{"id":197017,"date":"2026-04-14T16:50:40","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T16:50:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/197017\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T16:50:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T16:50:40","slug":"from-queens-to-center-stage-kalissa-persaud-is-finding-her-spotlight-qns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/197017\/","title":{"rendered":"From Queens to center stage, Kalissa Persaud is finding her spotlight \u2013 QNS"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t Search our comprehensive guide to things to do in Queens<\/a> for more local events \u2014 or submit your own<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Actor and content creator Kalissa Persaud<\/a> sat inside at Forest Cafe<\/a>, a cozy coffee shop tucked into a quiet residential stretch of Forest Hills<\/a>. The steady hiss of espresso machines blended with the low hum of casual conversations and the gentle tapping of keyboards.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old walked in looking effortlessly stylish. She wore an oversized white jacket paired with relaxed jeans, black cat-eye sunglasses and gold hoop earrings, her short, layered bob softly framing her face.<\/p>\n

Kalissa comes from a Queens family through and through. Her dad\u2019s side of the family has lived in Bayside<\/a> and Corona<\/a>, and her mom\u2019s side in Jamaica<\/a>, Woodside<\/a> and Sunnyside<\/a>, before settling in Forest Hills. Both her mom and her sister went to CUNY schools in Queens. She described growing up around \u201cso much food, so much diversity, so much music, so much culture,\u201d noting that Forest Hills feels like a tight-knit anomaly within the borough.<\/p>\n

She later added that it comes with a complicated identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerceived wealth is a really weird thing to deal with,\u201d\u00a0 she noted when speaking about the juxtaposition of living in Forest Hills. \u201cAnd I understand that perception, but I\u2019m just here by happenstance. This is where we ended up, and my mom has been able to maintain that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

She shared that her family had been in some tough spots growing up.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cEven through her trials and tribulations, she\u2019s been able to keep us here, living this life.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

As she sat down across from me, she took off her sunglasses, and her eyes immediately stood out, expressive and alert.\n<\/p>\n

She would later acknowledge this herself.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cSocial media and acting-wise, this is always getting compliments,\u201d\u00a0 she said, gesturing with both hands pointing at her eyes, \u201cbecause it is just constantly in motion, and I think that is very interesting to people.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo courtesy of Kalissa Persaud<\/p>\n

The Queens native wasn\u2019t always set on acting, however; in fact, when she was younger, she didn\u2019t even realize it was something she could pursue.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know that it was a career,\u201d\u00a0 she said. \u201cI was like, no\u2014Hannah Montana is real! This is a real-life story.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Persaud\u2019s journey actually began in singing, which she picked up from her older sister.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, you copy everything that your older sibling does. So I would hear her sing and be like, oh, I guess I have to do that too,\u201d she said with a laugh. \u201cI don\u2019t know that I was amazing or anything, but it just started to develop into a little bit of a passion.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time she was about to enter high school, she had heard stories of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School<\/a>, the renowned public arts school for talented New York City students.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll my friends were telling me about LaGuardia, this place where you could refine your craft and find very like-minded individuals that also wanted to sing,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I was like, oh, I should audition, let\u2019s do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, a friend accidentally provided her with incorrect information, telling her she had to audition for both the Vocal Music Studio and the Drama Studio to be considered. As a result, Kalissa auditioned for\u2014and was accepted into\u2014both programs, which ultimately led her to pursue drama.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething special was happening at my Drama audition that wasn\u2019t happening at my Vocal audition,\u201d she shared. \u201cThey were having us do monologues. They had us do improv with another student.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0She found the process new and exhilarating.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know this was considered acting, just kind of making stuff up on the spot. And I learned later that your imagination is your greatest asset as an actor,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Persaud found high school in Manhattan to be a very different experience from her upbringing in Queens. For one, it was the first time she had to take public transit to school. Back in Queens, she would walk to school in less than 15 minutes. Getting to Lincoln Square was a whole ordeal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI would take the F to the E to the D to the 1. So you can imagine how late I was to class every single day,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n

She grew up in a close-knit community alongside her childhood best friends, Sania and Kyros, and remained close with them despite attending different high schools. She described those friendships as \u201csuper grounding.\u201d <\/p>\n

At the same time, she found an unexpected pocket of familiarity at LaGuardia.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cSomehow Queens people found me,\u201d she said, sharing that two of her best friends in high school happened to be from Bayside and Jamaica.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cSome days we were able to take the train home together,\u201d she recalled. \u201cSo many kids that go to LaGuardia are from Brooklyn and Manhattan, so it was really nice to have a little piece of home with me there, if that makes sense, because it was like a whole different world.\u201d<\/p>\n

That \u201cdifferent world\u201d soon became overwhelming for the then-13-year-old.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cMy freshman year was hell,\u201d she recounted. She felt like she had made the wrong decision. \u201cI was miserable. It was really bad. I just felt like I didn\u2019t understand anyone. I felt like an outsider.\u201d<\/p>\n

The transition took a toll on Persaud, and she even considered transferring back to Forest Hills and returning to her childhood routine, but her mom stepped in, saying she would regret it later.<\/p>\n

Looking back, she\u2019s grateful she didn\u2019t quit.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI would have regretted that big time,\u201d she noted, explaining that she eventually found her place. \u201cThe opportunities that you get from going to that school, you can\u2019t trade that for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

LaGuardia opened many doors for Persaud, and the intense environment brought out her competitive side, pushing her to perfect her craft every day.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI was already competitive. I\u2019m a very competitive person, but [at LaGuardia] it just multiplies it by 10. And then by the time you get to your senior year, it multiplies it by 100. Everyone just wants to be the one,\u201d she said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if you have a crush on a guy\u2014you still want to beat him out for the lead role. Everyone is just trying to make a name for themselves, and that obviously mimics the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Persaud acting in a production of Pride and Prejudice at LaGuardia High School. Photo courtesy of Kalissa Persaud<\/p>\n

Being in such an environment, it comes as no surprise what Persaud did next.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went behind my mom\u2019s back, and I got an agent at 16,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n

She eventually told her mom everything, who then attended the meeting with her.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI did not ask for permission, I asked for forgiveness,\u201d she said half-jokingly.\n<\/p>\n

Her mom went along with it, and Persaud got signed, beginning her professional acting career while in high school. Now she\u2019s nearing her ten-year mark in her acting journey.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey say it takes 10 years to become an overnight success, so I\u2019m really looking forward to [reaching that milestone],\u201d she said, smiling widely and crossing her fingers.<\/p>\n

After high school, Persaud attended Hunter College<\/a>. While scrolling on TikTok one day, she came across a video from CUNY\u2019s official account. On a whim, she commented, \u201cI\u2019m really funny. Can I be on this page?\u201d The next thing she knew, she was creating content for CUNY.<\/p>\n

Around the same time, she began posting more on her personal account, marking the start of her solo content creation journey. At school, some students recognized her from the videos and would call her \u201cCUNY Girl\u201d or \u201cTikTok girl.\u201d <\/p>\n

After graduating early, Persaud began to reconsider how she wanted social media to fit into her life as it started to feel more like a career, and her motivation to act began to shift after facing rejection since her teenage years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to be honest with my reps for the first time,\u201d she said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

She told them she wanted to take a break from acting, and they were supportive, but by the time she was ready to return, the SAG and Writers\u2019 strikes were in full swing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNot divine timing, but I was really able to focus on social media during that time,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n

Persaud shared that building community is at the forefront when creating content.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a curation of community happening, there\u2019s fun happening, there\u2019s sharing of journey and vulnerability happening,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n

Persaud went full-time doing content creation two years ago and credits her social media presence with many of the opportunities that have come her way, even influencing her acting career.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe craziest things in my life and the best things in my life happened through social media accidents,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n

One of those \u201caccidents\u201d came in the form of a short film, Or Forever Hold Your Peace<\/a>, in which Persaud plays the lead role.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Persaud in Or Forever Hold Your Peace. Photo courtesy of Kalissa Persaud<\/p>\n

The project came to her unexpectedly from her friend Tope Babalola.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said, \u2018I have this idea for a short film\u2026 and I want you to be the lead of it,\u2019\u201d she recalls.\n<\/p>\n

She had met Tope, a filmmaker from Canada, a few years earlier at an influencer event, through her friend Gregor, who is now her boyfriend. She met Gregor, who is a content creator, through social media as well. She laughs as she recalls their early interactions, saying, \u201cHe had just been giving me unsolicited business advice at the time.\u201d <\/p>\n

Over the next few months, as pre-production went underway, Persaud threw herself fully into the role. Knowing she had already been cast as the lead, she approached it with a new level of intensity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt very empowered to really go ham, like I knew my lines four months before we shot. I was not gonna mess this up\u2026 I wanted to be perfect, because I knew that this could be really good for my confidence. It was shaky at that point\u2026 it just felt like the right opportunity to give it my all. I always give it my all, but\u2026 if I usually give 110, I wanted to give 130 on this,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Filming took place in July 2024 in Burlington, Ontario, and Persaud described the experience as less like a traditional set and more like summer camp, saying everyone had an amazing time. But the journey getting there wasn\u2019t exactly smooth. Between delayed flights, a monsoon, and even a last-minute trip to the emergency room, nothing seemed to go according to plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in the ER the day before we shot because I had E. coli,\u201d she said. \u201cBut nothing was gonna stop me from doing this film.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Once filming began, something shifted.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was performing, I felt like a beast. I really felt like I was doing my big one\u2026 it felt like a comeback of sorts, not for anyone out there\u2026 like an internal Kalissa comeback,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Working alongside her boyfriend added another layer to the experience.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t know I\u2019m quite intense when I\u2019m working. I\u2019m definitely intense, I\u2019m definitely precise, and he had never seen me in that capacity, so that was also really exciting,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The film, which follows a maid of honor trying to hold a wedding together after things begin to unravel, premiered at the Miami Film Festival in 2025.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole cast and crew essentially flew down there and got to see it on the big screen. It was a really fun moment,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n

The project was released on YouTube on April 8, 2026.\n<\/p>\n

Since filming this project, Persaud has continued building momentum, working on a Super Bowl commercial, her first movie and an upcoming project that remains under wraps for now. \u201cIt feels like building blocks to something really special.\u201d <\/p>\n

Whatever comes next for Kalissa, she is no longer uncertain about her future\u2014she\u2019s forging it.<\/p>\n