Sitcom Skin: Jonathan Watton

After Schitt's Creek left the air, I decided to give another Canadian sitcom a try. Kim's Convenience was paired with Schitt's Creek on CBC in Canada, so I downloaded the first season. Although it didn't have brilliance and humor of Creek,  but it was pleasant enough to enjoy a few episodes, and to crush over co-star Simu Liu.

It didn't really grab my attention however to watch more than a handful of episodes, even the engaging cast wasn't enough to make-up for the lackluster writing.  The show was in the news again last year when Simu Liu spoke about his feelings about the show and with it's cancellation. Although I respected what the actor was saying, especially about inclusion, I didn't necessarily respect some the bitterness he lashed out at the show who put his name on the map.  I mean Liu was about to head to big screen Marvel fame, and his former co-stars didn't have the same platform.

One of those co-stars was Nicole Power, the only Caucasian regular cast member on Kim's Convenience.  Power was also the cast member the show decided to spin-off with her own series.  Liu wasn't that happy about that, and vowed never to appear in the new show.  That new show is a workplace based sitcom entitled 'Strays' and over the holidays, watched a few episodes on-line.

Strays is again, no Schitt's Creek, but I actually enjoyed it more than I did the show it was spun off from.  It's hard not to like a show set at an animal shelter and it also has a great supporting cast.  It also has one of the most diverse cast ensembles I've ever seen on a sit-com.  It's not great, but it's pleasant, and there was a nice love story starting between Power's character Shannon and single dad Jeffery.

When Jeffery first appeared on screen, I knew I recognized the handsome face, but had to head to IMDB.  The actor is Jonathan Watton, an actor I remember seeing in a Christmas movie a few years ago.  The Newfoundland born actor has appeared in a number of movies and television shows including stints on; Supernatural, Covert Affair, Haven, and most recently on The Handmaid's Tale and The Mayor of Kingstown. 

Map to the Stars (2014)

'A tour into the heart of a Hollywood family chasing celebrity, one another and the relentless ghosts of their pasts.'

I'd forgotten, that I'd not only seen Watton's face before, but pretty much all of him in 2014's Map to the Stars.  It's always great when you spot an actor you like, then discover a great nude scene from his past.  In the David Cronenberg directed flick, Watton's character Sterl has a threesome with the characters played by Julianne Moore and Sarah Gadan. Thankfully for viewers, he gets a phone call while in action...