The short answer to your question of where to be a film actor in Canada is something I’m certain you’ve heard before. Vancouver and Toronto are indeed the top cities for Film, Television, Theatre, and all things Acting related.
Of course, there’s the option to audition virtually, but you are more likely to be considered for roles if you’re located where the industry is thriving, and the auditions are taking place.
This is because it's not just about the audition.
Let’s say you’re up for a part. If you don’t live where the production is filming, it can become a lot of potentially unwanted cost for the production. If you were to become a name actor, and can add value to the production, that additional cost becomes less of a concern.
Unfortunately, for those starting out, and even some successful character actors, the production may still not want to pay your travel and living expenses for weeks or potentially months.
Let me give you an example.
I’ve been an actor for about 10 years, based first in Vancouver and now in Toronto. I recently just auditioned for a lead role in a TV show filming in Montreal. As part of our discussion when I was auditioning, they asked if I’d be willing to ‘play as a local’.
This means that I would have to find my own room and board for the duration of the production. By ‘playing a local’, I would be considered someone who lives where the production is being filmed.
This request is partially influenced by the fact that this is a Canadian production, and typically Canadian productions have a smaller budget.
Think about this as an actor, what would you say?
I live in Toronto, let’s suppose the filming in Montreal happened for a month. That means a month’s rent for my place in Toronto and another month’s rent for wherever I would be living in Montreal. I would also have to cover my own travel expenses.
Of course, they would be paying me for the acting I was doing, but if it was filming in Toronto that money would be for me, rather than paying for me to be in the show.
Curious what I said?
I said, “Most important is the role. If you choose me, and I need to ‘play the local’, I’ll do it. However, if you can find the budget to help me, I’d appreciate that as well.”
As an actor, what else can we do? Unless you’re a name celebrity, and even then sometimes, you are essentially easy to replace.
Let’s take the cast of Friends for example. Before the show was a hit, and especially before it aired, if a cast member had a problem with the pay or anything like that, they would have just been replaced. It would have been the easiest solution, and there would have been a hundred actors ready to take their spot.
Why are Toronto and Vancouver the Best Cities for Actors in Canada?
Being in one of these two major film cities presents you with opportunities you don’t necessarily find in smaller cities. Here you will find a wide variety of agencies, acting classes and programs, casting agencies, production companies, and studios.
In the 70’s Canada was coined as Hollywood North, by that time, it had become a staple location for filming. Essentially Canada or more specifically Vancouver and Toronto, have over time become two massive hubs for Hollywood film and television productions.
At the time of this writing, Netflix has set up a production hub in Toronto and has filmed a wide variety of Netflix Specials in Canada (click here to learn more about the studio space).
Why are Production Companies Filming in Toronto and Vancouver?
As an American production filming in Canada, you get to take advantage of not only the US/Canadian dollar conversion rate but a variety of tax incentives that the governments of British Columbia and Ontario have implemented to increase filming.
These incentives have allowed the film industry to become major economic drivers, specifically in Toronto and Vancouver.
If we went back 20 or 30 years and you were going to say Hollywood North you were just talking about Vancouver. Being in the same time zone as Los Angeles and being less than a 3-hour flight away made filming in BC easy. That’s not to say there weren’t film industries in other parts of Canada, but Vancouver was where Hollywood really started to come into the country.
Over time though, other cities started developing film industries to compete with the one growing in Vancouver. They too wanted to take advantage of the fact that many US productions were willing to come here.
About 8 years ago, the Vancouver acting community was rocked by some very competitive tax incentives introduced by the Ontario Film Commission. This brought a huge amount of film business into Ontario, allowing Toronto to successfully compete with Vancouver. Since then, the industries in both cities have continued to thrive and are roughly the same size.
In very broad terms, we can say that Vancouver is traditionally the home for sci-fi, while Toronto and its surrounding areas are where you want to film if you’re looking for that New York/Detroit/East Coast city background and locations.
Vancouver’s sci-fi origins started in the late 80s early 90s, with shows like The X-Files, more recently that’s continued with productions like Supernatural, Deadpool, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Toronto, on the other hand, is where they filmed Suicide Squad. It was also the filming location of Suits, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, The Umbrella Academy, and the Oscar-winning Shape of Water.
Even considering the productions listed above, we can get a feel for why production companies choose certain cities.
Vancouver offers a mountainscape and vast forestry, while Toronto and the GTA really own that concrete jungle vibe.
Does This Mean More Opportunities for You as an Actor?
The answer to this is yes, however, I think we should take a moment to define what an ‘opportunity’ is. There are various kinds of opportunities that we have to think about, and that relates a lot to where principal casting is done and also tax incentives.
First off, yes, there’s going to be a lot of opportunities in Vancouver and Toronto for Day Player and Guest Star roles. These are the kind of roles where you will be on set for a day or two or even an afternoon.
- A day player is someone who comes in just to move the story forward but they’re not essential for the story.
This could be a lawyer for someone’s dad, the lady who saw the crime, etc. In other words, these are very small roles. - Guest-starring roles are larger and are essential for the underlying plot of the episode or the movie but again these, are smaller parts and are not part of the main cast.
With these roles, you might be on set for 3 to 5 days, potentially more because again, you’re essential for the plot.
These are going to be your main opportunities in Vancouver and Toronto for US Productions. This is because typically, principle (main character) casting is usually done in Los Angeles where the production company is based and where the tradition of finding the main characters is.
Of course, there are going to be people who say that this is not always the case or that this is changing. While they are right, we can’t deny that this is a fundamental reality in casting.
As you become established as an actor and you get more guest star roles, your agent (if they have good contacts with casting directors in Los Angeles) will be able to submit you for larger roles.
Let me give you a couple of examples from my personal experience.
I had the opportunity to audition as the lead villain or the nemesis.
In all honesty, this was such a huge part that I was shocked that I was even given an audition for it. To this day, I question if they were doing it as a way to show that they did their due diligence before casting the people they wanted.
Sometimes you’ll find yourself auditioning for parts that feel like huge star lead roles. You might be telling yourself, ‘wow this is a huge step up!’ However, it’s just as likely that you’re being used as part of a negotiation.
So, in Riddick, chances are they were auditioning actors because they were negotiating a rate for the actor they wanted. They do this so they can say they have alternatives if the person doesn’t accept the offer. It puts pressure on the actor to accept a lower rate.
At the time of the audition, I had maybe been acting for almost 2 years. I thought this was going to be a huge break if I got it! So I worked really hard, and I think I gave a great audition.
Now, here comes the big question! Am I in the same realm as Jordi Mollà, the guy who got the part? Could I be the lead villain in a major Hollywood film after a year-and-a-half of acting experience? Or, should they cast the actor who had just played opposite Johnny Depp in Blow?
As a studio, who would you have more confidence in?
While this may feel disheartening to read, it’s still a great opportunity to be able to audition for such a huge role, whether you’re being used as a negotiation tool or not. You have the opportunity to audition for a big production, and that’s only a step forward, so don’t blow it off. Take it seriously.
There is a great interview between Matthew Lillard and Dax Shepherd where Matthew Lillard is talking about auditioning for The Descendents. He talks about how he felt snagging an audition that casting directors did not want to see him for. Despite not being what they were looking for, he auditioned so well that he got the part. If you like podcasts, this is an episode I’d suggest.
It’s funny, after this audition, I felt like I had bombed. The casting director didn’t seem to enjoy what I was giving her at all. However, about a month later, I got a call from my agent saying I was “on hold”.
From an actor’s perspective, being on hold is one of the most torturous things to hear from your agent. It means you don’t have the part yet, but it’s likely between you and one other person, and they’re waiting to decide. They are likely waiting for a specific producer or the studio to give an okay for one or the other.
It’s like, you have the part, and you don’t have the part at the same time. I was on hold for this production for 7 or 8 months. Every couple of months, they would call us and say “still on hold”. Eventually, they gave the part to a British-Canadian actor, who was based in LA, Adrian Holmes.
I think I gave one of the best auditions of my life on this one. To top it off, it was a self-tape. The project was going to be filmed partially in Toronto. They had some smaller parts that were still part of the main cast, and they were looking to open up auditions to Toronto-based actors.
Again, probably the biggest reason for this is that they could take advantage of the 30% tax credit. I auditioned for the part. The agent and casting directors all really liked it and sent it off, but alas I did not get it. Rather, it went to a great LA-based actor, Trevante Rhodes.
This was a great part, and this Netflix film took a lot of actors from Canada. When I audition for this it was also a self-tape that went directly to the LA base casting agent. It was a good audition, I did it a couple of different ways as per their request, and I felt really good about it. The actor who got the part, Ignacio Serricchio, was actually from Argentina but had been living in New York and was based in LA.
Do you see the trend here?
I wanted to give you these examples so that you understand that while Vancouver and Toronto hold the most opportunities in Canada those opportunities might not be the kind you’re thinking about.
In between the examples I’ve given you the vast majority of the auditions I have done have been for guest stars or day players.
The best way to think about it is like this; You can stay in Vancouver or Toronto and work as an actor, most of that work will not get you to Hollywood, but if you stay persistent you’ll get opportunities that just might.
What about Canadian Productions
There’s another kind of opportunity that we have to think about; Canadian Productions. Since we are Hollywood North and we have so much infrastructure to accommodate American Productions every time there is a Canadian opportunity (Schitt’s Creek, Kim’s Convenience, Letterkenny), those Productions will probably do their principal casting in Toronto. This is not just because of the infrastructure, but also because this is where the CBC is based. Since most often, Canadian production companies get their funding from them, they will want to stay close.
But What About Other Canadian Cities for Actors?
There is absolutely an industry in other parts of the country, just not to the same extent. Take a look at this chart from Telefilm reflecting on the Canadian Film industry for the year 2019.
It’s clear that British Columbia (Vancouver) and Ontario (Toronto) are at the top of the industry, so let’s take a moment to talk about the rest.
Quebec
Their industry is also thriving. The French-language film and television industry there is rather large. This allows for more opportunities if you are fluent. Unlike the rest of Canada, French Productions in Quebec get a lot of attention and a lot of viewership.
There are a few restrictions here, generally speaking, these Productions want French-First Speakers, so if you have an English accent you might be at a disadvantage unless they’re specifically looking for that.
Also, it’s the epitome of being a big fish in a small pond. In other words, it is challenging to break into this industry. Quebec has its own roster of A-list celebrities, along with film and television regulars. So while it’s tricky to break into, if you can do it, you’re pretty much guaranteed a career for the rest of your life.
Montreal is also recognized for its visual effects and post-production, working on projects like Blade Runner 2049 and The Chronicles of Riddick. This ties directly into its thriving Video Game industry, ranking 5th in the world and number one in Canada.
Which is an excellent industry for voice actors I might add.
Calgary, Winnipeg, Halifax, and other smaller cities
These cities don’t necessarily have film and television industries the same way the previous cities do. In the chart above, we see that Toronto and Vancouver were responsible for more than 3000 productions each, while in Calgary, Winnipeg and Halifax, we see less than 300.
So, while there may still be work for actors, you need to understand that it is limited in comparison to the top producing cities. This means the amount of work you’re able to get is also limited.
A production like Fargo will set up in Calgary and will essentially be the biggest thing going on there for the duration of their filming. There just aren’t as many opportunities, which means how far your career goes is also limited.
Auditioning Out of Province
So let’s say you choose to set up your career in Toronto, or maybe you’re beginning your career in Winnipeg, it’s not impossible to still get auditions for productions in Vancouver.
If the parts are large enough, you’ll see casting calls open up, and productions will be more willing to see people from across the country. The Twilight Saga was a great example of this. Casting for non-lead roles went out Canada-wide, and self-tapes were encouraged.
When I was an actor in Vancouver, I would on occasion do self-tape auditions or see casting agents for productions filming in Toronto. As an actor in Toronto and Montreal, I’ve submitted for things filming in those cities, along with others. But this is not the majority of the time.
Meaning, if you’re located somewhere without a film industry and you’re relying on making it via self-tapes, you are not setting yourself up for success.
A Note on Competition:
What’s better, being a big fish in a little pond, or a little fish in a big pond?
That’s a question you have to ask yourself.
If we are the big fish in a little pond we’re essentially the character actor who plays guest stars and day roles based in Vancouver and Toronto.
There are many veteran actors in these two cities who are on a first-name basis with the casting directors and are well-known within the industry. While they may be the first pick for a lot of productions, they’re not playing those breakout starring rolls.
For a lot of actors, this would be a success. They are living as an actor. The longer you stay in Vancouver or Toronto, and the more you get to know casting directors, the more opportunities you’re going to have.
There’s been a few times where I’ve just been offered roles. They were really small, one or two lines, but because the casting directors knew me, they knew I could handle that and didn’t need to audition. They wanted to help me because they had known me for so long.
Many veteran Canadian actors will tell you that there’s no reason to go to LA anymore. In Toronto, you may be one of 40,000 actors when you include both union and non-union.
In Los Angeles, you would be one of a couple hundred thousand, so while there might be greater opportunities in LA there will also be much greater competition.
It’s important to understand there is no right or wrong way, it’s just another factor to consider. Certainly, if you’re becoming established in Vancouver or Toronto you will get opportunities to be in larger things, and maybe even have opportunities to go to Los Angeles to be seen, but it’s not a guarantee.
So, Where Do You Go?
If you want to be an actor in Canada, and your goal is to make this your career, then it’s important you make sure you’re an actor in Vancouver or Toronto.
Of course, there are opportunities in other cities, and there are a lot of actors who are perfectly content working from cities with smaller industries. However, if we want to think logically and you want to be working in film and television, then you have to go to the cities where film and television are being shot, and the two biggest cities for that are Toronto and Vancouver.
Not ready to make the move? Check out this article on Acting from a Small Town.
