New York (AP) ā Shamier Anderson is well aware that his Hollywood profile is rising, and he isnāt taking the moment for granted.
āIāve been on the grind for a very long time, and Iām still grinding. And itās not lost on me that Iām pretty ubiquitous in the marketplace right now. However, my work ethic hasnāt changed,ā says the 31-year-old Canadian actor. āIām lucky, and thatās something thatās not lost on me ā¦ I also recognize that this moment will pass, right? And thatās something that humbles me.ā
Most wouldnāt blame Anderson for indulging in the moment, as his latest film, the Keanu Reeves-led āJohn Wick: Chapter 4,ā debuted last week at No. 1 with a franchise-best $73.5 million domestically at . Anderson plays the Tracker, , whoās stalked Wick around the world in hopes of collecting a huge payday.
āI get to share the screen with people that I used to look up to, that I still look up to, a la Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Laurence Fishburne,ā said the Wing Chun kung fu student. āThose are the moments that make me go, āWow, things are changing.āā
Things are indeed changing, but itās been a slow and steady journey. Heās starred in the film āBruiser,ā a February release, with Trevante Rhodes, and appeared in movies such as 2020ās āBruisedā with Halle Berry and 2018's āDestroyerā alongside Nicole Kidman. His first film credit came in 2010's āNostrum.ā Each role has served as a building block to form a budding, substantial career.
āThese are my colleagues. These are my sparring partners. How are we going to get to the truth and do a great job and kill it? And when they call cut, I go, āCan I get a picture?āā he said with a laugh, stating working with Reeves was a āpinch meā moment. āIāve done some incredible films with some incredible A-list actresses and actors, and I still get butterflies ā¦ Iām always learning, and Iām learning with a smile on my face.ā
Anderson grew up Toronto, raised by a single mother alongside his two brothers, one of which is Stephan James who starred in 2018ās Oscar-nominated āIf Beale Street Could Talk,ā as well as Ava DuVernayās āSelma.ā Hollywood was always in sight for Anderson, who studied musical theater at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts, but not for James.
āI always make a joke saying Stephan has never been to an acting class in his life, and Iāve trained all my life,ā said the older brother. āHeās Golden Globe nominated, Emmy nominated, NAACP nominated ā¦ heās more decorated than a Christmas tree at this point. But it just kind of speaks to just how this business works. Thereās no blueprint.ā
However, the siblings are creating their own layout, and itās now a family business.
Following protests after the murder of George Floyd during 2020ās coronavirus pandemic, the brothers formed the Black Academy (Building a Legacy in Acting, Cinema and Knowledge) to battle systemic racism. They also created the Bay Mill Studios production company to amplify Black Canadian creatives. Anderson says the company recently sold a project centered around famed painter Jean-Michel Basquiat to a major streaming service. Though Black music from Canadian artists like Drake, The Weeknd and PartyNextDoor has reached global heights, the film industry hasn't made similar strides.
āThere are actually a lot of iconic Canadians in the film business: Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, James Cameron, Ryan Reynolds. I mean, itās a long list ā¦ Sandra Oh ā a bunch of cool folks," he said.
"Black filmmakers ā Black actors and actressesā thatās where itās a bit scarce,ā said Anderson, who intentionally straddles the line between actor and activist. āThereās not enough Black individuals in the arts at the highest level ā¦ thereās no shortage of talent. Itās just opportunity.ā
To highlight Canadaās wealth of talent, the Black Academy created the Legacy Awards. It's the countryās first Black awards show, described as a mashup of the NAACP Image Awards, Grammys and BET Awards. Deborah Cox was among the performers for the inaugural show, which earned four nominations, including best host, from the Canadian Screen Awards. Honoring a wide range of Black Canadians including athletes, musicians, actors and philanthropists, the show has a multiyear commitment to air on Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
And while his social and creative accomplishments are a source of pride, Andersonās widest smile appears when discussing DJ Shamgod ā his musical alias.
āIāve been deejaying for 15 years. I used it as a way to pay for bills, to make money when I wasnāt getting acting work ā¦ just recently this past year, I said Iām going to go public with it,ā explained the multiformat DJ who performed a set at the John Wick after-party in New York following the premiere. āThis isnāt another actor trying to be a musician. Iāve been doing music. I really am on the turntables, and I really throw down.ā
Anderson will return to āInvasionā on Apple TV+ and has roles in the films āA Lot of Nothing," now streaming, and Brad Furmanās āTin Soldier.ā He is light years away from his Scarborough neighborhood watching his mother struggle to make ends meet. But he says his path is a reminder that the tortoise won the race ā not the hare.
āItās looking at the little boy in me and going, āI told you so. Itās all working out,āā said Anderson. āItās incredible to see the work pay off.ā
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Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at: @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.
Gary Gerard Hamilton, The Associated Press
