Actors are incredible.
From superheroes fighting crime to astronauts floating in space, there’s nothing actors can’t become when the cameras start rolling.
In the case of Evan Rein, the talented actor will play a cop in the limited Hulu series Under the Bridge.
Evan grew up in Eckville, a small town in central Alberta just west of Red Deer.
Since he was a kid, Evan was destined for the screen.
Growing up, he and his brothers would take turns making movies with their family’s video camera.
But Evan wasn’t satisfied with home movies.
As a teenager, he sharpened his acting skills at the Cornerstone Youth Theatre in Red Deer.
Here, he received instruction from Cornerstone directors Stephanie Orr and Tari Puffer, who he credits for “creating a positive formative experience” for him as an actor.
After graduating from high school in 2012, Evan moved to Calgary, where he landed his first major acting gig.
He played a Hutterite boy in season eight, episode seven, of the popular Alberta-made TV series Heartland.
Evan now lives in Vancouver and has landed many roles since he started his acting career, including roles in Nancy Drew, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, and Valley of the Boom.
His latest role as a cop in Under the Bridge is special to Evan.
The eight-part series is based on the murder of Reena Virk, a 14-year-old girl who was beaten and drowned by a group of teenagers in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1997.
Virk was the victim of bullying before her death.
Evan didn’t know about Virk’s disturbing murder until he landed his role as a cop in Under the Bridge.
Evan is eager for the show to air on Hulu on April 17 so he can tell Virk’s story and acknowledge the many kids and teenagers who are still bullied today.
He will be acting alongside big-name actors like Riley Keough, Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, and Lily Gladstone, who starred in Martin Scorsese’s Killer of the Flower Moon.
A Certified Badass
Evan isn’t the only Central Alberta actor with chops.
Sylvan Lake’s Rivera Reese is a firecracker of an actress and will appear in an episode of NBC’s Law & Order that airs on April 11.
The episode is titled “Semper Fi” and follows Detective Elliot Stabler as he searches for the source of the Middle Eastern heroin pipeline making its way to the United States.
It is unknown what Rivera’s role will be in the episode, but her casting in Law & Order marks a major career break.
She studied theatre and motion picture arts at Red Deer College before moving to New York to build her career.
Larry Reese, a retired instructor at Red Deer College and Rivera’s father, made a Facebook post about his daughter’s casting, which has received lots of love from the community.
“I’ve had 350 likes, and it’s still going strong,” Larry told the Red Deer Advocate.
Larry pointed out that being on a TV series means memorizing last-minute script changes moments before filming.
“You’ve got to un-learn lines and learn new lines. It can be pretty gruelling. I’m so proud and happy for Riv,” he said.
But if anyone can do it, it’s Rivera. She is a Meisner-trained actor, meaning she is skilled at improvisation.
If that wasn’t cool enough, she is also a talented stage combatant and stunt performer.
She spent the last two years travelling across the world with Marvel Universe Live!, a touring live-action arena show featuring characters from Marvel comics.
Rivera played the role of the lead villain, Nebula, a blue alien assassin.
Rein and Rivera’s acting skills are rooted in Red Deer, which speaks to the city’s ability to shape talented actors.
It’s not just Red Deer.
From athletes to actors, our province is incredible when it comes to shaping promising youths.
