Michelle Joy is an actor, award-winning filmmaker, writer, and digital communications professional who specializes in blending political communication objectives with engaging narratives. Passionate about social justice, politics, urban planning, and the intersection of social change and education through storytelling, she provides a unique point-of-view (and sense of style) to any production.

After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Cincinnati with a BFA in Acting and an academic minor in Political Science, she began her love-hate relationship with political media as a digital video associate for the Tim Ryan Senate campaign. In the off-cycle, she managed official city government social media accounts but returned to campaign life this past season as an associate at a Democratic traditional media consulting firm.

In 2023, she founded Blu Joy Productions LLC to produce original video content. We Want A (her directing and screenwriting debut and Blu Joy’s first production) was a major success on the ‘23-’24 film festival circuit. We Want A secured eleven Official Selections (including the prestigious Midwest Film Festival), ten award nominations, and four award wins.

Her professional acting credits include—TV: Chicago Fire (NBC); Film: Man Obsessed (Onairus Films), We Want A (Blu Joy); Theatre: Rabbit Hole (Jedlicka Performing Arts), POTUS: Or, Behind Every Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive (Towle Theatre). She is represented by Lily’s Talent in Chicago.

Outside of work, you can find her thrifting, adding to her weird earring collection, and buying more books than she can read in a lifetime.

She also has a really cute dog named Rye.