Allison Argo's journey in the film and entertainment industry spans over two decades, with her roots tracing back to her childhood. Raised in a theatrical environment, she initially pursued a career in acting, performing in Broadway productions of Ibsen and Tennessee Williams, and starring in movies and television series in Los Angeles.
During her early years in the industry, Argo had a chance encounter with a gorilla named Ivan, who was living alone in a shopping mall in Washington State. This serendipitous meeting inspired Argo to transition behind the camera and produce/direct her first film, "The Urban Gorilla". The film, narrated by Glenn Close, garnered numerous awards, including two Emmy nominations, and marked the beginning of Argo's long-standing collaboration with National Geographic.
Argo's familiarity with production through her early acting career provided her with a solid foundation as a filmmaker and continues to give her a creative edge to this day. Over the past 20 years, she has gone on to produce, direct, and write nearly two dozen award-winning films, traveling the globe to capture the stories of endangered wildlife.
From the mountains of Tanzania, where she searched for chimpanzees, to the Amazon rainforest, where she documented endangered frogs, and the streets of Bangkok, where she shed light on displaced elephants, Argo's passion for conservation has driven her filmmaking endeavors. Although her primary focus is on endangered wildlife, she has also produced award-winning films about the human experience.
Through her collaborations with National Geographic and PBS, Argo's films have reached audiences worldwide. Her body of work has earned over 100 international awards, including six national Emmys, the DuPont Columbia, Genesis, Jackson Hole, NY Festival, Cine, Banff, and numerous accolades from New Zealand to Japan.
Argo is renowned for her emotionally charged and deeply personal storytelling. Some of her notable films include "Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History", "The Secret Life of Cats", "Crash: A Tale of Two Species", "Frogs: The Thin Green Line", and "The Urban Elephant", which captured the hearts of viewers worldwide and garnered two Emmys, one for directing and one for producing. Most importantly, it helped bring about a shift in the way we perceive and care for elephants in captivity.
