[7] In 2017 he was cast as the Netsilik Hunter in AMC's The Terror,[8] based on the novel by Dan Simmons; it was hailed as a significant step forward in Inuit representation in film and television.
"[15] Before becoming an actor he was best known as a successful Traditional Inuit Games athlete, competing regionally and internationally for twenty years and winning over two hundred medals.
The expedition, sponsored by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, was followed by schools in the UK and Canada and allowed approximately 17,400 students to learn about Inuit culture.
In 2018 he was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for his role in The Terror and his community advocacy, and in 2019 he was named the RCGS's sixth Explorer-in-Residence.
[36] Indspire suspended this award on February 6[37] after Nunavut filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril alleged that Issaluk had made an unwanted sexual advance toward her at a party several years ago.