[3] Allison was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba as the son of a Black Nova Scotian father and a Mennonite mother.
[5] Beginning his career in the early 1990s, Allison eventually went on to act for film, television and theatre alike.
[7] He has also frequently appeared in productions at the Shaw Festival and the Stratford Festival, and in touring productions of Rent and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,[8] and appeared as drag queen Therese in the first episode of Kim's Convenience.
[9] In 2003, Allison produced a solo CD A Whole Lotta Sunshine covering famous songs including "Moon River" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".
[11] Won Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series National Premiere Ensemble National Premiere Crookfinger Jake Cinderella's Prince Understudy for Bernadette, Miss Understanding, Jimmy Allison won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Pree in the television series Killjoys.