Meet Cleo Tellier, Actor

Cleo Tellier is a French-Canadian actor who recently moved to Toronto to pursue her acting career. She is known for the role of Émilie in the 15 season TV show Virginie and also the role of Flora in the Emmy-nominated show, 30 vies. She can also be seen in Degrassi as Rheanne on TeenNick. In addition to these TV shows, she is known for her numerous national commercials for major campaigns.

Learn more about Cleo Tellier on IMDB, as well as her website, www.cleotellier.com.

1. How did you first become interested in acting?



It was always something I wanted to do. Acting has always been a part of me. When I was about 4 or 5 years old, I kept asking my parents to "be on TV." They didn't understand: my mother is a lawyer, and my father works in accounting, so they had no idea where this desire came from. With time, they got really tired of hearing me talking about this! They ended up letting me auditioning for talent agencies. They have been very supportive of my career since then.

2. As a bilingual actor, do you find that you get more work in English or French--or some of each?

When I moved in Toronto two years ago, I figured that my French would be a waste and that I would only get work in English. I was wrong; I never got that many commercial auditions in my life! Most national commercials are made in Toronto, so they are looking for actors who can do both the French and English version. In terms of TV and film, I usually auditioned in English only. If I want to audition or work in French, I need to travel to Montreal because that's where all the French production companies are.



3. Would you tell us a little bit about your experience with appearing on the TV show Virginie? 



I loved working on Virginie. It was always the same crew, so you got to know everyone from episode to episode. We became like a family, and it was hard to leave at the end. The show was on for so long and the fan base was big. It really helped me to start my acting career. That's where I developed all my skills as an actor. I learned so much and met people who I have worked with after, mostly in 30 Vies. It was probably one of the best experiences in my life.

4. What is the biggest challenge about doing work for TV commercials?

That's a tough question. TV commercials are probably the hardest work I do. It's very challenging because everything goes so fast and you're expected to act perfectly every time. They often change the script at the last minute on the day of the shoot, so you need to be able to learn fast and adapt to the situation. Mistakes are not permitted in commercials. Usually, they give you a specific time (15 or 30 seconds) and you need to respect the timing. That means that every shot I do, I need to hit the time perfectly! I can't go one second less or over 30 seconds. It was hard at first, but I got used to it with time.



5. What are some projects you are looking forward to working on in the coming months?

I just finished working on an American feature film called Blood Red Christmas, and I'm really looking forward to the premiere next year. I have a lot of voice over work coming up this summer, and I’m really excited about this! It's something I have been looking to do for so long. I was thrilled when I learned that I was accepted into the voice over training in Montreal for UDA actors! This should keep me busy over the summer.

Thanks, Cleo!