We were lucky to catch up with Adrian Edwards recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Adrian, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I learned to express myself in my art form by watching my favourite actors, attending acting classes, observing my peers, and finding online tools to help further my knowledge. Knowing what I know now, I think the only thing that could have sped up my learning process is attending more classes. The knowledge you obtain in this industry is endless, it never stops. Although, I must say just going out there and working on projects without much experience has also helped me grow as an actor and a human being. I wouldn’t take back on how I first approached acting plus I still have so much to learn. The most essential skills were being prepared and knowing your material, staying present even in a scene of background chaos, trying to inflict change on your scene partner, and of course always staying punctual when it comes to time. The obstacle that stood in the way of me trying to learn more was myself. Ego can tend to creep in when you least expect it and you of course have to catch yourself. Sometimes you think you’re ready for that big role, or emotional scene because you’ve replayed it in your head a million times but hey let me tell you, there is nothing more humbling than getting an opportunity to showcase your talent in that regard and failing measurably. That will make you go back to the drawing board and push you to do better!

Adrian, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got into the industry by really starting from ground zero. no connections, no contacts, no agent, just me and my childlike dream. I remember coming home to the GTA after finishing my business major in marketing at Fanshawe College and feeling not content. I wasn’t fully passionate about it and wouldn’t be happy fully pursuing it. I had a very transparent conversation with my pops one time when we were working out in the basketball and I told him “Hey I think I’m ready to pursue an acting career, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life”. My dad said something along the lines of “I know”. It was a very humorous and authentic moment because he knew I had it in me and with his full support, I had the full confidence to give the industry a try. So, the first order of business for me was to start looking at agencies within the GTA. I contacted a few agencies and a couple got back to me. out of the 2, I was able to sign with one. I also got acquainted with acting platforms like Backstage and Mandy, which helped me get a lot of experience being in front of a camera. After a few months of being with my first agency I realized it wasn’t the best fit, and conveniently enough a guy by the name of Dean Osmon reached out to me about representation. It was like an angel sent him at the perfect time. Shortly after speaking with him, I got signed onto Ignite Artists and I have been with them ever since.

When it comes to learning in this industry, it’s everlasting. There is always something new you can take away from an experience on set or even in life that can help you connect more with the characters you take on. I constantly remind myself that you can’t escape the discipline, dedication, and work ethic to become a well-versed actor. Those attributes are the key ingredients for growth in this business.

What I am most proud of comes in different waves and moments throughout my career. My first scene ever back in early 2020 with 6ix Side Studios was a great start and introduction to the industry. I remember posting a clip from that scene online and I got for the most part positive reviews but, this one comment had me self-reflecting. They said, “Hey this is the worst acting I’ve ever seen, don’t quit your day job bro”. It’s taking that literally or making it phase me, it only motivated me to do more and simply get better. it also taught me a lesson on how no matter what you do there will always be people that will judge you for it and this line of work will only come with more judgment. Thick skin is a must-have for this to be a pursuit. Another cool accolade that made me proud was a Tim’s Hortons commercial a couple of years ago and that got a lot of recognition. It was for roll up to win, which got national coverage and that helped me come more into my own as well.

One thing that made my childhood dream come true was doing a commercial for Michelob Ultra that was sponsored by the NBA. As a kid, I always wanted to make the NBA. I would have NBA panted all over my wall as a form of manifestation. Now of course I never made it but, in a way, I did something that was associated with the league so I consider that a win.

Another proud childhood moment was working with T-pain on a Lipton commercial. I even got to chat with him and talk a little bit about life and whatnot while fishing on a boat. That was such a surreal moment and I’m truly grateful for that experience. Rent-free in my head.

I starred in a Doordash commercial where I did a lot of firsts. Being in a harness performing a stunt while things are flying in the air, fire being lit, camera moving 50mph towards me, working with a 35+ crew, and shooting 3 days for a commercial project.

Lastly, I did a project just this past summer called ‘im only just visiting and honestly, I think it is some of my best work as of yet. The story interested me from the start and I knew I could break some serious ground with this piece. Written by Ryan Bellaire and Mark Ballantyne, I’m Only Visiting follows a detective who is trying to crack a specific murder case and uses a new technological method in the form of a pill, which allows you to see the last moments of a victim before they were killed. I shared this film with my family and friends and everyone loved the storyline, mentioned how much my acting improved, and was very interested to see where this story could go, they wanted to see more. It was such a great feeling to get that positive affirmation and I can only imagine what everyone else is going to think once they see it.

My constant goal for viewers is to feel empathy for every character I portray, I want it to be as authentic, real, and moving as anything they’ve watched before. The only difference would be my interpretation of it and the emotion it would convey.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

What I think non-creatives will struggle to understand about my journey or any creative’s journey is that the small things do matter. The work I am doing now will benefit me later and its ak a process. The thief of joy is comparison so as a creative you have to focus on your path and know that when your time is called, no one can take that from you. However, there will always be non-creatives who will ask what have you been in? Have you done any big roles? Have I seen you in anything? These questions can be discouraging especially if one loses interest in you because you aren’t well-known or whatever. I understand why they ask these things and it does come with the territory, but as a creative, it’s not the best thing to always be here because you know this industry is a journey and you’re working towards what people are asking about. it’s not as simple as people think it is to book something substantial because there are a lot of variables out of your control. The journey is really where the fun is.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

The best way to support artists is to come to events that we host, share our work on your socials, and continue to encourage us in this tough business. There isn’t much more you can do because being a part of our journey in a positive way is enough for us. Opportunities will come and there will be times when it doesn’t, but having that support can be the key drive outside of yourself to keep on going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/uniqueadriano
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unique.adriano/