Edmonton actor lands role in 'spooky' new Netflix series
Griffin Powell-Arcand was working as a prep cook, chopping oysters and clams at a downtown Edmonton seafood restaurant late last year when he got the call.
He had landed a recuring role in the spooky new Netflix series Chambers starring Uma Thurman and Tony Goldwyn.
It was Powell-Arcand's first big break, and his first acting gig in more than a decade.
"I was sick of the way I was living," said Powell-Arcand, 21. "I told my agent that I wanted another chance and, you know, I had to prove it to them that I was ready for it.
"And the next thing you know I landed this audition. It was kind of cool."
Powell-Arcand, a Cree actor and aspiring rapper who hails from Edmonton's Westmount neighbourhood, started working professionally at the age of four.
His first role was the character Thunder Boy in Dreamkeeper, a 2003 film shot in Rocky Mountain House.
He also landed roles in Mixed Blessings, Moccasin Flats, and a reboot of Little House on the Prairie.
Then, at age 12, Powell-Arcand decided to take a long hiatus from acting.
"I just kind of wanted the experience of being a regular kid but that didn't work out so well," Powell-Arcand said with a chuckle.
"I took a long break and one day, I just said, 'I want to do this again.'"
'The heart has a mind of its own'
By all accounts, the web-television series is a decidedly creepy thriller.
It follows the story of a young heart transplant survivor who becomes consumed by the mystery around her donor's death.
"The closer she gets to uncovering the truth about her donor's sudden death, the more she starts taking on the characteristics of the deceased — some of which are troublingly sinister," reads the official description of the series.
Powell-Arcand plays TJ Locklear, the main character's boyfriend.
"My co-star, Sivan Alyra Rose, her character has a heart attack and she gets the heart transplant and all that and everything seems cool but really it's not so kosher, you could say," Powell-Arcand said in an interview with CBC Radio's Edmonton AM.
"The heart has a mind of its own and it's here to take over."
Powell-Arcand said the completed episodes he's seen so far had him jumping out of his skin.
"It's a supernatural thriller," he said. "It's got that little bit of a spook to it.
"It's also got some jokes, some comedy going on but for the most part, it's really creepy. I get an eerie feeling whenever I'm watching it."
The 10-episode series premieres Friday.
Powell-Arcand is determined to continue acting. He wants to be a role model for other Indigenous people.
"I feel like acting is going to change a lot of things and I hope I can use it to better my community. I'm ready for it.
"It's a wonderful opportunity and I wouldn't trade it.
"I'm not going to stop now."
