An Orillia actor is set to star in the final season of CBC's original series, Sort Of.
Gray Powell, 46, who plays Paul in the comedy series, was born and raised in Orillia but now lives in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
"My parents live in Orillia and are pretty involved in the community," Powell said. "We have a family cottage that's on Lake Couchiching, so I come up fairly often."
Growing up, Powell had passes to the Sunshine Theatre Festival, where he was introduced to theatre and musical acts. However, he didn't want to become an actor until later in life.
"It didn't take shape until later in high school, but I was exposed to it in Orillia," said Powell, who attended École élémentaire catholique Samuel-de-Champlain.
While attending high school in Guelph, Powell's drama teacher gave him a role in a couple of theatre shows.
"I kind of caught the bug there," he said. "After that, I went to the University of Toronto for drama."
After graduating, he got an agent who helped him find auditions for theatre and for television shows.
"In theatre, I love problem solving," he said. "I love figuring out what a person is doing, why they are doing it, and I love having a conversation with the audience."
In Sort Of, the show follows Sabi Mehboob, a character who is a gender-expansive millennial. They are frustrated with the feeling of having to edit themselves to make others comfortable.
"It's a journey of Sabi and how they negotiate life, others around them, and the complexities of what it means to be transitioning in all respects of life," Powell explained.
Powell's character, Paul, is a father of a multi-racial family in the show who explores relationship difficulties.
He says the show has been successful through two seasons because of the characters and how relatable they are to Canadians.
"We are all in our own lives facing our own transitions," he said. "I think that really is a huge part of the show."
In the third and final season of the show, Sabi is coming to terms with feelings of grief and an unexpected sense of freedom following the death of their father. Without the constraints of living up to their father’s expectations, Sabi confronts big questions about their identity, prompting some massive life choices.
Powell says fans of the show can expect "big things" in the final season.
"They can look forward to some big changes and big decisions," he said.
Following the premiere of the show on Nov. 17, exclusively on CBC Gem, Powell will take a short break from acting to be with his family. His wife, Molly Atkinson, is also an actor and director from Orillia.
"I'm going to hang with my two boys (who are 14 and 10)," he said. "We have hockey tournaments to go to."
Powell, who has been acting for 24 years, says there is no end in sight for his television and theatre career. He also gives thanks to Orillia for giving him his start in life.
"Orillia is where my roots are," he said. "It's somewhere I'm very proud to be from."
