What does it take to be a Prince protégé? A stack of talent, a powerful stage presence and a wicked sense of humour, explains Andy Allo. Allo came under the tutelage of the icon at age 23 after scoring a personal invite to one of his LA shows having already impressed him with her first album UnFresh.
“He had a way of making you feel very comfortable and we had the same sense of humour, so we would just make fun of each other,” remembers Allo of the man who would become her mentor, friend and collaborator on her second album Superconductor before his tragic death in 2016. “The first night we were hanging out I made fun of how he looked like a baby. He stomped off and had a little tantrum and then he came back and was, ‘Just joking!’. Straight away I knew were were going to get along.”
Now 32, Allo has found herself in the presence of greatness once again, starring in Upload, the latest series from Emmy-Award-winning writer Greg Daniels (of The Office and Parks and Recreation). “I’ve been so inspired working on Upload, especially working with Greg. He is a genius,” reflects Allo on the soon-to-be-hit-sci-comedy series, set in a technologically advanced future where hologram phones, 3D food printers and automated grocery stores are the norm. “Greg gave us the freedom and space to be an artist. He came up to me and said, ‘Just play.’ And that’s what we did.”
What would Prince say if he could see Allo now in all her playful acting glory? “He would probably just say, ‘I can still beat you at ping-pong,’ and stomp off laughing.” Classic Prince.
The article originally appeared in the May issue of marie claire.
