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…

At the beginning of this month, I went into the Toronto ACTRA office and joined ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists), the Canadian union for actors. So from now on, I’ll only be doing unionized work. Which means being well compensated and protected, health and retirement benefits along with more opportunities. I really look forward to the work I’ll be getting in the future!

In other news, season three of Nikita is now ongoing! I announced this on my Twitter page, but in case you missed it, the season premiere of Nikita titled 3.0 just aired on Friday October 19th, 2012! This is my first appearance on the show, and you can watch Episode 301 online: ctv.ca (Canada) or cwtv.com (USA).

Speaking of Nikita, the main reason I had for joining the union was the fact that I landed three episodes on this awesome show. With those, I’m able to become a full member and actually just completed a day and half full member workshop.

I had a really great time shooting my third episode also earlier in the month/end of last month and felt so blessed to have had this opportunity. Actually, they just had me go in for ADR this past week. It’s kind of like doing voice overs, replacing the original recording due to factors ranging from background production noise to performance tweaks. That went great as well, and I ran into Noah Bean and Lyndsy Fonseca before heading into the studio; it was nice to see and chat with them again and I hope to see the whole gang if they bring me back for future episodes!

Also since the last update, more Harlequin covers bookings! Actually, one of the ones I did back in May is now released: Secrets, Lies & Lullabies by Heidi Betts (picture on the left). Moreover, I finished off my non-union commitments and had some fun commercial auditions this week!

Ah, the life of an actor. You just never know what will come up. Towards the end of July, I had a chance to play a “Divison Tech” in the third season premiere of the TV show Nikita. It was a small role, but a role nonetheless; on a great show that both my parents and I watch and enjoy. Not was I excited to be on Nikita, but was so grateful for the chance to have a part in it. Well, about a month and a half later, I found out they wanted me back for a bigger part in another episode!

That’s right, and they even named the character “Sammy”! Quite possibly one of the best names you could give (a statement that my parents would wholeheartedly agree with). I kinda like that I, “Samy”, get to play “Sammy”. Also, I was really happy to see the familiar faces from filming the first episode and they so warmly welcomed me back. Plus, I had a blast on set again!

Not only was I happily reunited with the awesome regular cast members Lyndie Greenwood and Noah Bean, but I also met Isaiah Mustafa before I left set. You may know him best from his great character in the “Old Spice” commercials. Well, turns out he’s a great guy in real life too. He’s so grateful and happy for what’s happened in the past three years of his career; loved hearing his story!

Finally, another Nikita related announcement…which is why I mention the show’s name three times in post’s title. I will be back for yet another episode, making it my third one so far! With that, I’ve decided to set a date to join ACTRA, the union for actors in Canada. Just need to finish off some non-union projects beforehand…then it’ll be time to make the switch. This is like a new chapter in my acting career and I’m glad it’s started with this show! Exciting times!

Wow, I realized it’s been just about a month and a half since I last wrote an update here! So I figured, I’d point out a few ways to keep in the loop in between my blog posts for those curious about what’s happening with my career!

Despite not always updating the site in a timely fashion, I try and keep active on my Twitter account. Also, I often try to include pictures with those tweets; from on or off set. So if you’re on it, feel free to follow me! Also, all my tweets go to my Facebook actor page which is accessible to everyone, regardless of whether or not you have Facebook (and if you do have a account, feel free to give it a like).

Also, for those who’d rather be notified of a new updated instead of checking in once in awhile, I have a subscription option! It’s pretty simple, if you look on the “sidebar” to the right of the page and scroll down you’ll see the “Subscribe to SAMYOSMAN.COM” section where you can enter your email and be notified when I post a new blog entry. Don’t worry, you won’t be getting any junk mail and you can unsubscribe at any time. Don’t forget to check your inbox once you submit your email address as you’ll need to confirm your subscription prior to getting the updates.

With that out of the way, I can now share some news with you! Let me start by showing you these Brushpoint web videos that I’m a part of. The first is more of a commercial while the other leans on the side of instructional video; both featuring myself as the main guy! I actually got this job through a recommendation from someone I worked with in the past and in the end, the production company and client were very happy with me. Here are the videos embedded below:

What else has happened since the last update? Well, another Harlequin cover for one! Been working on some of my own projects as well, but no shoot date is set for anything at this point. Also, I play the lead guy in another web/commercial video that should be ready soon. Oh, and this was also booked through a past recommendation but I still went in and auditioned for it.

I’ve also had some good auditions/callbacks and yep, another job through previous work. What could this one be? Well, how about another appearance on Nikita? That’s right! I just tweeted about it this morning, before heading to my wardrobe call. My part shoots Monday and I’m pretty excited to be back on set! This time around, I have a nice scene with a larger role, an actual character name (rather than “Division Tech”) which is actually my own name spelled slightly differently, and now, officially a recurring character on the show! Will I appear in even more episodes? We’ll have to wait and see…but let’s just say I wouldn’t say “no” if they asked me!

One of the career highlights I’ve had recently, as the title suggests, is a role on Nikita! They had me play a “Division” tech. If you’re not familiar with the show, I basically played a part of the team at the headquarters of the secret organization that the show follows.

The fun thing about landing this role was the fact that I’ve seen all the episodes up to this point, so not only do I understand what’s going on but I got to meet and hang out with the actors behind most of the leads on the show. It was very interesting to play with characters I’ve been watching this whole time. On top of that, the crew was awesome to work with as well. Everyone was so welcoming on set, they made me feel a bit like an honored guest! I was introduced to so many people including the show creator…even had stand-ins who were great!

Another awesome thing was the fact that the studio was only about 5km from where I live! So I biked there everyday… One of the nights I was wrapped pretty late (between 1:00 and 2:00am) and my ride home was so peaceful and quiet, with lightning lighting up the sky at a distance. Dreamlike!

In the end, I had a great time playing on a show I actually watch, got treated really well and received great feedback and encouraging words, especially from Noah Bean (Ryan Fletcher), Lyndie Greenwood (Sonya), Aaron Stanford (Seymour Birkhoff) and some of the crew as well. On top of that, some were talking to me about the possibility of returning to the show and expressing that they’d like to see me again!

Most importantly, my mom follows the show as well, so she’s really happy that I got a role on it…now even more excited to watch the new season! Knowing this, and knowing that the character Michael is one of her favorites (from both the older series and the current remake), I asked the man behind the role, Shane West, for a favor. He graciously agreed (keep in mind my mom is French Canadian and her name is Annie) as you’ll see in the video below!

I will most definitely remind you when the third season begins so you can catch my appearance on the show! Also since the last update, I had another Harlequin book cover shoot, corporate video and independent film work and finally a online toothbrush video/commercial that should be released soon!

I’d finally like to introduce you to my new website design; it’s been a long time coming and it’s finally here! If you’re familiar with the old site, you’ll notice the featured items section on the front page has been changed and now requires you to use the arrows to switch between videos. There’s also an option to subscribe to the site (updating you with new posts) and you can do so via the form located on the right sidebar.

The about section has been revisited and partially rewritten, the resume page now includes an embedded YouTube playlist of some acting work, the pictures section has a whole lot more pictures, the production page contains the projects’ videos embedded onto it, the contact page is much more visual and finally the footer got a complete overhaul. Overall I feel the changes provides a better browsing experience without sacrificing too much simplicity. Hope you like it!

Now for the Chapman’s ice cream commercial in which I play the guy leading the group! Below I’ve included the videos of the French version followed by the English one:

This was shot about a month ago and I had some good times on set! Spent two full, sunny days outdoors over a weekend while meeting and working with a whole lot of great people. Speaking of great people, I also met Kina Grannis in person, the lovely singer/songwriter who’s video I used in Friendship Upgrade, as she was performing in Toronto that evening! Nothing but good things to say about her! Also, you might also notice how red I was from being out in the sun all weekend.

Now, you may be aware that I’m on a mostly vegan diet…but don’t worry, I didn’t have to eat any ice cream. I was upfront about it from the day I went into the audition so they were aware. Even if it would have cost me the job, honesty is the best policy. Besides, not a lot of actors in Toronto are fully bilingual so I knew I had a good chance!

You might argue that I should avoid this type of work altogether, and that’s something I might consider in the future, but I’m at least pretty sure at this point I won’t be doing anything advertising the consumption of meat!

Additionally, since the last update, other than putting in a lot of time into this site, I’ve gotten some corporate and catalogue work here and there, and even a new Harlequin book cover shoot! Speaking of, I now display all the released covers at the bottom of the pictures section! Also added are some stills and on set shots of the commercial!

Hopefully, if you’ve been on the site this month, you realized that my last post was an April Fools’ joke. That video is years old!

Now that I’ve cleared up any confusion, I’d like to continue by announcing the air date of “Shot in the Dark“, the Cold Blood episode in which I play the suspected killer! Is he really the one who did it? Well, you’ll have to watch it to find out! Unfortunately, I believe it’s only airing in the United States right now (Thursday April 26th, at 9:00pm EST on Investigation Discovery). Will do my best to find out when a Canadian air date is set!

Now, for some new Harlequin book covers! These are number twelve and thirteen of the books in which I’m featured as the likeness of the leading man.

They are Not Just Friends by Kate Hoffmann and Relentless Pursuit by Sara Orwig. Check them out if you’re into those kinds of books!

Last weekend, I went back to Ottawa to finish up some final scenes for Kevin McMillan‘s TV pilot “Lost and Found in Beijing”. It was great seeing Kevin and Daniel again, along with David Kujuwa who helped out with the shoot. Everything went really well and we had a great time working together; lots of laughs were had by all. We also did ADR (re-recording our dialogue) for an airplane scene which we actually shot on one of our flights. The reason for recording our voices over again is that cabin noise in the plane is just too loud so we needed to get clean audio.

Also, I noticed a few new Harlequin books featuring me on the cover are now available for purchase. Check out Cassie’s Grand Plan by Emmie Dark and One in a Million by Susan Mallery. I have a couple more book cover appearances on the way and should be available soon. I’ll be sure to share those once they’re released!

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!

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!