Veteran Montreal-born actor Allen Altman will be walking the red carpet twice at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival, which opens tomorrow and runs until Sept. 19. Altman stars in two films — the feature Incendies and the short Above the Knee — premiering at TIFF, and he can also been seen this fall in a recurring role on HBO’s Living in Your Car.
What he drives
A black 2007 Mazda Tribute Sport that I bought last year. The interior is a tan-coloured leather. I really am enjoying my car so much right now. I’m thrilled with it. Prior, I was a Volvo guy. I drove Volvos for about 15 years.
Why the Tribute?
It’s really practical as far as being able to carry lots of things in it because it has lots of space and it’s got gorgeous leather seats. It’s really sexy (laughs).
What’s your favourite feature?
I love all the features. I love the sunroof, the fact that everything’s electric and automatic. Even all the seats flip into each other. So you can have a ton of storage in the back just by flipping all the seats down. It’s really practical for me because I have an interior design firm (Allen Altman Design) as well and I need to transport furniture and fabrics around when I’m not doing a film.
How is it on gas?
It has incredible gas mileage for an SUV. I do mostly city driving, but I do road trips to Montreal to see my mom, go up to farm country and Muskoka, too. I’m just conscious of getting a vehicle that’s not too bad on the environment.
What type of driver are you?
I’m a multi-tasking driver. I’m somewhere between aggressive and cautious.
If money was no object, what car would you love to have?
It’s never really been about the image of the car for me. It’s always been about the practicality and functionality for me. But I think I might have the brand new Lexus.
