Dwayne Peterkin is an actor, known for Space on the Corner, Sleazy Pete and Prayer for a fighter. I had the opportunity to reach out to him to learn more about his journey in his pursuit for acting.
- As a child, did you want to be an actor or did it fall into place through other activities?
Yes but it didn’t fully fall into place until I was 18 as beforehand my parents put me in different kinds of activities to go into soccer, Piano, Singing etc. My first experience in acting was when I was in sixth grade during an acting camp where I began falling in love with acting. When I was 18 years old June of 2013 I was sitting on a couch thinking about what should I do as I just went through a break up in a relationship and my younger brother filmed me just laying on the couch and for some reason it made me want to do a video. One video then became two and soon enough I realized that this was something I really wanted to do.
2. Who inspired you to follow your dream to pursue acting?
Honestly, what inspired me to do it was that it was an escape from reality to play other characters; to feel truly alive as before I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life. It was just a maze I was walking through just living to exist until that very day acting came into my life it gave me a reason to live, to be something that no one has control over but yourself, to share experiences that you had or that people go through and share it with the world.
3. What challenges have you faced in the entertainment industry? What has been your most rewarding experience?
It would have to be going to Los Angeles for the first time as an actor and seeing how it was like as beforehand. It was a place I always wanted to go to as a child and when I went, a lot of what I seeked was out there and it made me realize that dreams can happen if you work hard, stay consistent and keeping your soul. The troubles I had in the entertainment industry were that people in the industry want you to be a certain way, to dress how they want you to dress and talk the way they want you to talk. I did not want to feel controlled by anyone as in Montreal a lot of times they would tell you, you would to be a certain way or you’ll never make it out here as they form their own clichés I never thought it should be like it. Actors should be together like a family not everyone against each other especially with race as I have been told I can’t play some roles because of the color of my skin everyone should be able to work together no matter who you are.
4. What is your favourite type of character to play?
My favorite type of character to play so far is the underdog as everything he has going for him had been taking away and the only way to get everything back is by trying to get it all back by any means necessary. In the future I would like to play a mob boss or a detective as it would give me more range then just being a victim or underdog trying to survive.
5. What market do you currently work in? Are there other areas you would like to work?
I currently work in the independent market for acting the area I would want to explore is feature film and television.
6. What advice would you give to someone new trying to make it in the acting industry?
I would tell them to never try to be someone who you’re not just to fit in be yourself and to also never think about what you’re doing when your playing a character. Let it go and let whatever happens during the take happen as it could be the one they’re looking for.
Dwayne in his spare time attends school at McGill University, enjoys working out, playing the piano, making music, swimming, biking, writing, playing video games, hanging out with friends and loves to sing.
For more information about Dwayne, you can check him out at his following channels:
