Jeff Teravainen is a Toronto-based actor who was born in Oshawa, Ontario and raised in the small Canadian town of Orono. His passion for acting started at a young age and, after years of being the lead singer and bassist for the award-winning band, The Life, the acting bug finally caught up with him. Jeff can be seen starring as Gerald in the genre-bending sci-fi series Utopia Falls, a coming of age story following a group of teens in the distant future colony of New Babyl as they uncover an ancient forbidden archive of historical, cultural and musical relics. Utopia Falls also features the voice of Snoop Dogg and music from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, Daniel Caesar, Notorious B.I.G. and more. We caught up with Jeff to talk about the series and his career to date.
Congratulations on your career to date. After years of being the lead singer and bassist for the award-winning band, THE LIFE, the acting bug caught up with you. How and when did you embrace acting?
I always wanted to do it. I remember watching movies as a kid and immediately we would imitate what we had seen. I would always be affected by them. But I excelled very naturally with music so I focused on it with the idea of trying the acting later. I wish I had tried acting instead! I like to joke that I left the music business for the stability of acting. I really dug in after the music imploded. I was pretty lost as my life had been devoted to it. Music was a terrible business full of a lot of bad people. So it was refreshing to work with film and tv folk who were all pulling in the same direction. They all wanted the same result it seemed. That was from top to bottom onset. Once I booked a few things I was determined to make a go of it. That was around 16 years ago.
So, have you turned your back on music?
Yes and no. I love music. I lived for it. Literally. But there was a succession of really bad business that happened. I finally decided that was enough. It was like a drug addiction. I would decide it was time to move on and I would get pulled back in because we would win an award or something. Once all that stuff went down with publishing, I was so disgusted with the business I just left my instruments in storage. I have hardly touched them since. However, I did pull out the bass a few years ago. Within a few minutes, I taught myself how to play ” Hysteria” by Muse which is a monster bassline. ( See attached Instagram link)
I was really pleased I could do it still. But being so busy I have not played since. Someday I will pull them out with my daughter who is a truly gifted singer.
You slowly built your acting credentials when voice acting opportunities became constant. How does voice acting differ from both singing and on-screen work?
I am so, so fortunate to work in the voice acting part of things! And I absolutely adore it. There have been many times I have thought about just doing a voice. You have to own it when you are in the studio and there is a unique pressure to perform. But it doesn’t come with the memorization of regular acting. I have been very fortunate to voice so many ads over the years. I love video games so doing those is one of my favorite things also. And there are cartoons such as Beyblade, Bakugan, Magination and more. I was the voice of the Olympics twice in Canada, the FIFA World Cup and even the front of Hockey Night in Canada! Right now besides my ad work, I am narrating an amazing show called Secrets in the Ice. To be able to narrate a show I would watch myself is a real treat!
In 2015, you were cast as Lieutenant Anders on the hit sci-fi show DARK MATTER (SYFY) How significant do you think this role has been for your career?
This role was everything to me. Right from the start, it gave me a newfound confidence. I thank creator Joe Mallozzi all the time for this. And he will say you got the role because you did the best job, and maybe that is true, but the difference is, his sets are such a safe place to create, and he hires really great people that it makes a very nurturing environment. Landing the recurring role there gave me the confidence to land others like 12 Monkeys. Another great showrunner there with Terry Matalas! Both these sets made me feel a welcomed part of the family. It tells you that you can do this, and do more!
Dark Matters fans have been so wonderful to me to this day. I really do appreciate all the love I get. And again, that comes down to Joe and his team taking a chance on me. And then treating me so well. I have so many great relationships with cast and crew there.
You’re starring as Gerald in the new sci-fi series UTOPIA FALLS. Please tell us more about working on the series and what we can expect?
The show hits on so many levels. I like to say that there is something for everyone. Of course, it is a futuristic sci-fi show. A dystopian future where on the surface everything hums along nicely. However, we soon see things are not what they seem. Yes, there are no things like racism, but there is also a lot less freedom. When my daughter on the show played by Robyn Alomar and her friends discover a secret archive it opens their minds to all kinds of hidden things from the past. Hip-hop is one of them. The rebellious nature of the lyrics and its style immediately spreads throughout the city. In a tightly controlled world, this does not go down well!
The show tackles many issues and has some great stories. And yes, there is lots of music as the characters are in a competition called The Exemplar. A bread and circus’ kind of event to keep the population looking the other way. it is very rigid in its scope, so imagine what hip-hop does!
I love playing Gerald! When Joe rang me about it, I immediately wanted the role. Gerald is a loving Father, and when I read the scenes with his daughter I was determined to get it. Being 6’2 and 201 pounds in this industry means being typecast a lot – killers, thugs, cops, athletes. So I just love it whenever I get a nice person! Gerald is very deep and has secrets. Throughout the season we see his life gets upended. It is interesting to me how he reacts.
Are they any projects in the pipeline we can look forward to?
On top of the show I am narrating, I have just started a new video game!! I play an Eastern European so that is fun doing performance capture with the suit. It is always a treat. I am also starting a feature film in a few weeks. In this biz, everything is a top-secret till it’s not so I can’t say much yet.
I do have some really great indie films that should be out soon including Jades Asylum, A Dog Cried Wolf and The Return of Gabriel. Jades was a blast as we shot it in the jungles of Costa Rica. Such a beautiful place. And unlike Gerald, I play an absolute scum bag. It’s fun to be bad though!
How can we keep up to date with your work and activities?
I am all over Twitter and Instagram @jeffteravainen. I really enjoy photography and love to share it. Come say hi!
Photos courtesy of Project Four PR
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