Raymond Ablack (born November 15, 1989) is a Canadian actor and comedian. He began his career in the early 2000s as a child actor on stage, performing as Young Simba in The Lion King at the Princess of Wales Theatre. He later gained recognition for playing Sav Bhandari in the teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation from 2007 to 2011.
Raymond Ablack | |
|---|---|
| Born | Raymond Ablack November 15, 1989 |
| Education | Ryerson University |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian |
| Years active | 2005–present |
From 2014 to 2017, Ablack starred in the web series Teenagers; he won an Indie Series Award for his performance in 2016.[1] He is also known for his roles in the popular Netflix series Maid (2021) and Ginny & Georgia (2021–present), as well as other series such as Orphan Black (2013–2016), Shadowhunters (2016–2018), Narcos (2017), and Burden of Truth (2019).[1][2]
Early life
editAblack was born to and raised by Indo-Guyanese parents in Toronto, Ontario.[3] Growing up, he played in a competitive hockey league.[4] Ablack has three siblings: two younger sisters, Cassandra and Rebecca (who is also an actress and she was featured alongside him in Ginny & Georgia), and a younger brother, Jared.[5]
Career
editAs a child actor, Ablack appeared in television commercials and advertisements.[6] In 2001, he won the role of Young Simba in the theatre production of The Lion King at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto.[7] He performed the role for one year.[8]
Years later, in 2007, Ablack achieved international exposure when he was cast in the recurring role of Sav Bhandari on the long-running Canadian television series Degrassi: The Next Generation.[9][10] Ablack starred on the series from 2007 until 2011, and appeared in more than 100 episodes. During this time, Ablack also had a guest spot on the television series Life With Derek.[11]
Since his time on Degrassi, Ablack has worked on several film and television productions, including recurring roles in the BBC/Space television series Orphan Black, the Syfy series Defiance, and the Freeform series Shadowhunters.[12]
Ablack's first role in a feature-length film came in 2013 with the release of the independent feature film Fondi '91 (2013), which was filmed on location in Fondi, Italy and received mixed reviews from critics upon release.[13][14]
From 2014 to 2017, Ablack portrayed Gabriel in the web series Teenagers.[15] In 2016, for his performance in the second season of Teenagers, Ablack won an Indie Series Award for Best Supporting Actor – Drama.[1][16] For his performance in the third and final season, Ablack was nominated for an International Academy of Web Television Award in 2017,[17] and a second Indie Series Award in 2018.[18]
Ablack played the recurring role of DEA Agent Stoddard in the third season of the critically acclaimed Netflix series Narcos, which premiered on the streaming platform in 2017.[19]
In 2019, he played the recurring role of Sunil Doshi in Burden of Truth.[20] That year, he also appeared alongside Zoey Deutch, Judy Greer, Jermaine Fowler, Noah Reid, and Jai Courtney in the American comedy drama film Buffaloed.[21] The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 27, 2019.[22]
In 2021, Ablack played a supporting role in the Netflix miniseries Maid, which was released on October 1, 2021. His performance and physical appearance in the series, specifically a scene in which he appears topless while wearing a cowboy hat, attracted considerable attention on social media platforms such as Twitter,[23] with Marie Claire writing that "the Canadian actor has become our favorite Netflix heartthrob."[24]
In November 2021, he was cast in a romantic comedy feature film called Love in the Villa, also produced by Netflix.[25]
Since 2021, Ablack has starred as Joe, a restaurant owner and one of the main love interests, on the popular Netflix series Ginny & Georgia.[26] Ginny & Georgia premiered on February 24, 2021.[27] Ablack appeared in all 10 episodes of the first season of the series.[28][29] Ablack returned for the second season of Ginny & Georgia in 2023.[30]
In 2023, Ablack played a recurring love interest role in the final season of the comedy series Workin' Moms.[31]
In addition to working as an actor, Ablack sometimes writes and performs stand-up comedy in Toronto.[32]
Charity work
editAblack has done extensive charity work throughout his career, mostly through Degrassi, including school-building missions with Me to We and Free the Children.[33][34]
In 2007, Ablack traveled to Africa with five other Degrassi cast members to build a school in Kenya and, in 2008, he travelled again with his cast members to do charity work in Ecuador.[35] A documentary of Ablack and his cast mates' trip aired on MTV in Canada.[35]
In 2010, he travelled with his fellow Degrassi cast mates to India to help build more schools.[36]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Fondi '91 | Anil | |
| Home Away | Pete | Short film | |
| 2014 | Latter | Noah | Short film |
| Sly Cad | Concierge | Short film | |
| 2015 | Beeba Boys | Grewal's Gangster | |
| Pieces | Brother | Short film | |
| 2017 | Ashes | Jay | |
| 2018 | Acquainted | Alex | |
| Shook | Ashish | Short film | |
| 2019 | Buffaloed | Prakash | |
| Dinner For Three | Kevin | Short film | |
| La Professoressa | Leo | Short film | |
| 2020 | The Broken Hearts Gallery | Clayton | |
| Inside the Actors Cult | Teacher | Short film | |
| Survival Smarts | Ray | Short film | |
| The Beacons of Gondor | Ranger 1 | Short film | |
| 2022 | Love in the Villa | Brandon | |
| Stay the Night | Roshan |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–2011 | Degrassi: The Next Generation | Savtaj 'Sav' Bhandari | 118 episodes |
| 2009 | Taking a Chance on Love | Shopkeeper | TV movie |
| Life with Derek | Kevin | Episode: "Truman's Last Chance" | |
| Degrassi Goes Hollywood | Savtaj 'Sav' Bhandari | TV movie | |
| 2010 | Degrassi Takes Manhattan | TV movie | |
| 2011 | How to Be Indie | Raj | Episode: "How to Fake Your Way Through a Freaky Formal" |
| 2013–2016 | Orphan Black | Raj Singh | 4 episodes |
| 2014–2017 | Teenagers | Gabriel | Web series; 20 episodes |
| 2015 | Defiance | Samir Pandey | 6 episodes |
| 2016 | Degrassi: Next Class | Savtaj 'Sav' Bhandari | 2 episodes |
| Annedroids | Dave | Episode: "Bionic Grandma" | |
| 2016–2018 | Shadowhunters | Raj | Recurring (seasons 1–2), 6 episodes Guest (season 3), 1 episode |
| 2017 | Ransom | Piers Allard | Episode: "Joe" |
| The Kennedys: After Camelot | Sirhan Sirhan | Episode: "Family Bonds"; credited as Ray Ablack | |
| Narcos | Stoddard | 5 episodes | |
| 2018 | Good Witch | Bryce | Episode: "Family Time" |
| Private Eyes | Jordan | Episode: "Finding Leroy" | |
| 2019 | Burden of Truth | Sunil Doshi | 4 episodes |
| 2020 | Nurses | Kabir Pavan | 7 episodes |
| 2021–present | Ginny & Georgia | Joe | Main cast; 20 episodes |
| 2021 | The Wedding Ring | Anthony Prentice | TV movie |
| Maid | Nate | Recurring role; 5 episodes | |
| Boyfriends of Christmas Past | Nate Sagar | TV movie (Hallmark) | |
| 2023 | Workin' Moms | Ram | 11 episodes |
Audio drama
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Mistletoe Murders | Sam |
Filmmaking credits
edit| Year | Title | Writer | Producer | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | Cookie Biscuits Comedy | No | Yes | Yes | 4 episodes |
| 2020 | Inside the Actors Cult | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Survival Smarts | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| The Beacons of Gondor | No | Yes | No |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Indie Series Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Drama | Teenagers | Won | [37] | |
| 2017 | International Academy of Web Television | Best Male Performance – Drama | Nominated | [38] | ||
| 2018 | Indie Series Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Drama | Nominated | [39] | ||
| Alternative Film Festival | Best Cast | Ashes | Nominated | Shared with cast | [40] | |
| 2020 | Canada Shorts Film Festival | Best Comedy | Inside the Actors Cult | Won | Shared with cast | [41] |
| Best Writer | Won | Shared with Dalmar Abuzeid | [41] | |||
| Seoul Web Fest | Best Comedy | Nominated | [42] | |||
| Best Action | The Beacons of Gondor | Won | Shared with cast | [43] | ||
| Best Short | Nominated | [42] | ||||
| Indie Short Fest | Outstanding Achievement Award - Producer | Won | Shared with Scott Paterson, Dalmar Abuzeid, Shane Kippel, & Samantha Ghost. | [44] |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Where You've Seen The Ginny And Georgia Cast Before". CINEMABLEND. 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
- ^ "Q&A: Toronto actor Raymond Ablack on his role in Netflix's Narcos". Toronto Life. 2017-09-01. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
- ^ "Toronto Actor Raymond Ablack on his role in Narcos". September 2017.
- ^ freethechildrenintl (2009-05-20), Charity Cup - Students vs. Teachers Hockey Game, retrieved 2016-06-25
- ^ "Ginny and Georgia: surprising family connection between two stars revealed". HOLA. 2021-03-22. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ "Raymond Ablack Biography". www.buddytv.com. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
- ^ "Local actor Ray Ablack on the road from Lion King to Netflix's Narcos". thestar.com. 2017-08-31. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
- ^ "THE MORNING SHOW July 10 2013 9:08am 05:57 Actor Raymond Ablack".
- ^ "17 Questions". Seventeen. 2008-10-21. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
- ^ "Ginny & Georgia's Raymond Ablack Has Been Busy Since His Degrassi Days". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
- ^ Will Ashton (2021-03-05). "Where You've Seen The Ginny And Georgia Cast Before". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
- ^ "Exclusive Interview with Teenagers' Raymond Ablack". TalkNerdyWithUs. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
- ^ "Fondi '91". 2013-07-11. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
- ^ "Fondi '91, reviewed: A nice-looking coming-of-age film that doesn't quite get there". Retrieved 2016-08-22.
- ^ "New web series Teenagers attracts Degrassi alum". 15 January 2014. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
- ^ "Indie Series Awards: 7th Annual Indie Series Awards Winners". Retrieved 2016-04-11.
- ^ "2017 IAWTV Awards". International Academy of Web Television. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
- ^ "9th Annual Indie Series Awards Nominations". www.indieseriesawards.com. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
- ^ "Local actor Ray Ablack on the road from Lion King to Netflix's Narcos | The Star". thestar.com. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (2019-05-31). "'Burden Of Truth': The CW Renews Legal Drama Starring Kristin Kreuk For Season 3". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
- ^ "'Buffaloed': Film Review | Hollywood Reporter". www.hollywoodreporter.com. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
- ^ Hayes, Dade (March 5, 2019). "Tribeca Film Festival Unveils Feature Lineup, With Screen Time For John DeLorean, Muhammad Ali, Chelsea Manning". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
- ^ Reed, Sam. "Raymond Ablack's Twitter Moment". InStyle. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
- ^ Quinci LeGardye (2021-10-08). "Who is Raymond Ablack From 'Maid' and 'Ginny and Georgia'?". Marie Claire Magazine. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
- ^ Jackson, Angelique (2021-11-17). "'Ginny & Georgia's' Raymond Ablack Joins Kat Graham and Tom Hopper in Netflix's 'Love in the Villa'". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
- ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (2019-08-13). "Netflix Orders New YA Series 'Ginny & Georgia', Antonia Gentry and Brianne Howey Topline Main Cast". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
- ^ Nemetz, Dave (January 14, 2021). "Ginny & Georgia First Look: Is Netflix's New Dramedy the Next Gilmore Girls?". TVLine. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ "'Ginny & Georgia' Star Raymond Ablack Is Ready To Be Your Leading Man". Bustle. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
- ^ Ojomu, Nola (2021-02-25). "Netflix viewers thirsting over Raymond Ablack in Ginny and Georgia". Metro. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
- ^ "These Two "Ginny & Georgia" Stars Are Real-Life Siblings". Teen Vogue. 2023-01-17. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ Dowling, Amber (2023-04-26). "Catherine Reitman on Ending 'Workin' Moms,' That Surprise Guest Star, and Her Love Letter to Late Father Ivan Reitman". Variety. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
- ^ "Season 10 Degrassi Star: Raymond Ablack!". Vervegirl. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
- ^ "www.metowe.com" (PDF).
- ^ "Degrassi star speaks out about youth volunteer work - News - The Moose Jaw Times Herald". www.mjtimes.sk.ca. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
- ^ a b Arendt, Hannah (2021-12-25). "Raymond Ablack: How He Began His Career As A Canadian Actor And Comedian? Know All Details Here!". Lake County News. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
- ^ "Hanging with Degrassi's Raymond Ablack". Seventeen. 2010-07-19. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
- ^ "7th Annual Indie Series Awards Winners".
- ^ "Home". International Academy of Web Television. Retrieved 2017-10-07.
- ^ "9th Annual Indie Series Awards Nominees".
- ^ "AltFF Alternative Film Festival (2018)". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
- ^ a b "Canada Shorts | 2020 Festival Results". canadashorts.com. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
- ^ a b "2020 Nominations". SEOUL WEBFEST. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
- ^ "2020 Award Winners". SEOUL WEBFEST. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
- ^ "Indie Short Fest (2020)". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
External links
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