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A handful of Canadian actors have been fortunate enough to carve out successful careers as actors in Canada. Being able to make this claim is a dream, undoubtedly, for many of the thousands of performers who make Canada their home. With a bit of luck (backed by hard work in the art form as well as the business side), to go with their great skill and talent, some have. There are several careers that have emerged, flourished and endured right here. I think of Art Hindle, Eric Peterson, Jayne Eastwood and Colin Mochrie.
Then, of course, there is the other side of the spectrum: Those that trek south of the border to be a part of the Hollywood machine or even travel overseas for opportunities in foreign markets in Europe, South Africa, Asia or India. Jim Carey, Ryan Reynolds, Rachel McAdams, Diego Klatenhoff, Stana Katic and Ryan Gosling are some of the more prominent recent exports. They made the move to what they likely considered the best place to be actors and made it.
Staying home is often an ideal that many Canadian-based performers aspire to despite the lure of American or international ‘stardom’. More than happy to be a part of the industry here, telling great Canadian stories about Canadian events, or featuring Canadian characters, looking at Canadian history and showcasing Canadian locales.
Of course, landing work abroad as an actor is challenging. Although there are numerous barriers to overcome to achieve ‘success’ as a performer –starting with the stigmatically mysterious visa process and continuing to establishing appropriate supports in foreign lands –it’s still a dream worth attempting to live. If that’s your dream. The reality is, as the old adage says: you’ll never know unless you try.
So who wins when it comes to this decades-old debate? Stay local and be a big fish in a small pond? Or travel abroad to be a small fish in a big lake? The answer is their both right. Yet neither answer is permanent. Be it family, opportunities, bigger markets, other personal influences or just exuberant patriotism, picking sides in the north-south (or overseas) decision is all about you.