CAST

 

Joel Oulette– Derrick Desjardins

Joel Oulette has always been passionate about acting and storytelling. With roots from the Red River Metis and Cree from Cumberland House First Nations, Joel grew up in Medicine Hat, Alberta, studying dance, acting and modeling from a young age as part of a performing arts company. He continued to grow his experience in theatre through high school drama classes, and landed his first film role as an extra in “Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee”. This led him to a series of small roles in short films and feature films such as “Alpha” before booking his first supporting role alongside Adam Beach and Grace Dove in “ Monkey Beach”. He became the first Indigenous youth to lead a TV series on CBC and the CW in the hit series “Trickster”. Joel’s lead role on CW’s “Two Sentence Horror Story” challenged him in new ways as an actor and pushed him past his comfort zone. “Abducted” is his first lead role in a feature film. 

Joel is a certified yoga instructor and is training in martial arts, Jujutsu,  skateboarding, and enjoys playing guitar and singing. He has partnered with the non-profit “Matriarch Movement” that is focused on amplifying Indigenous voices and reclaiming their power through storytelling, meditation, movement and natural medicine. Joel’s message to Indigenous youth is: ”know that you have gifts, knowledge and ancestral wisdom that is needed for humanity at this time.“

Joel was born, raised and currently resides in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Chris Pereira – Tyson Muirhead

Chris Pereira is a classically trained actor and  has appeared in many films, commercials, and live theatre productions. He has starred in works by Shakespeare, John Dryden, and Eugène Ionesco as well as works by acclaimed Canadian playwrights; Peter Hinton, Vern Thiessen, Stewart Lemoine, and Mark Crawford. Chris earned his BFA in acting from the University of Alberta, where he was trained in voice, singing, dance and stage combat. He is also a self-taught sound designer, who’s currently taking on the daunting task of teaching himself how to compose his own music.

Chris was born, raised and currently resides in Edmonton, Alberta.

Olivia Kate Iatridis – Lakota Sampson

Olivia Kate Iatridis is an Indigenous actress who is  Inuvialuk (Inuk) and a member of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Western Arctic.  Olivia began acting at the age of 13 and has had roles in television, short films, feature films and various promotional videos, including being the main presenter in the Massive Open On-line Course (MOOC) on the Arctic.  She  has won two Joey Awards (Canada’s original & most prestigious Awards For Young Performers.) for “Best Supporting Actress in a Short Film” and “Best Actress in a Commercial”. She is also an avid artist who uses a variety of media to draw and paint.

Oliva was born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, raised in St.Albert, Alberta and currently resides in Vancouver, BC.

Pooky G – Lisa Cardinal

Roni Gauthier aka. “Pooky G” is an Indigenous hip hop artist, model, actor and a registered member of the  Metis Nation of Alberta . Growing up, she used music as an outlet for escaping her everyday struggle with the realities of facing poverty. Roni soon became “POOKY G”, the rapstress , Queen of Her Own Hood! Pooky G has recently released a long overdue EP “SO FAR SO HOOD”. Pooky is also working on a second album and several acting engagements . Her passion in between it all includes facilitating empowerment through workshops in indigenous communities.

Pooky G was born, raised and currently resides in Edmonton, Alberta.

Helen Calahasan -Marie “Kokum” Desjardins

Helen Calahasan is from Woodland Cree First Nation, Cadotte Lake and is fluent in the Cree Y dialect (Plains Cree). She has been involved with film, theatre and TV for most of her adult life.  Some notable roles include the films: Last of the Dogmen, Savage Land and in the television shows; Blackstone, Hank Williams First Nation and the host of Good Morning Canada. Helen has trained with the likes of Sid Kozak, Tom Logan and casting directors Carmen Kotyk, Rhonda Fisecki and Judy Lee. Among her accomplishments Helen takes pride in having developed the first and only Aboriginal Walk of Honour – Neka’New’Ak which recognizes Aboriginal pioneers in the Film and Entertainment Industry world wide. She is recognized for her work and has received two awards from the Metis and First Nations Communities

Helen was born in High Prairie, Alberta,  raised in Grouard, Alberta and currently resides in Sherwood Park , Alberta.

Wesley Sellick  -Georgie Karras

Wesley Sellick grew up in the arts and started with his dance training at the age of 4, added music at age 10 and finally theatre and acting at age 12. At the age of 17 he was off to Europe to perform and toured for 3 years. In 1999 Wesley moved to Las Vegas to begin his career in the USA and performed in over 12 different shows up and down the Las Vegas strip.  In 2008 he was offered  a movie with the Wayans Brothers, filmed for 3 weeks in Los Angeles and knew this was to be the next chapter in his life.

Wesley packed his house in Vegas and moved to L.A..to focus solely on film and television. He quickly added to his resume shows such as State of Affairs (Katherine Heigl), Legends (Sean Bean) and most recently the smash hit This is US. After season 2 wrapped of This is US, Wesley chose to go back to his roots, move back to home in order to be  closer to his parents and to start a family of his own.

Wesley was born, raised and currently resides in Edmonton, Alberta.

Funding provided by Telefilm Canada, Government of Alberta, the Indigenous Screen Office and producer investment.