John Dunsworth, a.k.a Jim Lahey, pushing student vote for #itsnosecret
Halifax actor John Dunsworth is throwing the weight of his Trailer Park Boys fame behind a campaign encouraging students to vote.
Dunsworth, who's known to many for playing trailer park superintendent Jim Lahey on the show, is candid about his political passion.
"Two elections ago I made 15 commercials, one of them with Dalhousie Student Union and it went viral," he said.
"I feel very strongly that we need more Canadians to join into the fray."
On Oct. 5, a video with Dunsworth and fellow actor Patrick Roach, who plays Randy on Trailer Park Boys, was uploaded to YouTube.
Shot at Dalhousie's Student Union Building, the video features the two assuming their respective characters for #itsnosecret — a national student vote campaign operated by the Canadian Federation of Students.
"I don't have a lot of media capital, but I wouldn't mind spending it on what I think is a critical moment in our history," said Dunsworth.
"I've seen what's going on in this country and we are spending all of our capital on things that are, to me, not reflective of my values. And I'm a Canadian and I have a right to speak up."
'There's so much riding on this'
The video was shot after Dunsworth contacted the Dalhousie Student Union president.
"They invited me in and set up a little shoot in the Student Union Building and Bob's your uncle," he said.
He's doing double duty, he says, both as himself and in character. Even if it gets him in a little hot water.
"John Dunsworth is urging everyone I know to make their voices heard, but I don't have as much reach as Jim Lahey. I might be getting in trouble with the Boys because I told them I was going to be non-political from here on in."
Dunsworth says he's been working with a Halifax company to launch an interactive website this week that "allows people to talk directly with Jim Lahey" about voting.
In person and in character, Dunsworth will be at the Dalhousie Student Union Building on Oct. 8 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
