Todays Talent Spotlight is for Ryan R., who is an actor, rapper, model, and YouTuber.
Ryan started becoming interested in rap at the age of 5. He would rap along while watching music videos of Eminem, 2 Pac, and 50 Cent. He also started rapping about everything around him.
He now has a singing instructor. He still raps and writes his own lyrics. He has performed live twice with his instructor.
Since he was 3 years old, he loved acting and performing in public spaces such as the train or the streets. Being very energetic and creative, he would always act in front of the mirror. As a marvel fan, he is often acts as those characters.
He has been cast on 4 film projects so far including Jack Reacher, The Coroner, Locke & Key, and Zone.
He has also participated in Zara Kids fashion show when he was 9 years old.
He started his own YouTube channel on which he posts videos of him acting, singing, rapping, and gaming. He also posts on his 2 Instagram pages @ryan_lilskate and @ryan_tvshow_
He is a good dancer and is a great football and basketball player. He has a strong interest in WWE matches and knows the characters really well.
Ryan puts a lot of effort into his Instagram and YouTube pages. His main goal is to become a famous actor and singer in Hollywood.
MAX Agency is a successful Toronto acting agency representing men, women, and children. MAX Agency is involved in providing actors, models, and entertainers for the film, television, fashion, and advertising industries.
Max Agency has over 20 years of experience in kids modeling and kids acting in Toronto.
Our Talent Spotlight is for Cassandra T., who is a Toronto actor and model. She graduated from York Universitys Theatre program, specializing in devised theatre, playwriting, and dramaturgy.
Cassandras interest in the craft of acting began in grade 8 when her teacher got the class to create and perform a silent skit. When it was time to choose a high school to go to, she auditioned at an Arts school to pursue theatre and acting, but sadly, was not accepted.
Not letting that disappoint her, she took advantage of the drama classes that her school offered and auditioned for the school plays. She took the time to develop her craft.
Not being accepted after putting effort into an audition can be disappointing. How do you deal with this?
“I grew to realize that there will be a million No’s before I get that one perfect yes. Until then it’s important for me to stay positive. I know that one big job will come one day and It’s all a waiting game. In the meantime, I will be continuing my craft and just taking it one audition at a time. “
When it came time for college/uni, she auditioned for 2 universities- for which she practiced and rehearsed for months. Both had difficult requirements, but she felt good about her performance. She eventually got accepted to York Universitys program.
“I liked the aspect of York making everyone feel connected and accepted. Also, the people there just seemed more relaxed and happy. I was thrilled [to be accepted by York University]. I feel like everything happens for a reason.
My studies at york developed me into a strong collaborative artist and I am so thankful to all my professors and peers who have been there with me. I wouldnt have been the actor I am today, I wouldnt have met the friends that I met and reunited with. “
How was it to study theatre? What was your routine like?
At York, it was very memorable and exciting but also stressful, of course . My routine included some of the following; I had a theatre history course, acting technique class that was based off devised theatre – which is a lot of internalization and body work.
In the morning of my specialized classes we would do yoga for half an hour to an hour! This was so relaxing and important for us to get connected to our breath and our body before diving into the work. Throughout the class we built characters and pieces that were highly improvised and collaborative.
My class only consisted of about 20 students in my specialized stream. I also specialized in script writing and dramaturgy which was a lot of fun and began writing a script that I really am excited to continue even after graduating.”
What is the most valuable lesson that you have learned during your time at York U?
“A very valuable lesson I learned at York.. I would say would be to always live in the moment, and to not take everything so seriously. My program was very competitive – this helped me to realize my worth and not to compare myself to others. Not everything lasts forever and if something bothers you in a single moment, do not stress. You probably wont remember it in a couple months or that same time next year.”
After graduating, Cassandra went into background work to become unionized. Her first gig was as a featured extra in the Disney Channel movie “Spin”, which just premiered a few weeks ago. She is featured in at least 10 shots as the DJ Judge.
Congratulations on your first gig! How was the experience?
“Thank you! It was my first background gig which was new all on its own. Out of about 100+ Background performers they picked out about 7 people including me! From that 7 I was then one of the final 2 chosen to be featured as a DJ Judge.”
Volunteer work and philanthropy
Other than her acting career at York, she also founded a sorority, named Gamma Delta Nu.
Cassandra shares, “We pride ourselves on Unity, loyalty, and respect. The reason I wanted to start this sorority was to meet new friends who have similar interests and completely different interests and a variety of backgrounds and bring them all together to form something unique.
One of the biggest stereotypes that people have when they think of Greek life (sororities and fraternities) is that we are all about partying and drinking. This might be true 5% of the time… but greek life is so much more and stems from years back.
One of our biggest accomplishments is hosting philanthropy for our chosen charity – Alzheimers Society of Canada and raising $800 in just our first year running our first event. We started with only five founding mothers, so we thought of ourselves as very accomplished. Now being a York and Gdn alumnae – I know with over 26 active girls I can only look forward to what is held in store for GDN (gamma delta Nu). “
Hobbies and Interests
Cassandra played soccer and football. She played on a soccer team all throughout highschool on the team and on a team outside of school. At University, she played intramural soccer and football with guys and girls – “this was alot of fun and helped me relieve stress in uni. it felt good to just run on the grass.”
In her free time, she makes vegan candles and soaps with 100% aromatherapy that she sells through her online business.
She is also getting into rollerskating (the quad wheels) which has been challenging, but she is determined to learn.
MAX Agency is a successful Toronto acting agency representing men, women, and children. MAX Agency is involved in providing actors, models, and entertainers for the film, television, fashion, and advertising industries.
Max talent, Olivia O., has an impressive resume! As an ice skater and an ice dancer, she has participated in several championships. She is the Guinness World record holder for the fastest spin on ice skates and a Polish National Ice Dance Champion.
She spoke to us about her journey, her passion for ice dancing, her charity work, and her future goals.
Max: Tell us a bit about you and your background.
Olivia: I am18 years old. I was born in Warsaw, Poland and I came to Canada with my parents when I was 3 and we lived in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I didn’t speak any English when I arrived, but I now speak 3 languages.
Max:Your resume is impressive. How did you start this journey?
Olivia: When I was 5, my mom took me to the ice rink. She said that as we live in Canada, I have to learn to ice skate! I remember my first time on ice. I must have fallen 100 times but I kept getting back up until I could stand on my own. As soon as I could skate properly, I wanted to be a figure skater because you didn’t have to wear a helmet!
Max:You hold the world record for the fastest spinner on ice! How did this happen?
Olivia: I was on the ice every day and eventually started to do well. I had always loved spinning and my coach could see how fast I was. So we checked with Guinness World Records to see what the record for the fastest spinner on ice was and we thought I could beat it.
I practiced for nearly 2 years and in 2015, when I was 11 years old, I went to the National Stadium in Warsaw and broke the world record. My spin was digitally timed at 342 rpm which is 34 rpm faster than the previous record held by a Russian skater. There were thousands of people there and live TV. The event raised a lot of money to help make wishes come true for sick kids in Poland. My record still stands today.
COURCHEVEL, FRANCE – AUGUST 27: Olivia Oliver and Joshua Andari of Poland compete in the Junior Ice Dance Rhythm Dance during the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating at Patinoire du Forum on August 27, 2021 in Courchevel, France. (Photo by Joosep Martinson – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)
Max: Tell us about your accomplishments
Olivia: I continued to progress with my skating and I won both the Juvenile Provincial and Atlantic Canada Championships. But I knew that what I really wanted was to become an ice dancer.
So, with my parents support, we moved to Barrie, Ontario, so that I could train full time at the Mariposa School of Skating. Within a year, I found an ice dance partner from Moscow, Russia, who came over to train with me and together we competed internationally. We qualified for the World Junior Championships.
To develop as an ice dancer I knew that I needed to work hard as a junior skater for the next three seasons and so I switched partners – and it paid off. We are the current Polish National Junior Ice Dance Champions, ranked #1 in Poland and we represent the country on the International circuit.
Max:You also volunteer for the youth community and sick kids. Tell me about that.
Olivia: Since my world record, I have always combined my love of skating with my passion for helping less-fortunate children. I have personally granted the wishes of 30 sick kids in Poland and through my cause “Skating for Young Heroes” I have helped organize and participate in major galas & virtual events for over 1000 children suffering from terminal illnesses or life-limiting conditions. I was recently appointed International Youth Ambassador of Wishsurfing.pl, which in its first 12 months has granted the wishes of 240 sick kids.
Max: Among all your accomplishments, which are you most proud of?
Olivia: I am proud of my skating achievements and charity work. I have been recognized in the House of Commons and I am listed in the Polish Consul’s list of “Notable Polish Canadians”, but I am most proud of my world record. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this gave me the media platform and recognition to be able to do everything I have achieved.
Max: You must spend a lot of time training and traveling. Yet, you are successful at school too. How do you balance everything?
Olivia: I have just graduated from Innisdale High School, Barrie, with a 90.5% average. Thanks to the school’s co-op program with Mariposa School of Skating I was able to schedule my studies to accommodate my training and travelling. Without this program it would not have been possible.
Max: What are your goals for the future?
Olivia: I have one year left on the junior circuit and I hope to reach next year’s World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. After that, my goal is to continue to improve and do well on the senior European and World circuits, hopefully representing Poland at the Olympic Games in the future. I will continue with my further education online and I will be expanding my charity work through a new platform which I will be launching later this year, “Start_2_Liv”. Using the life-lessons I have gained, this will be a dedicated site to help teenage girls, with daily posts & weekly podcasts on: diet & healthy eating; the importance of exercise; body wellness & mind techniques; confidence, leadership skills & giving back.
Max: All of what you do requires dedication and hard work. Do you have any tricks/tips to stay motivated and push yourself?
Olivia: When I was a younger teen I also suffered greatly from stress, anguish, torment, bullying and injury. I was so lucky to find my passion in life and the support I needed to help guide me through. I have had many coaches in my career but the most valuable has been my mental trainer. Without this I’m not sure I would have made it.
So my advice to all young people is to find a passion and a cause, no matter what it is, and make it the most important thing in your life.
Oliva O. and her dance partner representing Poland in the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Courchevel, France.
Max: How do you connect your background with acting/modeling?
Olivia: As an ice dancer, I am acting, performing and dancing all at once. The difference is that I am doing this at high speed on blades just 1mm wide, with zero margin of error. As a high performance skater I am in front of a live audience and on TV and I have to conduct many media interviews which gives me the confidence and posture to act and/or model. Joining Max Agency seemed like a natural step in my career and Max’s acting classes have also really helped me with my performance on ice.
Max: What is your dream role?
Olivia: My dream role is to be cast in a television show/movie or be the face of a major international sports brand.
Max Agency is a successful Model and Talent Management agency in Toronto representing men, women, and children in providing models, actors, and entertainers for the film, television, fashion, and advertising industries.
