We could throw around a slew of names, Marlon Brando, Sydney Sweeney, Al Pacino. You know, movie actor names. But there's a new hot kid on the rise. Making an impact in the acting world. A maverick, a wild card.

Who do you ask is this glorious wonder-son?

Me.

*breathes on knuckles and rubs them against chest

I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I just bought this horn and it's got-sta be played.

I've been perusing acting now for maybe 3 years. It's something I always thought about, cause people told me they thought I'd be good at it. But I always thought those people were wrong and stupid.

I just didn't think it was possible. When I was young, I always wanted to be a writer/director. I grew up loving Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino. You know, very basic, White-Guy-Who-Likes-Movies stuff. As I've aged, so darn rapidly, that dream has somewhat died. I still write. Daily. But it’s just about horses now.

Acting though, took me a long time to get here. To even understand how to pursue it. I didn’t think it was even plausible. That it’s just for people with rich parents.

I've done a few little acting gigs in the past, just from being in the stand-up comedy world. And few things people recommended me for. But, I never thought about it seriously. I took those gigs and made a little demo reel. And got some cheap head shots done.

I took a theatre acting class in Hamilton, then two film acting classes in Toronto. White knuckling weekly though snow storms just so I could say my monologue that I practised 600 times in a mirror to a room full of other actors-in-training.

My buddy (Kym, you are the best) put me in touch with his agent, just so I could ask her questions about how to get an agent. She then put me in touch with some other agencies to contact. They were all were very nice, and most got back to me, but told me that I wasn't a gap they needed to fill in there roster, and to hit them back in a few years.

I started making momentum on my own. Hunting down gigs online. Any little scrap of a gig I could find. A presenter role in London, Ontario talking about the homelessness epidemic, something in Collingwood for a garage remodelling company. Some weird thing for an online game that I don't understand and don't remember where we shot it.

From there, an agency contacted me. They said “we like your look” and I was like “damn, a blind agency”. But they took me on and I've been getting more roles ever since.

I started auditioning a lot. Just doing self-tapes from home. Just grinding it out and getting nowhere. Then I got a few call backs. I started getting little bit parts in these docu-series. They are low paying simple roles where you don't need to know lines. But you get a nice taste of what being on set is like.

The first “Big” role I got, was playing “older son camping with my dad” in an American medical commercial. In the self-tape I just had to look out at a beautiful sunset while sipping a coffee, then I sigh with enjoyment, because with the help of this new miracle medicine I can finally go camping with my dad. Then I got an in person call back. So I drove the 1.5hrs in traffic to Toronto, and in a room full of the casting people, I looked up at the sunset and sighed. Then drove 2hrs in traffic home.

Boom, landed the gig.

I’m Serpico.

I’m Spartacus.

I’m grown up medical commercial son.

It was awesome. It was two days of work. With a very handsome buyout (buyout is in lieu of royalties) but only if I were to be used in the final edit.

I hung out the whole day with this guy who actually kind of looks like my dad. Alan. It was really nice. Cause we got along. Not like my dad. He also didn't get along great with his son. So it was pretty cathartic. We fake camped, sighed at the sun. And exchanged numbers. He even wished me a merry Christmas that year via text. I told him I would read Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy and never did.

Months later my agent told me that my scene was cut from the final commercial and that unfortunately, I wouldn't be receiving that handsome buyout.

Ouch.

But a week later, by magic. I did get the buyout. A roller coaster tycoon of emotions. I was still cut from the commercial. But fuck it. I got cash. So I paid off my student loan. And for the first time in my adult life, I was officially debt free.

I got a couple more gigs over the winter. Docu-series and little whatevers that I don’t even know how to explain. And I met some great people along the way. And some who are nice… but, what-is-even-going-on-in-that-brain-of-thiers?

Then I got this top secret job for Ubisoft that I'm still under NDA about. I’m not even sure if I can say Ubisoft. So let’s pretend I didn’t. I said GrUbisoft.

Then I landed a Mr. Sub commercial. It was 3 hrs of work. Where me and this kid run down the hall of a hockey rink and I yell to him with joy about his game.

That commercial has been, honestly my greatest acting triumph. People at work keep coming up to me, telling me they saw me in a commercial. It's surreal. One day your taking a bite out of a sub that has denture glue in it to help make it look extra yummy, the next day you are back at work delivering mail.

And everybody at work is fucking amazing. Sean at work started calling me Hollywood a few years back. And that started to stick. I honestly hated it at first. I thought he was making fun of me, cause that’s always where my brain goes. But I realized it's a term of endearment. It's encouraging. And every time I see Sean he says “You're going to make it someday Hollywood, just remember us little people”

I lower my sunglasses and I say “Who are you again?”

I got this casino gig. We showed up at 6am for two days in row, at this casino. And people are in there already gambling. AT 6AM. It's crazy. Then for 10hrs a day. I just have to smile for the camera and act happy. It's surprisingly gruelling.

That commercial started playing over the summer and more people at work started saying “Hey, Hollywood, did I see you in a casino commercial?”. Ankit from work, who I basically started out with at the post office, rushes up to me one day, with his phone in his hand and says:

“Devin, is this you?”

“Why yes it is Ankit, have you gambled today?”

I had a very brief role in a film that premiered at TIFF. I shot this last summer and it was a wild experience. I play a really shitty guy that hires a sex trade worker. The movie is a documentary based on the stars real life story. It was a sex scene. And when I got the audition I did it in one take, cause I wasn’t really sure if I even wanted the role. But I got it. And it was a great experience. There was an intimacy co-coordinator on set, we did a run through in advance to keep everything above board, and on the day I wore my underwear, then a protective cup, then another pair of underwear, and there was a pillow between us and it was very awkward and technical. But not in the way I thought it would be. It was more stunt than simulated sex.

I landed a commercial where I'm basically a hand model for a high class bourbon. I spent a day opening a bottle over and over.

Most recently, I landed a gig in a Pepsi commercial. That'll air for Christmas. I play a Pepsi stealing dad. It was a lovely two day gig. And on it I even saw a crew member from that Casino shoot. When I went to wardrobe Laura (from the casino shoot) was like “Here's trouble” we laugh and I walk into wardrobe. Her bosses asked her “Do you know that guy?” and she said. “Nope, never met him.”

It's been a really cool year of little acting gigs. Some well paying, some not as much. Long hours with lovely people. And get this. Some actors are batshit crazy. But maybe that's what it takes to make it in this world. Delusion.

Fuck, maybe I’m batshit crazy?

No.

No, it’s them.

I’m normal. Right?

But that Mr. Sub commercial. My commercial magnum opus.

The Blue Jays, buy skill and luck made it into the World Series. Or so I hear from everyone around. I personally prefer their first album.

That Mr. Sub commercial gets a little play during said World Series. More and more people I know keep coming up to me telling me “did I see you in a Tim Horton’s commercial?” “no actually, it's Mr. Sub.” I say like the cocky self involved superstar I've become. Then I ask them:

“Have you had your sub today?”

People I haven't spoken to in years message me telling me they saw it. Or asking if it's me. (because I had to shave my beard and they darkened my eye brows)

I'll take a day off of work for an acting gig. And I'll feel like “hell yeah, I'm doing it. I’m a big-boy actor” Then the next day I go back to work and deliver mail. And I feel like a “Ah yes, delivering mail for a corporation that undervalues it’s work force, owned by a government that neglects it’s people. The Canadian dream.” But someone will say “hey, I saw you in that Subway commercial.”

“Actually it’s Mr. Sub”

“Oh, well, keep at it Hollywood.”

If I never get another gig again, I'd still feel accomplished. I tried. I landed some gigs. I paid off my student loan with money I made from acting. I went to college for film production, so it’s at least adjacent. I don’t always feel it. But today I feel accomplished.

Luck they say, is where persistence meets skill. So I'm going to go out on a limb and call myself lucky.

I wrote this whole newsletter in an Airbnb for a shoot in Montreal, while the Blue Jays played the World Series. My girlfriend would periodically text me the score. And I only really cared, because I like texting with her.

I did see some of the end of the game cause the other actors were watching it. And that was fun. But I guess also in the end, sad. Good luck with the next 32 years Jays.

Smooth Comedy Fest is coming up!

November 28th & 29th

Get tickets!

Three days of amazing sketches and comedians!

As is tradition, here is a list of gigs I have coming up.

Justin Shaw and I have decided to reprise our roles as:

Nook & Cranny: Twin detectives

For this insane holiday romp we wrote and have worked so hard on. Please buy tickets here:

Tickets!

Use Code:SPIRIT10 to get 10% off!

(offer expires probably today, I think? I dunno Justin’s in charge of that stuff)

I’m re-mounting my first solo-sketch show:

The Midshipman’s Handbook- Nov 8th

(it’s SOLD OUT, so try to sneak in)

I’m also doing a stand-up show NOV 21st at a place I don’t know. But it’s in Hamilton. And I won’t be doing stand-up. I’ll do whatever I want, cause I’m insufferable now.

You can also see me at every Mr. Sub and casino trying to get you to eat and gamble.

Thanks for reading.

It means the world to me.

Devin