filmmaker, actor, & writer
alyssa thordarson
I'm a Chicago-based storyteller with Icelandic roots. My work is character-driven, intimate, and explores transitory periods in the human experience. I'm represented in the Midwest and LA by DDO Artists and Au Courant Entertainment.As an actor, I've worked for fifteen years in commercials, independent film, and TV shows including guest-starring on Chicago Med and appearing on Empire & The Chi.My short films have played Oscar-qualifying festivals including Cleveland International, Hollyshorts, LA Shorts, and Out on Film, winning more than 20 awards and continuing to screen long past their initial festival runs.I can't wait to keep creating and expanding my artistic community around the world.
after (a love story)
a couple survives an act of violence--but their relationship may not.written by, produced by, and starring Alyssa Thordarson
starring Glenn Stanton and Susaan Jamshidi
directed & produced by Clare Cooney
paper planes
an agoraphobe and the airBnB guest across the hall strike up a correspondence that becomes something more for the holidays.written by, co-directed by, and starring Alyssa Thordarson
co-directed by Michael Glover Smith
Starring Shaina Schrooten
chronic
when Ruth's sister and best friend, Emma, comes to help her recover from endometriosis surgery, tensions flare and sisterhood is tested as one flourishes in life and the other feels left behind.directed and produced by Alyssa Thordarson
written by, produced by, and starring Lydia Ellis-Curry
Starring Shaina Schrooten
photos
headshots by Tyler Core
appearances
thank you
for viewing & supporting my work ♥
© 2026 alyssa thordarson
up next:
too much not enough
a new short film
They both swiped right--but only one of them knows they've met before. It's time to confront the fallout of that first meeting.Sam is meeting Andrew for their first date. Dating apps in your thirties are tough, but this seems promising: Andrew's a cute single dad who picked a great cocktail bar and is genuinely excited to meet Sam. For Sam, though, dating has never been a priority, and she has her own reasons for meeting Andrew tonight. He doesn't recognize her, but she recognizes him from an encounter back in college that altered her life forever. Tonight, she just might confront him.
Director's Statement: All the best stories are about specific people, not about issues. Too Much Not Enough asks our audience, through these characters, where their own history and responsibility with and to each other lie.Schedule: The film is in active pre-production, slated for a late autumn 2026 shoot. Written, directed, and produced by Alyssa Thordarson, it will be lensed and produced by prolific cinematographer, photographer, and director Jamieson Mulholland. Casting is underway.