Interview by Carol Wright | Photographer: Karolina Turek
We got to chat with actor Andrew Herr about his time at Vancouver Institute of Media Arts, playing Jonesy in the hit-show Letterkenny, and his advice for aspiring actors.
What initially sparked your interest in acting?
I moved to a new high school going into senior year and up to that point, acting had never really crossed my mind. One day, a friend of mine was directing a play for what was called the Sears Drama Festival. The specifics on why I ended up auditioning are slightly lost in my memory but perhaps to make new friends or because I was watching too much Entourage at the time, I ended up auditioning for her play. The play was called Never Swim Alone, and the first time I performed in front of a live audience, I was hooked.
During your time at the Vancouver Institute of Media Arts are there any skills you gained there that you have taken into your career today?
First and foremost, I really treasure my time at VanArts. We had a great group of teachers who genuinely cared about helping us grow as actors and a great group of actors who were all very excited to be there. They helped me a lot with a good foundation on the basics of the craft and to develop some practical knowledge they had learned as working actors themselves. One of the most important things I learned was preparation is everything and not only do you have to make a strong choice in your interpretation of a character, but you have to take the risk of looking completely stupid.
Do you feel as though throughout the seasons your character Jonesy has shown a lot of growth? Within that have you grown as an actor by playing Jonesy?
I think Jonesy as a character has grown a lot since the first season where Jonesy and Reilly were almost purely testosterone-driven. Over the seasons, I think I’ve been able to showcase Jonesy’s heart and soft side. Despite their arrogance and lack of intelligence at times, they are very accepting characters- you can’t judge our book by its cover but then again, you can. Life in Letterkenny has humbled Jonesy and Reilly on more than one occasion.
Before working on Letterkenny was hockey a large part of your life?
Before acting, as a typical Canadian, I had early dreams of playing in the NHL, but reality quickly squashed those. I had great times playing hockey, but I don’t really follow the sport as my interests have led me to other places. However, I did learn a lot of valuable lessons in team sports that were applicable to how I approached my acting career.
Letterkenny is now in its 10th season which is a huge accomplishment. If you can share – do you have a favorite episode you worked on this season?
Season ten was a really fun season and I think that shows. Without spoiling too much, Dylan and I had fun flexing a certain muscle in our VidVok campaign. Jonesy and Reilly have a face-off against Stewart and Roald in video games which was a lot of laughs.
What advice do you have for aspiring actors?
Be a student of the craft, work your ass off, never give up, and have fun cause when you’re having fun, so is everyone else.