Evan Roderick, Canadian actor and former ice hockey player, chatted about his latest acting projects.
Most recently, Roderick starred in the Hallmark mystery prequel, “Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New” opposite Skyler Samuels as the new Aurora. “Doing this mystery was so fun,” he said. “We shot it in Victoria in April, and it came out so quick. It was a blast. The cast was great, and it was such a good shoot.”
“I hope we get to film a sequel to this movie, if and when that happens,” he said.
Skyler Samuels
Roderick had kind remarks about his co-stars Madison Smith, Marilu Henner, and Skyler Samuels.
“Skyler was incredible. She was so great and such a pro. I loved working with her as Aurora,” he exclaimed.
Madison Smith
“I’ve known Madison for a while. I’ve known him from acting class and we go to the same gym. It was so great to finally work with him. Madison has worked consistently for years,” Roderick said.
Marilu Henner
“Marilu Henner might be my favorite person of the planet. How awesome is she? Marilu brings such great energy to set,” he added.
Henner is one of six known people in the world with hyperthymesia, the ability of “superior autobiographical memory.”
“I really hope that people can lose the centerpiece of the last franchise, and come to this with an open mind, and realize that we are trying to honor the original series but we are trying to do something new and fresh,” he said.
“I hope the fans follow us on this journey in the post-grad years,” he added.
‘A Tale of Two Christmases’
Roderick also shared that he enjoyed being in the Hallmark holiday movie “A Tale of Two Christmases” alongside three-time Emmy winner Chandler Massey. “Chandler is a really good guy,” he said.
‘Spinning Out’ on Netflix
He described “Spinning Out” on Netflix as his “first big part.” “That was my first lead part,” he admitted. “I learned so much from that show. I am really happy I had that experience. It was a six month shoot and we did 10 episodes, it was paramount to me in getting better at acting and improving.”
Ice hockey background
“My background was in ice hockey,” he said. “When I quit hockey, I tried so hard to get away from it in order to fit in the world of film. It was ironic to have my first big part to be back on the ice. It felt like God was smacking me on the shoulder. We shot that in Toronto and it was so much fun.”
A proud moment for him with ice hockey was earning a scholarship to UMass Lowell, which is a Division 1 hockey college just outside of Boston. “That was a big personal moment for me because it showed 15 years of hard work in one moment,” he said.
“In terms of team efforts, we won a championship when I was 14 years old, that was the most exciting thing I had experienced. After that, I played junior hockey, and that was a lot of fun,” he acknowledged.
“I moved around through my whole high school career. I went to five high schools, and I discovered that a lot of actors have moved around a lot and they have had colorful childhoods living in different areas and meeting different people,” he elaborated.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Roderick revealed, “In Progress.” “I want to keep getting better and to keep evolving,” he said. “I still feel like I have a lot of learning to do to navigate the film industry.”
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, Roderick said, “I think of myself as a vintage soul many times. I would preferred coming up in the industry in the ’90s. These days, you need to be a multi-hyphenate and on top of relationships, and you have to know so many people. It has been a tough learning curve to say the least.”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Roderick said, “Success has changed over the years. When I first got into this business, I thought fame was a good indicator of success. That changed drastically when I got into the industry and realized the most I’ve ever feel fulfilled is when I am working.”
“If I can keep working on projects that satisfy me and keep me fulfilled while balancing my social life as well, that’ success to me,” he concluded.
To learn more about Canadian actor Evan Roderick, follow him on Instagram.
