Aldrin Bundoc was born in Manila, Philippines, and immigrated to Canada with his family when he was five. Best known for appearances in Schitt’s Creek (2019), Private Eyes (2016), and Killjoys (2015) he stars in the new satirical comedy series Abroad, a humorous look at how Filipino Immigrants think, perceive, and deal with living in Canada. The series will be premiering on OMNI. We caught up with him to discuss the project.
Thank you for agreeing to catch up with Occhi Magazine. Congratulations on your career to date. For readers who are unfamiliar with you, how did you get into the industry?
Thanks for having me Occhi Magazine! It’s my pleasure. I graduated from a theatre conservatory in Toronto and in my last year, I was able to get a talent agent. I worked mostly on stage for the first several years and am now doing more film work. Being an immigrant from the Philippines, pursuing an acting career was a radical decision. There was little to no Filipino representation in Hollywood when I was young, but more importantly, I didn’t have anyone in my family who knew how to support me, but here I am looking back with a decent body of work and plans to keep going.
Who are your biggest influences?
As an actor, I have many influences. I am influenced by actors like Michelle Yeoh, Willem Dafoe, and Jackie Chan who have had to spend the majority of their careers carving out a space for themselves in the industry. I’m influenced by the precision of actors like Glenn Close and Philipe Seymour Hoffman. And I’m influenced by actors like Isabelle Huppert and Frances McDormand and their grounded, realized sense of themselves.
Tell us more about your first professional role in the television series, The Firm. How did you feel working on this production and how much of an impact did it have on the trajectory of your career?
The Firm was my very first professional gig for TV and my one and only scene was with Juliette Lewis. She was a pleasure to work with and was so gracious in giving me a good first experience on set. I had never filmed for TV before, and I think I was most surprised by how long it took to film the thing. I trained in theatre, so I wasn’t used to camera set-ups – I thought I was done for the day after filming the wide shots. I was ready to be wrapped! Boy was I wrong – but at least I got to hear stories from Juliette Lewis!
Regarding its impact on my career: the fact that I was hired for this, possibly made some casting directors curious about me, although, at the time, productions weren’t as interested in showcasing Filipino talent as they are now.
To date, you’ve appeared in several popular TV productions, including Schitt’s Creek, The Boys, and Star Trek: Discovery, to name a few. Name one experience you’ve had in this industry that has significantly shaped your appreciation of film and television?
Any time I’m on a set, I’m in awe of the amount of talent and skill it takes to get shows done – it’s a team effort. I can’t say there’s been one experience that has significantly shaped my appreciation of film and television, but what continues to be important is knowing that so many people have exercised their abilities before I’ve arrived. When I worked on Star Trek: Discovery, I got to experience how Sonequa Martin-Green was on set. She worked long hours but was consistently positive, caring, and curious with her crew – it was a delight to be around. I’m figuring out for myself how to be that but in my own way.
You received Dora Award Nominations for Million Billion Pieces, Antigone, and Meet Cute; as well as a Broadway World Toronto nomination for Best Leading Actor for Body Politic. Of the many accolades received, what is your proudest achievement as an actor/producer, and why?
My proudest achievements as an actor haven’t been because of the accolades – it’s from seeing how far I’ve come. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing or what specifically the struggles would be in pursuing an acting career, but when I look back and realize that I’m actually doing it – that itself has been my greatest achievement. I’ve defied my expectations and I’m going to keep going further.
You star in the new satirical comedy series ABROAD, a humorous look at how Filipino Immigrants think, perceive, and deal with living in Canada. Please tell us more about its origins and how you got involved in the project?
It began when the producers from Longhope Media, who brought audiences “Air Farce”, approached Izzy Kanaan, a Filipina social media influencer, to create a show about the Filipino-Canadian experience. Izzy brought me on board along with a few other Filipinos to bring to life the many different characters in the sketches. A good portion of the show is actually spoken in Tagalog but the show is for everyone.
What projects are you currently working on?
I’m writing some of my own projects with a few writing partners – one is a feature and the other is play.
Where can our readers find out more about you and your projects?
The best way to find out what’s next is to follow me on social media. My Instagram is @buzzaldy. And check out Abroad on OMNI.
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