For Canada’s Evan Marsh, acting is, at its heart, storytelling. Whenever he embodies a new character, he focuses on the story in the script and the untold story of his character’s life and their world. It isn’t just about believably saying the words on a page, it is becoming someone entirely new, living what they are living and going through entirely new life experiences. With that singular goal in mind, Marsh has quickly risen to the top of Canada’s entertainment industry, becoming a celebrated actor in his home country.

Throughout his career, Marsh has shown audiences all over the world just what he is capable of. Whether he is acting as the comedic relief/heartthrob in the Netflix Original Northern Rescue, or antagonizing the hero in DC’s newest hit Shazam!, Marsh’s versatility and talent is always on full display.

“As a man who gets bored of repetitive things quickly, I think the main thing I love about acting is the excitement of ‘what’s next?’ No single production is the same and each experience is so very different from the next. I also love meeting new people so walking onto a set with 10 new cast mates and 100 new crew members is a dream come true,” said Marsh.

Marsh is always looking for unique and often untold stories to put his touch on, and he found that with the 2017 comedic drama The Space Between. Amy Jo Johnson’s debut feature film is a heartfelt comedy about a proud new father who learns that his wife took his infertility into her own hands with a 19-year old university student and sets out on a journey to find the biological baby-daddy.

“I like this story because it brings both comedy and drama to the screen in a very unique and interesting way. It deals with the very real problem that people deal with that is infidelity but manages to discuss it in a way that still ultimately warms the heart. Amy Jo Johnson is incredible at writing in a way that is bigger than life, but never has a false note and I think that is why I myself and so many others really loved the story of The Space Between,” said Marsh.

On top of its compelling story, Marsh was attracted to the film because of the likeness he shared with his character, Danny Baker. When he first read the script, he was shocked at their similarities and knew there was no one better to play the role. Johnson agreed.

Danny is a very gentle and innocent kid. He is very smart, and when audiences first meet him in university, he explains that he is on his way to becoming a doctor. He cares about his family and puts them before everything. This is all a surprise to the audience because as the lead is trying to find him, they are naturally picturing someone completely different.

“It could be argued that this story wouldn’t even be possible without the character of Danny Baker. When I first read the script, I was surprised at how significant of a role the character played to the entirety of the story as the entire cast are trying to locate Danny. As this is going on the audience is creating its own idea of who my character might be along the journey,” Marsh described.

Because the storyline revolved around his character, Marsh felt a tremendous amount of weight on his shoulders. He loved that feeling and it allowed him to test his ability in a way he hadn’t yet had the chance to do at the time for a feature film. He sat down with the writer and really figured out what she wanted from the character and was sure to bring her ideas and thoughts into his scenes.

“I enjoyed so much about this project, but in particular I enjoyed working with Amy Jo Johnson the director/writer. I believe that because she has held such a long successful career in front of the camera that she developed a great ability to talk to her actors on set and discuss where a scene should be going or why something may or may not be working. She also has an infectious joy that she carries with her every day that made working on this project so fun and rewarding,” he said.

The Space Between was released in theatres on July 6^th, 2017. On top of resonating with its audience, it went on to win awards and recognition at many film festivals around the world. Marsh was thrilled to be such a vital part of the film’s commercial and critical success, and still feels grateful to this day.

“It is great knowing a project that read so beautiful in the early stages was able to keep its heart throughout all the filming, editing and cutting. I think each cast member did such a wonderful job bringing their characters to life without losing any of the larger than life comedic aspects and I believe that played a significant part in the film’s success,” he concluded.

Written by Sean Desouza
Photo by John Bregar

Romaine Waite has always been an outgoing person, a trait he believes has helped him greatly as an actor. When he was a child, growing up in Canada, he participated in school plays and drama programs, not because he thought it would be his career, but simply because that is what he enjoyed. It wasn’t until his early twenties when he realized he could truly follow his passion, and the second he got his first professional part, he knew that acting was his calling.

“I’ve always had this innate ability to connect with people in some way, making people laugh or causing disruptions, depends on who you ask,” he joked.

Now, Waite is a celebrated actor. His work in television series such as Star Trek: Discovery,Frankie Drake Mysteries, and The Mistimpressed audiences in not only Canada, but the rest of the world. His versatility knows no bounds, and he is always looking for a new way to explore his talents.

“Romaine is great. He makes my job a lot easier. He is the consummate professional and a very dedicated and crafter artist. It is always pleasurable working with him,” said Alan Moy, Producer who worked alongside Waite on Murdoch Mysteries and Usher the Usher.

Waite recalls his first real taste of international success as the sci-fi horror flick Antisocial. The movie follows five university friends who gather at a house party to ring in the New Year. Unbeknownst to them, an epidemic has erupted outside, causing outbreaks around the world. With nowhere else to turn, they barricade themselves indoors with only their phones, laptops, and other tech devices. They use their devices to research the possible cause of this outbreak. Information and video footage over flow their computers as they descend further into the cause and the ensuing chaos. As the virus spreads, the mood in the house changes from fear to paranoia. Who is safe? Who can they trust? Reality becomes blurred as they slowly discover the source of the virus causing the sickness… and there is no going back.

“I thought the story was clever it takes something that everyone was familiar with, being social media, and took it to the extreme. If you take away the gore, it’s basically what we’re experiencing today. Snapchat, Instagram, etc. have become these tools that are allowing people to share every single aspect of their life. In a way, I think the film talks about a very important subject in our society — what are the effects of social media and what are the limits and consequences of sharing too much on social media,” said Waite.

In the film, Waite plays Steve, one of the five friends gathering to celebrate New Year’s Eve. He was jovial and sincere university student. Audiences got to see him enjoy time with his close friends and girlfriend. Unfortunately, he was first in the house to experience the epidemic that trapped them in the house. This is pivotal, as Waite was responsible for getting the audience to truly understand the epidemic, and therefore the film. Within the film, Steve was the only individual who the audience was able to see go through a full transition. With this, the audience knew what the signs were and what would happen if another character was to get infected.

“It was really important to me that people felt the struggle of this character. As he tried to figure out what was happening to him without revealing anything to others in house. Through my portrayal, I hoped the audience would feel like they were a friend to my character and miss this him when he was gone,” Waite described.

The film had its premiere at the Fantasia Film Fest in Montreal back in 2013, and from there went to several high-profile international film festivals, including Calgary International Film Fest, Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, Toronto After Dark Film Festival, and the Cannes Film Festival. From there, it was distributed through Monster Pictures on DVD, through Super Channel, and on iTunes. Such success could not have been possible without Waite’s portrayal of Steve, hooking audiences to the story early on.

“It’s always nice to see an indie film do well. It takes so many people and long days to make a film. To me the success is in completing the project. I am proud of everyone involved,” said Waite.

Antisocial was Waite’s first horror feature film, and five years later he still looks back and coals the experience amazing. At the time, he was still very curious about the process of filmmaking and how it all would come together, and he could not have been happier with the result. Everyone on set was professional and inspired, creating a contagious energy. He found himself watching everyone on set, from the cinematographer to the special effects make-up artist, taking everything in and reminding himself why he wanted to be an actor in the first place.

“I liked the comradery. Everyone was really passionate about the project. We were all stuck in a house for weeks. Friendships were built, and some good memories were made. I hadn’t done anything like that before. Overall it was a great experience,” he said.

Be sure to check out Antisocial to see Waite’s terrifying performance as Steve.