Isaac Lee Montgomery is living proof that everyone can choose to be whomever they want to be if they work hard enough to achieve their goals, regardless of the many barriers the world offers. Despite having been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD NOS), which is a type of autism, he has risen above it and shown the world that he is more than able to live an exceptional life filled with color and excitement. Choosing to pursue his destiny boldly, he identifies as a transgender male, or FTM (female to male).
After having been diagnosed with autism at four, Isaac Lee Montgomery’s first experience at overcoming what many perceive as a barrier was learning to manage his PDD NOS. He attended speech therapy, which led to his interest in American Sign Language (ASL). As a young child, he became fascinated with his neighbor’s deaf brother and wanted to understand what it was like to be in his shoes. His special interest in deaf culture sparked his current passion and initiative, which involves pitching a cartoon that revolves around a deaf main character.
His animated show is about a deaf girl who moves into a new town. She comes across an object that transports her to another realm, where she gets to live out her mother’s past with a twist. Isaac also wishes to highlight the project’s music that will put emphasis on character development and world-building. Additionally, he intends to feature ASL and his version of the Artistic Sign Language. In doing this, he hopes to create massive awareness of the beauty of sign language, including Black Sign Language and British Sign Language.
His main character is a deaf person of color. Depicting these diverse and interesting characters is his way of educating viewers on the different perspectives of people and their personal journey in life. One of the present challenges he is facing is finding the right partners who would be willing to give life to his ideas. But there is no stopping Isaac, who is committed to expressing his special interests and perspective in life. If he gets denied by major mainstream networks, he moves on to the next one.
Currently, he is a third-year Film and Media Arts student at Cleveland State University, where he is honing his acting and directing skills. While his main objective was to prepare for acting, he has been told time and time again that his creative ideas are remarkable. This prompted him to pursue both acting and directing.
Completing his studies is not without any difficulties as he is also transitioning. To finance his upcoming surgery, on top of working to make a successful story pitch for his animated idea, Isaac had to work three jobs: as a secretary for a testing center, a delivery driver, and a restaurant host. When he gets free time from school and work, he creates cosplay costumes and goes to cosplay conventions with his friends.
As a promising storyteller in the making, Isaac is bound to do phenomenal things in his lifetime, giving a voice to the voiceless and sharing the stories that people ought to learn about. As he shows the world that everyone can live colorful and exciting lives no matter what their circumstances may be, there is no doubt that he will inspire more people to pursue their dreams and passions confidently.
Follow Isaac Lee Montgomery on Instagram for updates on his latest projects.
