Today we’d like to introduce you to Devon O’Kane.
Hi Devon, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I come from “the 6.” – yeah, Drake’s now famous way of saying “Toronto”.
I grew up at the intersection of Jane and Finch which is widely known as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Canada. This shaped my experiences growing up as a closeted kid in the ghetto. There was always chaos going on around me, so movies became a way for me to escape the drama of an unstable childhood. Jackie Chan was the father I never had; I’d spend hours watching his films, trying to mimic his moves in my living room. I loved watching all the DVD extras, behind-the-scenes features, and would even rewatch films with the director’s commentary. I also gravitated toward films like Baz Lurhman’s Romeo and Juliet. That film was so Queer coded, but I didn’t realize it at the time – I just knew I loved it. Leonardo DiCaprio became my first celebrity crush and was part of a sexual awakening for me. I went on to seek out other Queer films like To Wong Foo, My Own Private Idaho, But I’m a Cheerleader and more. I sought them out wherever I could find them at the time.
I was destined to tell stories through film, both in front of and behind the camera. When I was in high school, my passion led me to audition for Degrassi, a Canadian teen drama series. Even though I didn’t get cast, I was enthralled with the experience and the possibility of being on screen. Eventually, I moved to New York City, where I took my first official acting lessons with coach Sheila Gray (who I still work with to this very day). Every Wednesday evening, I’d head up to 99th and Broadway, where I’d learn something called sensory technique. The classes were in the Sunday school room of an old gothic-style church. We’d carve people from our memory out of thin air and have conversations with them – all to elicit emotion and visceral reactions.
Through these experiences, I was able to create my first web series, HANDSOME – a Drama/Comedy about a 30-something-year-old man who just ended his marriage and is thrust back into the modern gay dating world. And now, I’m currently working on bringing season 2 to life. Right now, we are in the thick of the fundraising process. We’ve created merch, which you can find at sacredhearfilms.com/shop and I also just hosted my first fundraising event last week at NeueHouse Hollywood.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
A relationship – When I expressed my desire to be an actor in my mid-20s, my partner had a hard time accepting that career path. It was something that set me back emotionally. He was worried about finances, and looking back, I don’t blame him, but it put me into a place where I had to divide my desire to be an actor with my desire to be a “good” partner. I was a people pleaser and so I needed him to feel more comfortable. Unfortunately, it affected our relationship in a negative way because I wasn’t being my true authentic self.
Growing up poor – From a young age, I knew I wanted to transcend the limits I grew up with. My mom did a great job at providing for me, but I saw how hard life was for her. I made it my mission to get an education (I was the first in my family to get a University Degree), and gain upward mobility and be able to provide for my mother as well. Unfortunately, I too was always shy of pursuing a life as an artist in favor of working more stable jobs. Thankfully I made a career of working with other filmmakers as a pitch Deck designer – this helped me stay in the film world orbit while figuring out how to financially stable.
Mental Health – I spent a lot of years in my 20s feeling depressed and hopeless. This was due to a number of factors, but as I look back on my journey, it was a major factor in preventing me from going after my dreams. I think a lot of that comes from the trauma of having an unstable childhood where both my Mother and Brother (the only two immediate family members in my life) had succumbed to heavy drug use. I wanted no part of that life, and it took a heavy toll on my emotions. I definitely had to create the security in my life that I was never provided with as a child.
Self Doubt – Aside from friends, I didn’t have a lot of people cheering me on. This meant a lot of what I do is on my own – thankfully that isn’t the case anymore as I have a very healthy support system of friends, coaches and my therapist to help me through the rough times.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an actor, writer and director.
I’ve always been a director – making short films and documentaries with my friends in high school. I’ve grown up loving photography and I think that’s given me a really keen eye. I watch a lot of movies and I’m inspired by directors from the 80s and 90s like Pedro Almodovar, Gus Van Sant, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson and Richard Linklater. I like directors who really delve deep into characters. It’s these types of filmmakers who have inspired me and my work. I also look to a lot of the up-and-coming or currently established directors I work with for inspiration.
Writing is what I consider myself best at. I love developing my own characters that reflect the human experience. I am a big genre fan, but there’s something about relatable experiences that really speak to me. In particular, I’m obsessed with love and relationships. That’s what season one of Handsome is all about!
As an actor, I didn’t take my first official acting class until I was 25, but I always knew it was something I wanted to do. I loved to school plays growing up (I actually played Romeo in a middle school production of Romeo and Juliet). And as I mentioned before, I had the opportunity to audition for Degrassi: The Next Generation when I was in high school. I think that was a defining moment for me. I remember after the first audition, I got a callback to read with the lead actress on the show. I must have been so nervous because I did not end up booking the role, but the fact that I got to go through that process was a defining moment for me. Now, I’ve been able to combine all these skills in order to tell the kinds of stories I want to see on screen. I’ll continue on with Handsome for what I hope is 2 more seasons, then after that each project will be different – some I’ll act in, some I’ll just want to direct. But that’s where I follow my heart and let the project tell me what it wants to be.
Overall, I’m finally able to see myself as an artist and I’m so happy to be living my life this way and making art that affects people!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my favorite childhood memories is playing Nintendo with my mom at home. We were always very close growing up. I’m a total momma’s boy!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sacredheartfilms.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devonokayyy/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBdMbUyf6c8wdX1OB4pdAAA
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/handsometheseries/
Image Credits
I own the credits to these photos. Assisted by David J. Castillo.
