If you’re in Canada then you’ve likely seen French-Canadian Actress Cleo Tellieron popular shows like Degrassi, Virginie and 30 vies. She’s even served it up in quite a few commercials and has worked steadily in the voice industry which is a pretty niche and difficult but lucrative to get into.
She’s recently decided to set her acting aside for a minute to focus on her first feature film and we had a chance to “parler avec elle pour un moment” about her career and her lastest venture into the director’s chair.
When did you know you wanted to be an actor?
I was probably four or five years old. I was watching TV and I kept saying to my parents “I want to do this, I want to be in films and TV shows”. It was just something I always wanted to do.
What was your very first acting gig?
To be honest, I can’t remember. I think it was a lead role in a short film. The short film was directed by graduating students from the film program at UQAM University in Montreal. It could be something else though, I can’t remember. As I get older and more experienced, I took off a lot of things from my resume.
What type of roles do you generally pursue and why?
I’m usually considered a commercial/voice actor because that’s what I do the most. I always play the classic teenage girl who’s rude with her parents, etc. In the last year, I’ve been trying to work more in TV shows because that’s what I really want to do.
What was it like working on Degrassi and were you there when Drake was there?
My experience at Degrassi was amazing; the crew and cast were so friendly with me. It’s hard because compared to many other TV shows, we get our script really last minute. I had to learn my lines the day of the shoot, usually. It was challenging but I love challenge.
Unfortunately, I never saw Drake on set. He was in the first seasons while I was only in the last season.
What actor or movie has inspired you the most?
Many films have inspired me, they’re mostly all French: Amélie, J’ai tué ma mère, Monsieur Lazhar, Incendies, etc.
I’ve grown up in Quebec so all the actors that inspired me are French-Canadian: Hélène Bourgeois-Leclerc, Anne Dorval, Karine Vanasse, to name a few.
Do you have a dream actor or producer you’d like to work with?
I really want to work in a film with Xavier Dolan. He inspires me so much because he’s so successful and has believed in himself when very few people did. His voice career inspired me to pursue mine and now I’d like to work with him in film.
What has been your biggest career accomplishment so far?
That’s difficult to answer. What seems to be a big accomplishment for me might not seems big to other people. I think acting in Degrassi was a big accomplishment. There are so many people auditioning so ending up with a part in the show is really hard.
What has been your biggest challenge in the industry?
When I moved to Toronto, my accent was quite strong. It was very challenging. I had to work so hard to make it go away.
What was the last role you worked on?
Three days ago, I was doing a teenage daughter in a Nature’s Path commercial.
What are you working on now?
I just wrote my first feature film in French “Les coeurs qui craquent” and I’m currently in pre-production trying to find the right producer for this project.
It’s really hard but I have faith that I’ll find a producer who will be the right fit. I’m putting my acting career on the side for one or two months to work on this project.
Stay connected with Cleo Tellier
Cleo Tellier is a French-Canadian actress from Montreal (QC). Cleo studies Film Production at York University and acting at Armstrong Acting Studio. Cleo Tellier is mostly known for her role in Virginie, 30 vies, Degrassi and for her numerous national and international commercials in French and English. She is strongly established in the French Canadian voice industry.
