(4-minute read)
Matthew G. Brown as Hero Man in IKEA’s “Twelve Days”
Matthew G. Brown is a Toronto actor, born and raised in the city to Jamaican parents. He has been an ACTRA member for over 20 years. Matthew is a graduate of Randolph College and the Canadian Film Centre Actors Conservatory. Matthew has performed in many commercials, including national campaigns for Bell, Rogers, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Raptors, Scotiabank’s ‘spy’ spot and McDonalds ‘steal my fries’ (Gerety award shortlist). Select film and TV credits: Mother Father Sister Brother Frank (Highball TV), Pinkalicious & Peterrific (PBS kids), Fellow Travelers (Showtime), Pretty Hard Cases (CBC), Gridlocked (Hackybox Pictures), The Kennedys (Reelz, History TV) and Instant Star (CTV). Select Theatre: A Christmas Market (B-Current, Crows, Studio 180), Controlled Damage (Neptune, NAC), Romeo & Juliet (Canadian Stage), Is God Is (Canadian Stage, Obsidian, Necessary Angel), Little Shop of Horrors, To Kill A Mockingbird (Stratford Festival), I Think I Can (YPT).
Alison Deon as Maisy in Visa’s “Not Like Us”
Alison Deon is a BC-born, Toronto-based actor. Recent television credits include Boston Blue (CBS), Children Ruin Everything (CTV), Murdoch Mysteries (CBC), What We Do in the Shadows (FX), Fellow Travelers (Showtime), Late Bloomer (Crave) and many Canadian and U.S. national commercials. She appears in the upcoming films Young Female Playwright and Racewalkers. On stage, Alison has performed at the Stratford Festival, Mirvish, Capitol Theatre Port Hope, Magnus, Resurgence, Gateway, Western Canada Theatre and the Thousand Islands Playhouse. She also narrates and directs audiobooks for Penguin Random House and ECW Press. Alison is a graduate of George Brown Theatre School and lives in Toronto with her husband and two daughters.
Keren Edelist as Emma in Winners’ “Stop Wondering, Start Winning”
Keren Edelist (she/they) is a performer and creator based in Toronto. With a classical background through George Brown Theatre’s conservatory performance program, she has a deep interest in grounded, nuanced work, clown and meisner, and expanding herself past limitations. This past year, they’ve been grateful to appear in the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale (ep. 608, 609). Keren is thrilled to be nominated for Outstanding Performance in the Commercial category for Winners “Stop Wondering, Start Winning” and is exceedingly grateful to be part of this lineup of incredibly strong Canadian performers! Thank you to Maria Ralley and Tess at Element Artist Management, my loving boyfriend Nick, my family for their sincere support, and friends for their uplifting community.
Hannah Spear as Hero Woman in IKEA’s “Twelve Days”
Hannah Spear is a Toronto-based actor with close to 20 years of improvisational experience. Her work is known for its sharp comedic timing, emotional depth and deep connection to audience and ensemble alike. She has been part of ensembles nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award and Canadian Screen Award, and has performed in thousands of live shows. A proud alumna of the Second City Toronto Mainstage, Hannah co-created four original revues and is the only ensemble member in the company’s history to be singled out for a Dora Award nomination for Outstanding Performance. On screen, select credits include Tallboyz, Murdoch Mysteries, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, and extensive prosthetic work on Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Hannah also works as a coach and director in improv, sketch and acting.
Richard Young as Dad in Bell’s “Bell Let’s Talk Bedtime Story”
From a South Asian (Indo-Caribbean) background, Richard Young is a two-time Canadian Screen Award-winning actor and writer. His screen acting credits include the revival of Malcolm In The Middle (Disney+), Saint-Pierre (CBC), Allegiance (CBC), Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent (CityTV) and Transplant (NBC). His stage acting credits include The Time Capsule (Theatre Aquarius), Network (Citadel/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre) and three productions of The New Canadian Curling Club (Thousand Islands Playhouse, Western Canada Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects). Richard also voiced on Ubisoft’s Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Richard’s writing credits include the television series Overlord and the Underwoods (CBC/Nickelodeon), Dino Ranch (CBC/Disney+), 16 Hudson (TVO), the digital series Sudden Master (OMNI) and dramatic short Maternal (CBC Reflections). Rising Tide, the Indo-Caribbean short film he wrote, won the Tasveer-Netflix Film Fund and will premiere at the Seattle Tasveer Film Festival later this year.
