Congratulations on your recent role in Gone! Can you tell us about that experience and role? Thank you! It was one of the greatest experiences I’ve had on set. The cast and crew were so kind. It was my second time working with director Jeff Beesley, who is such an awesome hard working guy. And I got to drive around in a police car and carry a shotgun, so that was pretty cool too! When did you become an ACTRA member, and what was your first union gig? I believe it was about 10 years ago now. I just became a full member a few months ago. My first gig was a Speeding commercial. I was the bad driver! That was a lot of fun 😉 How has being a member of ACTRA benefited you? It has benefited me by being able to learn more about the industry. There are a lot of workshops and training opportunities that I did not even know about before. It’s really great to have a union that protects and supports its actors. What has been your favourite or most memorable role thus far? That’s a tough question! I would probably have to say Frank James on The Pinkertons. It was such a cool show and getting to play an iconic character was pretty unreal. How do you stay sharp? Do you have any training suggestions? I do my best to take as many workshops as I can. I’ve worked with most of the coaches and instructors in Winnipeg and I advise any actors starting out to take as much training as possible. Like an athlete, you have to keep working out. I always go for coaching before auditions. I also teach acting classes for youth at Expressions Film Studio and I really find teaching…

Congratulations on your recent role in The Perfect Match! Can you tell us about that experience and that role? It was incredibly educational. I am fairly new to being involved in the film industry, and any roles that I have booked in the past left me feeling that I wish I had more time on set and in front of the camera so that I could do my job well without being a nervous wreck. In Perfect Match, I very much felt a part of the team. John Barnard our director, invested a lot of care and time with me, and I was able to get to know the whole crew and feel comfortable, and have a fun time, which made things a lot easier when it came to getting grounded and being playful with the character. I felt very very fortunate to be there and still do feel very grateful I was given that opportunity. When did you become an ACTRA member, and what was your first union gig? My first union gig was on Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, I played “Bra Stuffing Girl” a very fine moment in my career, a clip I’ll use on my reel for the rest of my days. The director and the crew were very kind to me, which helped immensely in a terrifying, unfamiliar territory. I became an ACTRA member in 2012, shortly after joining CAEA. How has being a member of ACTRA benefited you? Well, it has definitely encouraged me to continue auditioning for film, and it has made me feel protected as an employee in the film industry. I never have any qualms when voicing concerns or asking questions to our reps. I feel very cared for in this union and I am very thankful for the…

Congratulations on your win in the Best Lead Actress category at the Berlin International Filmmakers Festival for your lead performance in the feature Before Anything You Say! Can you tell us about that experience and role? Thank you so much! I played Isobel in a gritty story about a husband and wife who need to navigate a difficult time in their marriage when faced with the husband’s (the brilliant Darcy Fehr) decision to take a very dangerous job overseas at the very moment they had just finished building their dream home. I loved this role – a woman caught between wanting to be independent and strong and saying: of course you can go! And, no… please don’t go. I need you. That was a wonderful continuum to play, and well… I’ll read the phone book opposite Darcy, so this felt like Christmas. That said… I was beyond scared to do it. I recall the night before the first day of shooting just actually shaking, unable to sleep. I felt I didn’t have the character yet in my bones, and I think it wasn’t until about 4am that I realized: this is it right here, this fear. Her whole world is being upended and she’s scared. But once day one rolled around… I was so beyond happy I didn’t want to go home even after hour 14. What has been your favourite or most memorable role thus far? I have two answers. As a lead, I have to say Passionflower. It was the most difficult role I’ve played in that she was in quite a dark place mentally and emotionally throughout, so to sustain that took a bit of a toll (suffice it to say there were some late night calls to my mom!). But maybe because of that, it was…

Congratulations on your role in Channel Zero, which recently wrapped! Can you tell us about that experience and role? Thank you. Yeah, it’s been cool! Being Nathan, an awkward yet caring social worker in the 3rd Season of Channel Zero, wasn’t like any other project I’ve previously worked on. The writing by creator/show runner Nick Antosca brings a depth for us to truly play rich characters but gives the actors the possibility to create undiagnosed foibles. The creative producer, Tim Smith, was dedicated to teaming the vision into the show while he worked closely with the director, Arkasha Stevenson. Seeing Arkasha and Tim sitting on the floor with monitors in their laps on set as we rolled to obtain closeness to the work was incredibly inspiring. I can’t say enough great things about Arkasha; seeing her work with each actor as individuals is something I will remember always. Her ability to go in-depth to obtain the needs of the project was beautiful. I am very excited to see Season 3 of Channel Zero. When did you become an ACTRA member, and what was your first union gig? I became an ACTRA member in 2006 on the set of “House Party”. Over the craft table, Rob encouraged my membership. I was a permittee for a long long time. I had dealings with ACTRA back to when I was an extra on the “Shirley Holmes” mystery show… So, yeah. A long time ago. How has being a member of ACTRA benefited you? As a Comedian / Improviser, when people hire you for live shows they often don’t see the value of the work and attempt to underpay. As a film/ TV actor, ACTRA allows me to get a dollar amount that represents the time taken to train, study and travel to obtain…

What was your first ACTRA gig? NP – I played a woman named Nadine (yup, the director let me use my own name!) in the first Don Cherry movie. I think I had two lines and I was TERRIFIED. What was your most memorable role? NP – My most memorable role was as an actor in an MPI commercial. There was an unflattering and fairly cheesy moment in the commercial that people teased me about for years. It’s actually pretty funny now that I think about it. What is your dream role? NP – Comedy. Being funny and silly on a sketch show like SNL. How has being an ACTRA member benefitted you? NP – I would never have had the confidence to negotiate rates as good as those I’ve gotten through ACTRA. Many actors undersell themselves, they will work for little or free because they love their art. ACTRA has helped me to realize that we’re professionals – our expertise adds value to projects. What do you look forward to most in serving on council? NP – I hope to gain knowledge and proficiency in advocating for union members. It would also be wonderful if opportunities arose to be involved in advocacy for the arts on a provincial and federal level. August 2017…