Canadians love to celebrate their own. Whether it’s basketball stars like Steve Nash or master thespians like William Shatner, if you make it big in America, we embrace you. Well, Canada’s latest hero is now waiting in the wings and his name is Jay Baruchel.
A slim, unassuming 27-year old who’s as humble as he is an unlikely celebrity, the Ottawa-born actor should perhaps be further rewarded for his patriotism since he still resides in Montreal and wears a maple leaf tattoo over his heart even as he’s about to release his latest big Hollywood comedy, She’s Out of My League.
“If it meant that I had to move away from Canada to have a career in this business, it just wasn’t ever going to happen,” Baruchel once told the Victoria Times Colonist.
So who is this proud patriot? And how did Baruchel get to be so popular in Tinseltown?
“He’s a charm to work with,” said filmmaker Randall Cole in a an interview. “He brings the acting but he’s also great off the set and everyone’s just happy to be around him.”
Baruchel actually began as a teen appearing in Canadian TV shows like Popular Mechanics for Kids before he moved to America. There, he soon landed a role on Judd Apatow’s short-lived television series Undeclared where he would befriend fellow Canuck actor Seth Rogen.
Bolstered by his placement in the popularity of the so-called Apatow Gang, Baruchel quickly gained notice with roles in such blockbusters as Million Dollar Baby, Tropic Thunder and Knocked Up. However, even as his star rose, he would pepper his Hollywood hits with intimate Canadian films like Cole’s comedy Real Time.
“That’s just always been my taste,” Baruchel once told the Montreal Film Journal. “The happiest part about my career so far, is having a resume that reflects my tastes, my opinions, what I find funny.”
Well, it seems audiences certainly find Baruchel funny. Set to become Canada’s latest superstar with upcoming leads in She’s Out of My League, How to Train Your Dragon and the acclaimed Canuck comedy The Trotsky, William Shatner may have to roll over — there’s a new kid with a maple leaf just a bit closer to his chest.
