Wow, time just flies; It’s already been two months since I last wrote here! I have however, been moderately active on my Twitter account with the feed being displayed on the right of my site. In any case, here’s an attempt at a short summary!

First off, I got new pictures a few weeks back! Taken by long time friends Shalan&Paul, these will serve as my actor headshots and will be used in other ways such as with social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.). Check out a few of my favorites:

My work on Nikita also continued with a few days on set, and now have a total of five episodes under my belt. It was great to be back and see everyone again! Check out a short scene I’m featured in, part of episode 313 called Reunion that aired earlier this month:

Something new this year, because I’m now part of ACTRA, I was able to check out their Winter Conference and attended a lot of interesting and informative workshops. A few days later, I went to the ACTRA Awards show which I really enjoyed. During both events, I not only ran into a lot of actor friends and reconnected with people I had worked with before, but met some great new people!

Now, let’s not forget, Harlequin book covers! I’ve already been shot on about five new covers this year and a few new ones have been released. Check em out:

One thing I hadn’t done in awhile is work on a short student film. Well I recently had my last day on set of one, and had a great time. I played a French Canadian character and didn’t just have the chance to do some accent work, but spoke in French for the most part! That’s usually something I’ve done in commercials and corporate work, but rarely have I had the chance to do it in film/TV. Speaking of corporate work, I’ve had some of that with a couple of past clients so far this year.

Now that Spring is here, things should get even busier! I’m really looking forward to landing some great work, as well as putting some of my own projects together! The adventure continues…

It’s been awhile since I last updated my site, but not to worry; I’ve been keeping busy! I’m actually days away from moving, which is quite the process (just finding a place to my liking has been pretty time consuming). The reason for this? They’re shooting an episode of “Holmes on Homes” in the house I currently live in, which means Mike Holmes and his team are going to renovate it. They already came by to shoot the per-renovations segments with the homeowners, and I made a little cameo…which will be my first time on a reality TV show if I’m not mistaken.

Why am I moving because of this? Well, since the house needs to be empty in order for them to work on it, I decided to move out and try something new. The alternative is to put my stuff in storage, find short term accommodations (could be up to two months) and move back in. Instead, I figured I should try and experience life in an apartment building. Except for a few weeks/months here and there overseas, I’ve always lived in a house…and in this case, a self contained apartment on a level of a home. It’s bittersweet as I’m really happy for the family, being on the show and getting their house fixed up…but having been here for almost three and a half years, we’ve become friends and it’s not going to be the same without them. To be honest, I never saw them as my landlords but always as my neighbors and friends.

Now was is this “BMW spec ad” I mentioned in the title? Well, a while ago…actually back in October of 2010, William Barber shot a video with a very interesting concept. One, that he had told me about years ago when we were both living in the Ottawa area; I had been looking forward to being a part of it ever since. I actually briefly talked about it here but only yesterday when I worked with Will again on yet another spec ad, did I ask him about the BMW video. He told me it’s been up on YouTube for almost a year now…and has over half a million views as I write this! Check it out here or just above this paragraph.

So other than video I acted in yesterday (all I’ll say for now is that it involves feathers and slow motion), since the last update I’ve worked on mostly corporate and advertising work. I’ve also been offered a lead role in a short film which I unfortunately had to turn down due to scheduling conflicts. However, I do have another upcoming lead role in yet another short which I look forward to shooting. That and we’re planning to finish up Kevin McMillan‘s TV pilot “Lost and Found in Beijing” my with co-star Daniel Lavigne. Finally, I’m almost ready to start putting together my new website and working on some of my own projects and collaborations…but that will all have to wait until after I get settled into my new place!

After coming back to Toronto from the holidays spent back home, I got straight to working on getting this short comedic film done. I had already written the script and built my team of cast and crew members towards the end of last year; it was just a matter of setting a date to shoot it and going through final preparations.

Well we did! Just over a week ago…we spent two days to shoot the film and everyday between the end of the shoot and the release of the video, I’ve been working on it (mostly editing and other post production tasks). Working on it all day, day after day…but it’s finally ready! Check out the Friendship Upgrade video page for more information about it including who was involved in making this possible. Hope you enjoy it and a huge thanks to everyone who volunteered their time to help me make this happen!

Also, feel free to share it and like/favorite/leave a comment on the YouTube page if you think it’s worthy of any of those! If that’s the case, then why not subscribe to my channel so you’ll know when I upload new videos!

It’s always hard to believe at the end of a year, that yet another one has gone by. While I don’t think we should need a specific day to reflect on what has passed, or to set new goals, it’s kind of a good excuse to do so!

Let’s begin with the end. While I like to take the opportunity to go back home for the holidays, this year I had to postpone it by a few days…for a good reason.I landed a job that involved some “wire work”. What I mean by that is I had to be suspended in the air! It was shot at Fast Motion Studios where Plato Fountidakis and his team set up and managed the rig, working with the camera crew to put this thing together. It was shot on a blue screen (same idea a green screen) and the concept involves us flying in the air. I can’t go into details until it’s released, but I can tell you it was a great experience being there working with everyone involved!

Not only did my year end well, but I had a lot of great gigs throughout. Being a lead on a feature film, shooting for two and a half weeks and making great friends in the process was definitely a highlight. Also, I landed a lead role on a TV show episode (that “killer” role on Cold Blood I recently wrote about). Not to mention that this year, I did more Harlequin covers than any other. It’s also the first time I openly talked about my diet choice to avoid meat and meat by-products, why those choices were made and how I’ve still been able to put on some muscle weight without any problems. Another memorable experience is the TV pilot that we shot in China! Traveling, seeing a country for the first time and getting to do what I love, being a lead in a show, working with some great people? Pretty awesome! Even the commercial and corporate work have been great! Not to mention, the awesome audition opportunities (even if I don’t always get the part), multiple callbacks, getting my motorcycle license with a friend (who I’ve met being in this industry and has directed a few projects I’ve been involved in) and so many other great experiences this year.

What about 2012? Well, I’ve been working on this comedic skit that I should be shooting at the end of the first week of the New Year! It’s going to be my third production where I’ll once again be wearingthe hats of director, producer, writer, editor, etc. I’m thankful to have a really solid team on board; I’m really excited about it! Other than some other plans and goals, the great part of doing what I do is that I don’t know what opportunities will present themselves (or ones that I’ll find/create/collaborate on), but I’m really excited about the possibilities! Life is beautiful…and for me, part of that beauty is the unknown. Wish you all the best holidays and may this new year bring you lots of love, health and happiness!

As the title indicates, I played a Fireman on an episode of “Curious and Unusual Deaths“; a show on Discovery Channel. Which episode, what’s the title? I’m not really sure… They usually feature three stories in one episode, and the one I’ll be a part of has to do with a man being stuck in a cave which you can kinda see behind me on the outdoor picture (the real story didn’t happen in that cave, but it was our shooting location). That’s all I should probably say until it’s released. When I find out about the air date, I’ll be sure to share it!

What else? Well, I shot another couple of Harlequin covers (with Robert Goshgarian again) which are always fun. That brings my total to thirteen…not all released of course! This to announce that I’ll be working on a new look for the website (soon…I hope) in which I plan to feature a picture gallery of all the covers I have so far. This way they’ll all be in one place!

What a awesome summer it’s been so far! Had great weather here in Toronto, great opportunities despite some slower than usual weeks…but don’t get me wrong, lots has happened since I last wrote! Here’s a short summary of what’s been going on in my career in the last couple of months.

In June, I did mostly corporate work, a bit of catalogue stuff AND a motorcycle course! That course ended with a test which I passed and now have an upgraded driver’s license to include motorcycles! Looking forward to using this new skill in some sort of acting work!

During the month of July, I had some great opportunities and came very close to getting a US/Canada national TV commercial. It’s okay though, because I had an audition for another big national, potentially worldwide commercial which I ended up getting! Will write about it once it’s been shot. I also just shot a corporate, short film style training video which went great. Got to work with a great team which I shot with about a year ago. Not to mention Jon Welch, an actor/friend who I’ve worked with a few times back when I lived in the Ottawa/Gatineau area, had some scenes with me as we played co-workers!

Finally, there are some more scenes to be shot for the TV Pilot “Lost in Beijing” starring myself and Daniel Lavigne, another fellow actor/friend from Ottawa. The exciting part is that we’ll be going to China to do it! More to come on all this, but for now…a couple of Harlequin books!

Above are the covers for Protecting the Pregnant Witness by Julie Miller and Marriage at the Cowboy’s Command by Ann Major. Click them to see a larger image!

Yeah, I know…it’s been a month since the last time I wrote anything. I didn’t even talk about my last two days on set of “Clean Break” either… Well, time to catch up!

The last few days were great, just like the rest of the time I had on set. The only exception is that it all came to an end. Had days from 12 to 15 hours, shorter if I was only be needed for part of a day, for two and a half weeks with weekends off. That’s a lot of time to spend with the same core group of people. So on our final day, we all said our goodbyes, or rather see you later, had kind of a group huddle where a few speeches were made and cake was served. I volunteered to cut the cake after the first stroke was made by the director and female lead actor.

It was bittersweet as a lot of us grew fond of working together, while we all felt like we accomplished something great. A few of us even gathered around a computer as we looked at a few stills… Let me tell you they looked amazing! Really look forward to seeing this edited and all put together. I really think it’ll turn out to be a great film, especially for an independent production.

Since we finished, I had a bit of a break followed by a few of jobs here and there. Mostly corporate stuff…and today, you guessed it, another Harlequin book cover! The one you see here is actually something that was shot back in February. This is Meddling with a Millionaire by Cat Schield. It was my first time working with photographer Michael Alberstat and his team; went very smoothly!

I can’t find the words to describe how I felt about the end of this week. I think it’s safe to say that on Friday, we shot the most intense scene of my acting career. I brought something I was never asked or expected to bring before and surprised myself, along with other cast/crew members. It was one emotionally charged scene which followed a lot of physical pain caused to my character; you could call it a physical and emotional breakdown. Honestly, the end of this film will probably be what makes it…how it all comes together. The way it was written, shot and directed is a gift. It’s a big part of why I was able to do what I did. That, and a great co-star to work along with. She brought it on every take and I can’t imagine anyone else having played that character.

For me to go into details I’d not only give away part of the film, I’d also end up writing pages. It’s one of those days where you wish you could share with everyone. You wish that they were there to experience it with you. But when I think about it, I did share it with a lot of people. Amazing cast and crew members who I’ve gotten to know and befriended over the past two weeks. I’m so grateful for having them involved.

As for the rest of the week, it was also great, but that last day just eclipses the whole week. Again, long days, not a lot of time to sleep in between…but the experience is well worth it. Being a part of this film and the people involved further validates my choice to change careers and start acting…all this happening about six years ago. The journey has been incredible, and look forward to future experiences without neglecting to enjoy the ride. It definitely isn’t for everyone, requires a lot of sacrifices and is something completely different than anything else, but as of now, I’m happy and thankful to be doing this.

I almost talk as if the film is over… Yes, the ending has been shot, but we still have a few key scenes to get through. In a way, I’m looking forward to the film being complete, but going from hanging out with all these people Monday to Friday, for hours and hours a day, to barely seeing any of them is a bit sad. Although of course I’ll be seeing and keeping in touch with a lot of people, it’s obviously not going to be the same, unless a lot of us end up on another set together. Been getting a lot of love from a lot of people on this one…

I’ve put up a few pictures of stills/behind the scenes shots from set which you can check out here.

A week after my last update, I had an audition for a feature film called “The Roommate”. There were two scenes to read for, and one was quite intense. I was really looking forward to see how I’d do, never really been requested to do something at that level (at least not that I can remember). As I prepared and rehearsed it, I never went full out, wanting to save it for the actual audition. Well, let’s just say I came out of that audition really satisfied with what I did. I was so happy that it wasn’t about getting the role, but more about having done that audition. To me, I had already gotten something amazing out of it.

Well the next day, I got a call from one of the producers offering the lead male role! After a few calls, discussing all the details, I was officially on board. Right away we started by getting the principle actors, director, writer and producers together to do a read through of the script, making some small changes with everyone’s feedback. It was great having that flexibility in with the writer and director. After this meeting, we did a few rehearsals, meetings to further discuss the character and script, etc. The name was eventually changed to “Clean Break” and finally on the 18th of April, we started our first day of shooting.

We’ve now completed our first week of filming and I have to say it’s been a great experience. Despite being an independent film set, everyone’s a pro! We got a full crew and they’re awesome, the cast all know what they’re doing; things are going really well. Whenever we run into speed bumps, we work together and smooth things out. We’re shooting a lot of pages per day, which means little room for many takes but also means working efficiently with everyone being on the ball and well prepared. The director is both focused and flexible, not to mention so easy to work and get along with, while the producers are on set everyday in their makeshift office; the team is outstanding.

Did I mention how much fun we’re having? Yes it’s work, yes we’re shooting full time (every weekday until completion, 12+ hour days), yes there isn’t always time for sleep, yes I still work off set to prepare for the next days and yes I love doing this! There’s something special about so many people working together, meeting those people and getting to know them a little better every day. All this to say I look forward to the next week!

Already? Another year over…and what a great one! Highlights include appearing in episodes of Flashpoint and Mayday, a role in the opening of a movie of the week called The Last Jinn, cool commercial projects such as the one we did for Carnival Cruise (getting paid to go on a Cruise, nice!) and a funny Dentyne Internet video skit, lead roles in multiple TV pilots, directing my first short film which I titled Forsaken, a supporting lead role in an Ottawa feature, few Harlequin cover appearances (those are always fun) and much more, in and outside of the film/TV/modeling world! I have so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to, but at the same time, enjoying the day to day journey.

Now to talk about a few things I haven’t even mentioned yet! Check out this picture, it’s a still from William Barber’s latest reel.

One of the projects showcased is his BMW Soul Spec ad. Once post production on the commercial is completed, I’ll be happy to put it up here. It’s a pretty cool concept and I look forward to sharing it!

Since coming back from the cruise, I was involved in a web ad for Contiki where I worked with Trevor Francis again, for the third time. He actually brought up the fact that every time I auditioned for one of his project, I was offered a job! Speaking of commercials, I volunteered in a 3D PSA (public service announcement) for WildAid which was a blast to shoot and the first 3D project I’ve been involved in. I also made an appearance in a few corporate videos, did some voiceover work and had modeling jobs here and there. Got some new shots as well (I’ve put three new photos in the Pictures section)!

Unfortunately, without going into details, something happened in the end of November which prevented me from doing on camera work and auditions. Thankfully, all is well now and I will make up for lost work in the new year! Speaking of, in January or February, we plan to shoot the first episode of a web show in which I would play the main character. I don’t want to give away too much right now, but I’ve been working on the creative end (co-creating the show, writing the first episode, etc.) which has been very exciting. On that note, I wish you all the best in the new year! Happy 2011!