What sparked your interest in acting?
It’s hard to say. I’ve wanted to be an actor for so long it’s hard to remember if there was anything in particular that sparked my interest. I think I was just born to do it.
What do you love about your job?
I love the way it has freed me emotionally. Not just as an actor but in my personal relationships. I also love the opportunity to collaborate with people whose work I have admired for years. Being on set with Morgan Freeman was a great example of that.
During these interesting times, what keeps you inspired?
While our industry was shut down I had the opportunity to study via Zoom with the great acting coach Susan Batson. She is the coach for the likes of Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Oprah Winfrey, Jamie Foxx and others. I’ve read her book TWICE and jumped at the chance to study with her. She is amazing. I haven’t stopped working since.
Credits:
RED, The Girlfriend Experience, Utopia Falls, Jett, In the Dark, Bad Blood, Hemlock Grove, The Firm.
What’s coming up for you?
I’m very excited about the projects I have coming out this year. I will be in Nightmare Alley (my 2nd time working with the great director Guillermo Del Toro). I will also appear in the new series Clarice which is a great spinoff of The Silence of the Lambs (one of my all time favourite films). I’ll be in SEX/LIFE, a cool new series for Netflix. In addition, there are a few Made for TV movies where you’ll see yours truly this year.
Tell us one fun fact about you.
Many Canadian kids grew up playing table hockey. I was no exception. However as an adult I discovered there were many people around the world who continued playing on a very serious level. There were international tournaments some of which were even written about in newspapers and magazines and broadcast on TV. I continued to play well into my 30’s. At my peak I was ranked 4th in the world. My first appearance on television was not as an actor but as a table hockey player.
For more info:
Website: www.neilwhitely.com
Instagram: @neilwhitely
