Allison Mack


Allison Christin Mack is an American actress, known for her roles as Chloe Sullivan on the WB/CW series Smallville and as Amanda on the FX series Wilfred. She was arrested in Brooklyn by the FBI on April 20, 2018, on charges of sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and forced labor conspiracy in relation to her role in the NXIVM organization. Mack pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in April 2019, and is awaiting sentencing.

Early life

Allison Mack was born on July 29, 1982, in Preetz, West Germany, to Jonathan, an opera singer, and Mindy Mack. Her American parents were in Germany at the time of her birth because Jonathan was performing there; they continued to live in Germany for two years.

Career

Early work

Mack's family lived in Germany for two years, and after they moved to California, Mack's first job was for a German chocolate company in a series of print ads and commercials. Mack recalled that her "very first job was a commercial for German chocolate and it was all in German... I wasn't allowed to swallow the chocolate. I would take a bite and then at the end of every take I'd have to spit it out. That was very frustrating, especially for a kid". She then went into modeling for a short period, and later began studying at the Young Actors Space in Los Angeles at age seven.
Mack's first major television role was an episode of the WB series 7th Heaven, in which she gained attention playing a teenager who cut herself. In 2000, she co-starred in the short-lived series Opposite Sex. Her film credits include roles in Eric Stoltz's directorial debut My Horrible Year! as a girl having great difficulties in her life as she turns 16. She was also featured in Camp Nowhere, and in the Disney film Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves.

''Smallville'' (2001–2011)

In October 2001, Mack began starring as Chloe Sullivan, one of Clark Kent's best friends, in the WB/CW hit series, Smallville; Chloe, an original character created solely for the show, was eventually introduced into DC Comics in 2010. Mack earned several awards and nominations for her portrayal of Chloe, including the Teen Choice Award for Best Sidekick in 2006 and 2007. She appeared as a series regular for nine seasons, and returned as an intermittent main cast member in the tenth and final season including the two-part series finale. From 2003–2004, Mack's character appeared in her own miniseries titled Smallville: Chloe Chronicles, and in 2006, Smallville: Vengeance Chronicles. In November 2008, Mack made her directorial debut in Smallville season 8 episode 13 titled "Power", which aired January 29, 2009.
In 2002 she made a couple of appearances along with her Smallville castmate Sam Jones III in R. L. Stine's miniseries The Nightmare Room.
In 2006, Mack voiced the sister of the main character in the Warner Bros. CG-animated movie The Ant Bully. That same year, she voiced Clea, a museum curator in an episode of The Batman. Adding to her Superman resume, she lent her voice for Power Girl in the Warner Premiere animated feature, , in September 2009. Since May 2009, Mack has been part of a project with the Iris Theatre Company.

After ''Smallville''

In March 2012, Mack was cast in a recurring role in the second season of the FX sitcom Wilfred. She played Amanda, the love interest of Elijah Wood's lead character Ryan. Mack returned to Wilfred for one episode of the fourth and final season. In 2014, Mack guest-starred as a policewoman named Hilary in an episode of the Fox thriller The Following. On March 21, 2015, she tweeted that she would be appearing in American Odyssey as Julia, who befriends Suzanne, the daughter of Anna Friel's lead character Sgt. Odelle Ballard.

Personal life

Mack married actress Nicki Clyne in February 2017. The marriage was alleged to have been a sham to get around US immigration laws, and only became public a year later during legal proceedings on the conspiracy and racketeering charges as part of her involvement with NXIVM.
It was also alleged that Mack, along with another former high-ranking NXIVM member Lauren Salzman, were Raniere's sexual partners.

NXIVM and criminal prosecution

In 2010, Mack was reported to have been recruited to the Vancouver chapter of the multi-level marketing organization NXIVM, along with her Smallville co-star Kristin Kreuk. In a 2003 article from Forbes, advocates of NXIVM portrayed it as an organization focused on inspirational executive coaching, "like a practical MBA", while detractors accused the founder Keith Raniere of running "a cult-like program aimed at breaking down his subjects psychologically". The group had a practice of branding their victims, which was first created by Mack.
Former NXIVM member Sarah Edmondson stated in a 2017 New York Times exposé and a 2018 A&E special on cults that Mack recruited her into an enclave within NXIVM, "DOS," and that she had been branded in an initiation ceremony at Mack's house, under Mack's supervision. In an interview with The New York Times, Mack took responsibility for having introduced the branding ritual to the DOS group. Some women had been branded with Mack's initials in addition to Raniere's initials.
Mack was arrested in Brooklyn by the FBI on April 20, 2018, on charges of sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy and forced labor conspiracy. During her arraignment proceedings, prosecutors also accused her of entering a sham marriage with Nicki Clyne to help Clyne circumvent US immigration laws. According to prosecutors, after she recruited women to join the organization, she used tactics such as blackmail to force them into engaging in sexual activity with Raniere against their wishes and enslaved them to do menial tasks, for which Raniere allegedly paid Mack. Mack is said to be second-in-command of NXIVM after Raniere.
On April 24, 2018, Mack was released on a $5 million bond and held under house arrest under the custody of her parents in California. She was charged with recruiting women into "DOS" or "The Vow", a sex cult propagated by NXIVM that presented itself as a women's self-help group. If convicted of all charges, Mack and Raniere could each be imprisoned for a minimum of 15 years. In late May, in an interview after hosting an A&E special on cults including NXIVM, journalist Elizabeth Vargas stated that Mack is negotiating a plea deal. In March 2019, it was revealed in court that Mack and the other defendants in the case were in "active plea negotiations" as Raniere appeared in court to plead not guilty to child pornography charges related to the case. On April 8, 2019, Mack pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and racketeering charges, and was scheduled for sentencing in September 2019. The sentencing was postponed by the court to grant sufficient time to conduct pre-sentencing investigations.
In 2019, Catherine Oxenberg produced the Lifetime television film with actress Sara Fletcher as Mack.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1989I Know My First Name Is StevenNettieTV film
1990Shangri-La PlazaJennyEpisode: "Pilot"
1990Empty NestGloriaEpisode: "There's No Accounting"
1991Switched at BirthNormia TwiggTV film
1991Living a LieStellaTV film
1992'Little StephanieTV film
1992A Private MatterTerri FinkbineTV film
1992A Message from HollyIdaTV film
1993Evening ShadeJulia
1993A Mother's RevengeWendy SandersTV film
1995Dad, the Angel & MeAndreaTV film
1995Sweet JusticeJessicaEpisode: "Broken Ties"
1996'KatieTV film
1996'Bess TownsendTV film
1996Unlikely AngelSarah BartilsonTV film
1997Hiller and DillerBrookeTV series
19987th HeavenNicole JacobEpisode: "Cutters"
1999ProvidenceAliciaEpisode: "Good Fellows"
2000Opposite SexKate JacobsRecurring role, 8 episodes
2001Kate BrasherGeorgiaEpisode: "Georgia"
2001My Horrible Year!Nicola 'Nik' FaulknerTV film
2001–2011SmallvilleChloe SullivanSeries regular, 204 episodes
2002'Charlotte Scott
2006'Clea
2012; 2014WilfredAmandaRecurring role
2015The FollowingHilaryGuest Role
2015American OdysseyJuliaGuest Role
2017Lost in OzEvelynRecurring Role, voice only
Credit subsequently removed

YearTitleRoleNotes
2003–2004'Chloe Sullivan8 episodes
2006Chloe Sullivan6 episodes
2010RieseMarlise3 episodes
2010Dirty Little SecretLauren BelleVoice only

YearTitleNotes
2009–2010Smallville

Awards and nominations