Shane Marriott is an actor based in Toronto, Canada. Shane found his love for the performing arts at a young age when he would watch his favorite actors on film and TV and re-enact scenes. He has amassed a significant body of work in major film and television productions. He’ll be starring in the new drama series ‘The Porter’ on CBC Gem and BET+ this February 21st. We caught up with him to talk about the series, his promising career, and what’s next.
Shane, thanks for taking the time to speak to us about your work. When did you decide to embrace a career in acting?
2016 was the year when I decided to bet on myself and endure the life of a professional actor. This was a feeling that I’ve had a lingering inside of me since I was in the 7th grade, I just didn’t know how to get started professionally. Once I started to drown out the doubt and block any outside noise steering me away from this path, everything started to fall into place and I must say it’s a challenging but fulfilling journey. I cannot wait to see what the future holds.
Who has been the most influential in your career and why?
Two of my audition colleagues come to mind, Dwain Murphy and Sagine Sémajuste. When I started I was lost and confused as to how the whole self-taping process worked and my confidence during auditions started to suffer as well. Having people like them in my corner dedicating their time, working scenes and even being an outlet to talk and vent to has definitely kept me leveled. I also benefit from this because I get to see them audition as well and I learn something new every time.
You have a significant body of work in major film and television productions including Murdoch Mysteries, Titans, Grand Army, and Mistletoe and Molly, to name a few. What do you look for when choosing a role?
I’m not really at the level in my career where I can pick and choose what I want, but I do like to look for stories and characters that I can relate to, find intriguing, or deem as important. If the character happens to go through and overcome his own trials within a story, I find that interesting because it gives me the room to explore and experience that life throughout my work. At the same time, I like to stay true to who I am and choose meaningful roles that people can empathize with or be inspired by.
Are there any characters you wouldn’t play, and why?
I cannot think of any right now but I am an artist. There wouldn’t be much I’d object to as long as the story is good and has a great message behind it.
You are set to appear in the new drama series ‘The Porter’ Please tell us more about the series and what audiences can expect.
Inspired by real events and set in the 1920s, The Porter follows the journeys of an ensemble of characters who hustle, dream, cross borders, and pursue their ambitions in the fight for liberation – on and off the railways that crossed North America. It’s a story of empowerment and idealism that highlights the moment when railway workers from both Canada and the United States joined together to give birth to the world’s first Black union. Set primarily in Montreal, Chicago, and Detroit as the world rebuilds after the First World War, The Porter depicts the Black community’s fight for change – but if change isn’t coming for them, they will come for it. By any means necessary.
How did COVID pandemic impact the filming schedule?
I’m not too sure, but I do remember seeing another location to film on the casting sheet breakdown. I’m not sure if it affected our filming style but we did block shoot (shooting out of sequence) which was new to me but I am grateful for the experience. I now have a better understanding of block shots in the future.
We can also look forward to seeing you in the upcoming science fiction horror film Firestarter starring Zac Efron. Please tell us more about the film and your role
Yes, this is a remake of the Stephen King novel/movie “Firestarter” which starred Drew Barrymore in 1984. It’s about a young girl trying to understand how she gained her powers, setting things on fire with her mind. I play a control room guard and my scenes fall during the climax of the film. I don’t really want to spoil what happens but be prepared to hold onto your seats!
What has been your most memorable experience working in the industry and why?
A memorable experience would have to be traveling within Canada. Domestic flights are already expensive as it is so being able to travel for work to Winnipeg for The Porter and St. John, NL for Hudson & Rex was a bonus for me. Another would be the people and other actors I got to meet and talk to, having them take time on set to share some words or personal/motivational stories that I will forever be grateful for. I can’t forget about the new experiences on set too. I got to go back in time (1920’s) and drive a couple of vehicles from that decade which I would never have had the opportunity to do if I wasn’t in the industry.
To date, what would you say has been your most challenging role, and why?
I would say playing sticks has been the most challenging role to date for me. I wasn’t really given much of a breakdown about this character, only the first season episodes, so that meant that my research had to be much more in-depth. As an artist, I view work as a collaboration. Yes, I’m bringing my version of a character to life on screen but I also like to collaborate and play within the vision of the director too. Getting out of my head and trusting the background work that I’ve done helped me to stay out of my way and to have fun with my co-stars during our scenes together.
What other projects are you working on?
I am currently living the thespian life of auditions. Some great material has crossed my path but we shall see what the outcome is in the near future. I’m also finishing up on some projects before they are released to the public. One being Reacher (starring Alan Ritchson) set to premiere on Amazon Prime this February as well as Firestarter which should be set to release this spring.
Where can our readers find out more about you?
You can find out more about me on my IMDb profile (Shane Marriott), Instagram (ShaneMarriott_), Twitter (_ShaneMarriott), and Facebook (Shane Marriott) at the moment.
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