Alyssa McClelland

Alyssa McClelland
McClelland in December 2012
Born1981 (age 44–45)
Sydney, Australia
EducationNewtown High School of the Performing Arts
Australian Theatre for Young People
University of Technology Sydney
Atlantic Theater Company, New York
OccupationsDirector, writer, actress
Years active2000–present
Known forSecond Best (director), Amandaland (BBC), Sex Education (Netflix), Everything Now (Netflix)

Alyssa McClelland is a director, screenwriter, producer and former actress, known for directing the series Amandaland, the finale episodes of Sex Education and the award-winning short Second Best.[1][2][3]

Early life and education

McClelland is the daughter of an industrial chemist father and office manager mother.[4] McClelland was educated at Newtown High School of the Performing Arts in Sydney and was Dux in her final year. She attended the University of Technology Sydney where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in Media Arts and Production, majoring in film.[5][6][7]

From the age of fifteen, McClelland trained and performed in productions with the Australian Theatre for Young People in Sydney, until she received a scholarship that enabled her to study abroad with the Atlantic Theater Company in New York.[8][6]

Career

Director / producer / writer

After founding production company ‘Pickled Films’ in 2009, McClelland’s first short film, the romantic comedy Emilia Eckle, was shown at 10 film festivals worldwide,[9] including opening night at the Palm Springs Film Festival.[4][10] The following year, she directed, wrote and produced the short film Nic and Shauna, starring Ryan Johnson and Pia Miranda, which was selected to be a finalist at Tropfest.[4][11] From 2011, McClelland directed the two seasons of Funny or Die's cult web series One Step Closer to Home, which she also wrote, produced and starred in together with Ryan Johnson.[4][7][12]

In 2012, Alyssa was the recipient of the InStyle Magazine Woman of Style Scholarship for her work as a filmmaker.[13][7][6] Around this time, she served on the jury for FlickerUp, the kids’ section of Flickerfest.[4]

McClelland's 2018 short, Second Best won numerous awards, including the Dendy Live Action Short Award at the Sydney Film Festival,[1] Best Short Film at the Milano Film Festival, Foreign Film at LakeShorts International Short Film Festival in Toronto, Best Direction at Flickerfest, Best Direction in a Short Film at the Australian Directors' Guild Awards and the Youth Award at 20MinMax Film Festival in Germany.[14][15]

In 2021, McClelland directed several episodes of season 34 of long-running soap opera Home and Away,[16] in which she had previously guested as an actor.[4]

McClelland directed the finale episodes of Emmy Award-winning British Netflix teen sex comedy series Sex Education in 2022.[2] That same year, she was the set-up director of British teen comedy-drama Everything Now (originally titled The Fuck It Bucket), also with Netflix, starring Stephen Fry and Sophie Wilde.[7][3] In 2025, she directed the successful BBC comedy series Amandaland, a spin-off of the sitcom Motherland.[17]

Together with Mia Wasikowska, McClelland directed the upcoming miniseries The Great White, starring Hugo Weaving.[18] She was also set-up director and executive producer on the upcoming Netflix drama miniseries My Brilliant Career, an adaptation of Miles Franklin's 1901 classic Australian novel of the same name.[19][20] The critically-acclaimed 1979 film adaptation of the novel launched the careers of Judy Davis and Sam Neill.[21]

McClelland is also a respected international commercial director, having directed campaigns for Google Pixel, Apple, Air New Zealand, Samsung, Netflix and Vodafone, AEG, McDonald’s and Pot Noodle. Her advertising work has won awards such as the Black Pencil at the D&AD Awards and Best Direction at the London International Awards.[22][7][23]

Actor

Prior to her career behind the camera, McClelland had roles in Australian film, television and theatre. She appeared in the feature films A Man's Gotta Do (2004), Deck Dogz (2005) and The Bet (2006)[6] and even had a role in 2002 American horror film Queen of the Damned, opposite Aaliyah.[4] She also featured in short films that screened at Tropfest. Her television credits include Rake, Dance Academy, Canal Road[6] and four separate guest roles in Home and Away.[4]

McClelland received an Australian Film Institute Award nomination for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in Television, for her 2005 role in the Network Ten telemovie Small Claims: White Wedding.[24]

McClelland has performed leading roles in productions with the Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, and Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney.[25][6]

McClelland was the face of Jan Logan Jewellery in 2005.[6]

Director / producer / writer credits

Film

Year Title Role Type Ref.
2009Emilia EckleDirector / writerShort film[10]
2010Nic and ShaunaDirector / writer / producerShort film[11]
2011The BrideCo-producerShort film
HomeProducerShort film
2018Second BestDirector / writer / producerShort film[7]

Television

Year Title Role Type Ref.
2011–2015One Step Closer to HomeDirector / co-writer / co-producerTV web series, seasons 1–2, 19 episodes[4][7]
2021Home and AwayDirector5 episodes[16]
2022Everything Now (aka The Fuck-It Bucket)Director2 episodes[2]
Sex EducationFinal block directorSeason 4, 3 episodes[7][3]
2023Class of '07Splinter unit director7 episodes
2025AmandalandLead directorMotherland spin-off, 6 episodes[17]
TBAThe Great WhiteCo-directorMiniseries[18]
TBAMy Brilliant CareerSet-up director / executive producerMiniseries[19][20]

Awards

Year Nominated work Award Category Result Ref.
2005Small Claims: White WeddingAustralian Film Institute AwardBest Guest or Supporting Actress in TelevisionNominated[24]
2010Emilia EckleReel Shorts Film Festival, CanadaBest Short FilmTop 5
Nic and ShaunaTropfestBest Short FilmFinalist[4]
2012One Step Closer to HomeLA WebFestBest ActressWon[12]
Alyssa McClellandInStyle MagazineWoman of Style ScholarshipWon[6]
2014The Duchenne Foundation – Awareness for Muscular Dystrophy TVCD&AD AwardsBlack Pencil AwardWon[22][7]
AEG – Unexpected Power TVCLondon International AwardsBest DirectionWon[22][7][23]
2018Mainland – New Tricks TVCAustralian Directors' Guild AwardsBest Direction of Commercial ContentNominated[26]
Second Best20MinMax Film FestivalYouth Jury AwardWon[14][15]
Second BestFlickerfestBest DirectionWon[14][15]
Second BestLakeshorts International Film FestivalBest Foreign FilmWon[14][15]
Second BestMaryland International Film FestivalBest Short FilmNominated
Second BestMilano Film Festival (MIFF Awards)Best International Short Film (15–30 minutes)Won[14][15]
Second BestSydney Film FestivalDendy Live Action ShortWon[14][15]
2019Second BestAustralian Directors' Guild AwardsBest Direction in a Short FilmWon[14][15]

References

  1. 1 2 Green, Ricki (26 June 2018). "FINCH's Alyssa McClelland wins Dendy Live Action Short Award at Sydney Film Festival". Campaign Brief.
  2. 1 2 3 Piña, Christy (27 September 2023). "'Sex Education' Director Unpacks Final Moments of the "Perfect Show"". The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. 1 2 3 Hankin, Kate (18 August 2022). "Alyssa McClelland Directs New Netflix Series". FINCH. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Alyssa McClelland – Giving It Everything". The Beast. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  5. ↑ "Alyssa McClelland". ElCinema.com. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Porter, Zoë (15 April 2015). "Alyssa McClelland. A Perfect Sense of Direction". thenationaltreasuresseries.com. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Alyssa McClelland". independenttalent.com. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  8. ↑ "Alyssa McClelland profile, ATYP". Australian Theatre for Young People. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  9. ↑ "Audi applauds exceptional women". carsguide.com.au. 14 May 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Emilia Eckle". Screen Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Nic and Shauna". Screen Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  12. 1 2 "Australia's 'most boring' soap set to return for a second season. But why?". The Daily Telegraph. 6 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  13. ↑ "The Essential List: Alyssa McClelland". lbbonline.com. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Second Best | Short Film". finchcompany.com. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Second Best". Vimeo. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  16. 1 2 "Home and Away series 34". Screen Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Amandaland". Production List | Film & Television Industry Alliance. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  18. 1 2 "The Great White". Screen Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  19. 1 2 "My Brilliant Career". Screen Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  20. 1 2 "My Brilliant Career Series Adaptation now in Production in South Australia for Netflix". FilmInk. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  21. ↑ Dunk, Tiffany (25 June 2025). "Everything we know about Netflix series My Brilliant Career". FilmInk. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  22. 1 2 3 "Alyssa McClelland". FINCH. 13 February 2025.
  23. 1 2 Geraghty, Sofia (13 July 2023). "Prepare to be Inspired by B&T'S Best of the Best Top 10 Film Directors, presented by Finecast, part of GROUPM Nexus". bandt.com.au. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  24. 1 2 "Australian Film Institute Awards 2005". australiantelevision.net. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  25. ↑ "Ray's Tempest". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 May 2007.
  26. ↑ Keast, Jackie (10 April 2018). "2018 ADG Award nominees unveiled, with female directors dominating in children's TV drama". IF Magazine. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Alyssa McClelland at Wikimedia Commons
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.