Who's The Real Canadian?

When I was in high school, I was tasked to select a Canadian icon and make a presentation on them. The goal was to discuss why the Canadian individual should be considered an icon. I think it says a lot that the very first individual that leapt to my mind was Avril Lavigne. What can I say? I was an angsty teen, decked out in eyeliner and leather jacket. Her music was the playlist of my life. So, I conducted research on her, discovered how she grew up in Napanee before she became Canada's punk rock icon.

I'm much older now, arguably wiser, and slightly out of my Avril Lavigne era (although I still listen to her rendition of "This Is How You Remind Me" and "Let Me Go" and "Innocence" on a pretty regular basis). My knowledge of Canadian icons has expanded somewhat with age, and in light of celebrating Canadian cinema, I thought it would be fun to share what I know.

A few days ago, a couple friends of mine and I were discussing Canadian actors that we could think of. The sad part about that conversation was that we couldn't list names past our fingers, and from that list, there wasn't a single Canadian project that we could name. So, for the sake of my entertainment and yours, I thought I'd share my list and maybe we all can learn a thing or two about the Canadians we celebrate.

Okay, so obviously with Project Hail Mary and whatnot, Ryan was on my mind, which is why the very first Canadian name that popped in my head was:

1. Ryan Gosling

I think Gosling's known best for The Notebook where he co-starred and dated Rachel McAdams, fellow Canadian actress. Anyone slightly younger than me probably knows him best from Barbie where he played Ken. I think Gosling's proven quite the versatility as an actor. From Blue Valentine, to Crazy, Stupid, Love, to The Big Short, to Barbie, to now Project Hail Mary, Gosling has consistently chosen a wide array of genres to experiment with. Honestly, he's killed it in all. So, yeah, I am a fan.

In my opinion, Gosling's standout role has to be in Nice Guys. He has a talent for tiptoeing the line between super-seriousness and humourous without it feeling forced. I don't know, I think he's quite charismatic in a deadpan kind of way.

Some Canadian projects that Gosling's been a part of is during his early career. He was in a bunch of Canadian TV series: Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Ready or Not, Road to Avonlea, and Jonovision. The premise of Are You Afraid of the Dark? is that a bunch of teens gather around a campfire and share horror stories. It's a vibe, guys. Very 90s.

Speaking of Ryans, the next on my Canadian list is:

2. Ryan Reynolds

Although the sharp-tongued persona that he'd garnered has somewhat dulled for me after the whole Baldoni-Lively debacle, Reynolds still stands as a solid Canadian actor with a pretty large fanbase. Born and raised in Vancouver, Reynolds jumpstarted his career when he joined the Nickolodeon show, Fifteen. Since then, he's been on a crazy number of projects. Most notably, he starred in Green Lantern, Adventureland, Definitely, Maybe, The Change-Up, R.I.P.D., Turbo, Life, Detective Pikachu, Deadpool, Free Guy, Red Notice, The Adam Project, and obviously, The Proposal.

The reason that I know who Reynolds is solely because of The Proposal. As a kid with dreams of becoming a famous writer and one day working in publishing as an editor, this movie felt like it was made for me. To this day, that movie is my go-to rom-com, and Reynolds mini solo performance of "It Takes Two" still echoes in my head from time to time.

However, did you know that Reynolds was part of a Canadian film back in 2003 titled Foolproof? That's right; the movie was directed by William Phillips and filmed in Toronto, Ontario!

Foolproof is about three friends, Kevin, Sam, and Rob who play a game called "Foolproof," where they create intricate plans for how they'd commit a heist. When a famous criminal breaks into their apartment, steals one of their heist plans, and then blackmails them into helping him burgle $20 million from a bank, the friends find their lives completely upturned.

If not for patriotism, watch this film for a fun, high-stakes action filled evening!

3. Sandra Oh

What can I say? She is the GOAT. Ever since she played Dr. Cristina Yang in Grey's Anatomy, I have been a fan. I remember when my sisters and I found out that Oh was Canadian; it was a moment of pride for us to be able to boast that she was our Canadian representative in Hollywood. And, yeah, she's super cool. Born and raised in Nepean, Ontario, Oh's developed a long list of accomplishments worth celebrating. Along with her innumerable accolades (one Prime Time Emmy and fourteen nominations, two Golden Globes, and she was deemed one of the top 100 most influential people in Time Magazine), Oh is also an avid Canadian cinema supporter. She's been a part of various Canadian films, including but not limited to, Double Happiness, The Diary of Evelyn Lau, Last Night, and Can I Get A Witness.

My absolute favourite role of Oh's is in Catfight. The movie is incredible on its own, and both Anne Heche and Oh masterfully take over the screen. I think this role also indicates the unconventional types of characters that Oh excels at bringing to the screen.

Isn't it such a shame that out of all her work, I've mostly only seen the American ones? Except for Can I Get A Witness, that is. I watched that one on the plane and I didn't have much to say about it other than the fact that I wished we had more Sandra Oh and less of the awkward romance between the main leads. In any case, it's definitely a movie to check out as it discusses the matter of environmentalism and mortality in a really unique way. Currently, though, my eyes are on Last Night! As an avid fan of post-apocalyptic narratives, this movie seems right up my alley. And for the fact that its Canadian Cinema day, I think it'd be the perfect choice!

4. Rachel McAdams

Everyone knows her from Mean Girls, or The Notebook. Recently, she made waves with her new movie, Send Help. McAdams was born in London, Ontario (coincidentally, the same city where I completed my post-grad). Growing up, she was one of the big namesakes of Hollywood– a Canadian gem who'd began her career in the humble streets of Toronto. My cousin was the one to show me Mean Girls, and through her, we bonded over Regina's infamous: "Gretchen, stop trying to make fetch happen! It's not going to happen!"

I love McAdams' work, and Send Help especially blew my mind. I think she demonstrated an ability to disappear and added so much depth and nuance to her character.

McAdams is a true patriot at heart. Her patriotism is evident in the myriad of Canadian films she's been a part of: Perfect Pie, Slings & Arrows, Red Eye, and Everything Will Be Fine. Yet, I don't think I've ever heard a person mention any of these films when talking about her! Mean Girls, The NoteBook, and The Vow, I think overshadow her earlier filmography. On top of partaking in so many Canadian projects, McAdams also states how she "never really wanted to be a big movie star. [She] never even wanted to work outside of Canada, or outside of the theatre.” As a fellow Canadian, I think it's about time I fulfilled my obligation and supported her Canadian projects. I think I am going to start with Perfect Pie. It sounds random and I'm hungry.

5. Keanu Reeves

Guess what? Our Neo is also from... Toronto!

Keanu Reeves has curated such a perfect image of being an unproblematic actor in Hollywood that it's hard not to like him. I was introduced to Reeves during a family cottage trip where my dad eagerly introduced us to The Matrix. I was probably eleven or twelve years old, but I am convinced that those viewing sessions instilled my passion for dystopian, sci-fi literature and film.

Inadvertently, Reeves became a quiet point of connection for us, one that enabled us to indulge in long discussions about how the fight sequences were bad-ass, how the shots worked in terms of the grander narrative. My dad would tell me his knowledge about Keanu Reeves and how The Matrix had blown his world. We'd talk about the philosophical nature of reality and how these films reflected elements of the real world.

When John Wick came out in 2014, my dad and I were the first ones to watch it. Same thing with Constantine. Didn't matter that the genre was starkly different from what either of us liked (mostly my dad); Reeves became the door that allowed us to discover something valuable in a seemingly mindless action-vampire-thriller.

Apart from the famous Coca-Cola ad that he was in, Reeves has also been a part of a bunch of Canadian projects. One that became a cult-classic in Toronto is a stage-play titled Wolfboy. He's also been in two TV series, One Step Away, and Young Again.

I think just to reinstate my old Torontonian identity, I'm going to have to watch One Step Away.

There are way more Canadian actors out there who've done their due diligence in Canadian cinema. Jim Carrey's another that I could think of right at the top of my head. The question is: are you Canadian enough?

Tell me about a Canadian actor/actress that stands out to you! Let's celebrate their Canadian film! Let's celebrate Canada!