19-2: Local actor faces new T.V. challenge

Local talent will hit the small screen when the Montreal-based cop drama, 19-2, debuts its third season. Saint-Laurent actor Spiro Malandrakis was overjoyed when he landed a recurring role on the cop-drama, that just wrapped filming.

After booking the gig on the Bravo series, Malandrakis has a new appreciation for what makes the all-Canadian revamp of the French television series so popular.

“They make it as real as possible and move very quickly,” Malandrakis explained. “In a feature film, it might be four hours between shots. In 19-2, they film so quickly, which makes you stay in the moment and give your best performance.”

The actor, who has never used drugs or smoked a cigarette in his life, plays a character with substance abuse issues and run-ins with the law.

“I had to dig deep and think of the people I knew in my life who had those problems, and how it takes over and the battles they’ve had,” he said.

But no matter who the character, Malandrakis always finds a way to identify with them through a universal human emotion: love. “I find every story you play is a love story, because that’s what connects everyone.”

Debut

Malandrakis booked his first show on MTV when he was 15, but he knew he wanted to be an actor his whole life. “I always wanted to play characters and tell stories,” he said.

He had a very active imagination growing up and would make up characters or do impressions. “I would always impersonate my father’s father, from Greece,” he laughed.

Malandrakis remembers crying to his parents as a child, saying there had to be a way for them to help him do what he loved. His parents heard about a local acting school that he could attend on the weekends. He feels like getting that education while in high school gave him a leg up in the professional world.

No matter how big Malandrakis gets, his heart will always be in Saint-Laurent. He even bought a house down the street from his parents.

“I love living here, but it’s all about the numbers some times,” he said. There just aren’t enough auditions in Montreal. For now, Malandrakis makes frequent trips to Toronto for auditions and has travelled to L.A. for pilot season.

He’s also kept busy supporting the arts. Malandrakis just got back from Ottawa, where he was one of 10 actors selected for ACTRA’s Lobby Day, on Feb. 24 and 25, when the performers met with MPs to discuss reinvestment in culture.

The actor, who has worked with big names like Tobey Maguire and Devon Sawa, was star-struck by meeting Green Party leader, Elizabeth May. “I pushed everyone out of the way to get a photo with her. They moved when I told them I voted Green,” he laughed.

The exact premiere date is not set, but season three of 19-2 should air this spring. See the teaser here.