Jammie Patton – Miss Teen Atlanta 1994, graduate of North Atlanta High Center for the Arts and former instructor at the Alliance Theater Youth Program – is hoping a new high profile commercial will launch her into stardom. Starting in June, Patton will be seen with the famed Aflac Duck in a national TV spot.

As “speech therapist, Allison Weber,” Patton mugs through the phonetic gymnastics of re-teaching the iconic duck to pronounce his signature refrain as he recovers from a debilitating injury. The spot is the latest in a series of ads that began airing in January – a story arc that puts the Aflac Duck in the hospital, out of a job, and through a period of physical healing – all to illustrate the value of Aflac’s voluntary insurance products.

“Every actress hopes to star opposite a leading man like Denzel Washington or George Clooney,” says Patton, who also appeared in the film Guilty by Association with Morgan Freeman. “But this is even better. At least that’s what my agent says.”

Collin Kelley has been the editor of Atlanta Intown for two decades and has been a journalist and freelance writer for 35 years. He’s also an award-winning poet and novelist.