Comedy about family and finding your own identity in the world. About realising that sometimes to move forward, we have to let go of the past. Heidi and Rose must find love but in doing so must first reconcile with their feisty, vivacious and slightly alcoholic mother!

Surviving Georgia

2011

A Man's Gotta Do poster
4.4

Eddy does what he has to do to give his family what they want. For the last 25 years, he has secretly moonlighted as a "standover" man, purely to provide his aspirational wife with her dream house and a privileged upbringing for his only daughter. Eddy finds it hard to express how he feels, especially now that his "little girl" is engaged and will soon be leaving the family home. Chantelle believes her emotionally blocked father has only two feelings "angry" and "very angry" and feels her father just doesn't understand her. Eddy is perplexed: "What's to understand?" Herein lies the problem. Over eager to get on the same wavelength as his daughter and recapture the closeness they once had, Eddy starts reading Chantelle's diary. In the process, more secrets than anyone was prepared for, begin to surface with devastating yet hilarious results. Eddy rides the storm and once the dust settles, all is well... for now.

A Man's Gotta Do

2004

No artwork available
4.6

A small-time horse trainer has successfully screwed up his life. His wife hates him, hie mistress loathes him and his father-in-law wants to kill him. With nothing to lose, he enlists the help of his best friend and concocts a plan to rig the biggest horse race in Australia.

Horseplay

2003

No artwork available
8.0

An emotionally abused teenage boy fights against insanity after his mother's violent suicide in a car crash when he was nine-years-old.

Ben

2001

Behind the camera