On last night’s Degrassi, viewers were able to see Sav’s compassionate, brotherly side as he searched for his sister. For this week’s Inside Degrassi interview we caught up with Raymond Ablack to learn a little about the actor behind Sav! We learned about his dreams of being a pro hockey player, landing a role in The Lion King, and more!
You were a competitive hockey player for years. Did you have dreams of becoming a pro hockey player?
Yes, I did aspire to be an NHL’er growing up. When I was younger however, I wasn’t very competitive. I lacked almost any aggression and there was no hope of me ever playing at an elite level. While it was fun to dream about it, I don’t think I ever took it too seriously. Over my fourteen year hockey career though, I’ve played every position, and currently I play as a goaltender. I had more of a natural talent for net minding than any other position and I still play net to this day. I really do think (and likely I’m a bit delusional) that if I still had time, with the drive and love for the game that I have now, I could’ve maybe made a legitimate run at the NHL – or at least that’s what I tell myself.
Then how did you get into acting?
I think everyone has their own unique story of how they fell into acting because it’s such an inconsistent and unstable line of work, nothing is guaranteed like becoming a scientist or engineer. My story is that when I was ten my parents took me to see The Lion King on stage, and a couple days later I saw an article in the newspaper advertising auditions for new Young Simba’s. Still inspired from the performance, I begged my mom to let me audition, and I guess fate, or some kind of luck was on my side because four callbacks later I got the part! And it seems every part I’ve gotten since then has felt like the same kind of almost undeserved, but greatly appreciated fluke. I hope this luck never runs out and allows me to act my whole life.
In real life have you ever had some of the same drama that your character has had or will have on the show?
My character, Sav, has tried to hide his relationship with his girlfriend from his parents because of their disapproval and that’s backfired on him a bunch of times. I think I’ve definitely had my own renditions of that drama. It turns out my parents had good reason for their rigidity (I won’t get into details), and hopefully the same case is true for Sav.
What were some of the major differences in going from on stage acting in The Lion King to on screen acting on the show?
There’s a lot less singing and dancing with the on screen acting than on stage. The Lion King was a musical and Degrassi is pretty hardcore most times, they’re very different fields. Bringing the right gear for each is important and I’m still learning what that gear is. So far, with film I’m finding that a little goes a really long way, the subtleties and a quieter voice, while too much or over-the-top reactions can sometimes be huge steps backwards. It seems the opposite is true for stage. Other aspects like the makeup and the hair and costume are vastly different too On stage we wear giant, outlined, colourful makeup that people at the back of the theatre can see, whereas on film little makeup is ideal because the newer technology and HD quality picks up on makeup and can take away from the performance for the audience. Hair is huge on stage and much more tamed on film for the same reason, and as well the costumes fit the screen on film whereas a theatre costume would be a way steal all the attention if it were on a screen. There’s tons of differences not only in dramatic performance, but the overall playing fields.
When you aren’t filming you have a band with some of the other cast members and you also like to write, direct, film and produce. What other hobbies do you enjoy?
Just like everyone else, I like to spend my time with my close friends and family. Recently I’ve been bundling up at the local rinks because of my little brother’s hockey games and practices, and my younger sister’s competitive figure skating. I spend most of my time with my siblings – pulling out my hair mostly, but also play fighting and cuddling them.
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