ACTRA Spotlight

Join host David Gale as he chats with the wonderful performer Karen Robinson. Karen is perhaps best known recently for her role of Ronnie Lee on the hit comedy Schitt's Creek, but has appeared across stage and screen in a career spanning more than two decades. In this episode she talks about her newfound fame thanks to Schitt's, her family life, her start in the business and her thoughtful perspectives on diversity in the film and TV industry.

Join host David Gale as he has a funny and engaging chat with the wonderful, award-winning actor Eric Peterson. Eric, a remarkable defender of Canadian content, has had many iconic roles over his career, including Oscar Leroy in Corner Gas and Leon Robinovitch in Street Legal, plus is the co-creator of the internationally successful Billy Bishop Goes To War. In this episode, the past ACTRA Award of Excellence recipient discusses his long career in film and theatre, his current acting work, the importance of telling Canadian stories, and more.

Join host David Gale as he has an lively conversation with ACTRA Award winner-turned-filmmaker Joey Klein. Joey is the director of Castle In The Ground, a new feature (starring Alex Wolff, Neve Campbell and Imogen Poots) which is having its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019. In this episode David and Joey talk about his latest film, his filmmaking process and what it is like to be a part of the festival circuit.

Join host David Gale as he chats with ACTRA Toronto member Amy Jo Johnson, director of the new feature film Tammy's Always Dying, which is having its world premiere at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Amy Jo is very well known for her roles in such iconic shows as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Felicity and Flashpoint, and in this conversation she talks about her transition from performer to filmmaker, her life in the business, and more.

Join host David Gale as he chats with one of the most recognizable faces in Canada, Julian Richings. Julian has had an incredibly successful and diverse career, with a particular focus on the horror and fantasy genres, being very well-known for playing 'Death' on Supernatural. In this episode he talks about this role and others from his career, including Doom Patrol, Patriot, Kingdom Hospital, The Time Shifters, John Woo's Once a Thief and more.

Hear as Julian discusses his early family life in Oxford, England, his start in theatre and what led him to settle in Toronto. David and Julian chat about memorable roles, including what may be Julian's favourite of all time, in Bruce McDonald's legendary Hard Core Logo (described as This is Spinal Tap's "nasty little cousin"), and working with Academy Award-winning director Guillermo del Toro on Mimic. And Julian takes us behind the scenes as a performer, talking about self-taping for auditions and his valuable relationships with fans of Supernatural.

Join hosts Jean Yoon and David Gale chat with Jennifer Podemski, Tamara Podemski and Sarah Podemski! These three sisters have all had extensive careers in performance and filmmaking across Canada and abroad. Jennifer is a past ACTRA Award of Excellence recipient, a performer in such features as Dance Me Outside and Empire of Dirt, which she also produced, and founder of Redcloud Studios. Tamara is a performer, artist and musician, who has performed in the Broadway show of RENT and TV shows such as Coroner and Heartland and who is the writer on Jennifer's documentary series Future History. Sarah is a performer and filmmaker, whose series credits include Mocassin Flats, The Border, Cashing In, Between and Tin Star.

David and Jean chat with Jennifer, Tamara and Sarah on a wide range of interesting subjects, including their family background and growing up together, their careers in the business, memorable projects and stories over the years, their work helping nurture artistry among Indigenous youth, and their favourite comfort foods (Matzah Ball Soup!). You won't want to miss this wonderful and rich conversation with these treasured Canadian performers.

Join hosts David Gale and Jean Yoon as they chat with the ACTRA Award-winning comedian and performer Mark Little. Mark has an extensive career in comedy and animation, including Cavendish, Picnicface, Gary and His Demons and Cupcake & Dino: General Services. Hear about Mark's favourite comedians, his background in comedy and improv, the video he created which got over 32 million views and attracted the attention of Will Ferrell, and more!

Join hosts Jean Yoon and David Gale as they chat with the wonderful and funny Colin Mochrie. Colin is a comedy star, famously known for his work on the TV series Whose Line Is It Anyway? In this episode, Colin talks about his start in comedy and some of his early influences, tells some great stories from his extensive career and discusses his charitable work, family and involvement with ACTRA Toronto. And there's even some impromptu improv with Colin, Jean and David!

Hosts Jean Yoon and David Gale chat with the recent ACTRA Award winner of Outstanding Performance - Female Voice, Bryn McAuley. In this episode she talks about her start in the industry, her involvement with ACTRA Toronto and the Young Emerging Actors Assembly (YEAA) and even gives us a sample of some of the amazing voices she has performed in animation over the years.

Join hosts Jean Yoon and David Gale as they chat with the legendary Rick Mercer on ACTRA Spotlight. One of Canada's most recognizable personalities as host of the Rick Mercer Report, Rick discusses what he is up to nowadays, along with reminiscing about memorable stories and moments from his extensive career.