Every so often, an actor gets a “break” that can only be described as luck (or for people of faith like me–divine intervention). And in the case of Bzhaun Rhoden, I believe he has acquired a blessing that few young people in this business receive. While there is no doubt in my mind that his uncanny talent and savvy business acumen have garnered him this opportunity of guest-starring on a hit TV show, I tend to think he is the perfect example of being in the right place at the right time and taking advantage of every opportunity. Recently, Bzhaun and I had the chance to chat about his amazing career journey thus far.
RH: So nice to be able to talk with you today!
BR: My pleasure.
Congratulations on your guest star spot on Van Helsing. That’s an immensely popular show.
Thank you so much.
How did you get started in acting?
The earliest time I can remember wanting to act was when I was seven. At that time, my mother wanted to put me in classes, but she couldn’t really afford it. So I didn’t start till I was fourteen. I was in high school, and there was a school play being put on, and I had never auditioned for anything before. I was like, “If I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna do this. And if I’m not, I’m not.” But I just went for it. And the first role I ever got was in this school play we put on called Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. That was my first experience, and I would say I got my feet wet with that one. After that, I started going to drama festivals in Ontario. They are almost like competitions where you try to put on the best show. They have adjudicators, and it was a great experience.
But to be honest, what really did it for me was when I was in grade twelve and I joined our high school’s improv team. We practiced every Thursday, and it was one of the best times of my life. It was confirming to me that I really wanted to try this and go for it. We competed in the Canadian Improv Games. We made it to regionals and then to nationals. We competed in Ottawa against all these other schools. At the time when I was in high school, we placed the highest that the school had ever placed–sixth place. It was awesome. Such a good experience for me to work with a team for months and months like that. But I would say that’s what really got me going.
So is improv or comedy something you would like to still pursue?
To be honest, I’m not too sure anymore. That was when it was at its height. All these years later, I don’t really do it anymore. However, I do enjoy it, and I believe at some point I will go back to it. I’d like to brush up on it and revisit it because it is something I would really like to do. But as of now, I don’t really get the opportunity to do it all that much.
So did you go to school and train in acting?
Actually, after high school, I feared it might be too hard to sustain myself as an actor, and at that time, I really loved cooking. So I did that for about three years. I cooked at really high-end restaurants. Then I eventually did go to Ryerson University for acting because I realized I wanted to be true to myself. I went to Ryerson for about a year and a half, but then I dropped out. I just wasn’t too fond of that particular program. I would describe myself as a straight-shooter, forthright guy, and if I’m gonna be taught something, I need to understand how it’s going to apply to me. If I can’t see how it applies, then my thought is, “Why am I doing it?” A lot of people who go to school just accept what’s being taught to them, but I questioned a lot of things. And I just didn’t see how it was gonna help me. There were a few classes in particular that really did help me. Like Shakespeare, for example. Because of the particular method that was applied to analyze a script, it was very useful for me. The problem was there weren’t enough classes that directly applied to what I was trying to do. But that is usually the outlook of post-secondary education. They have to fill it with all these other things. So I looked toward the future and realized that at the end of this program, I would be twenty-five, and I questioned whether I wanted to still be in this program by that time in my life. I decided that I needed to be working really hard and find a nice coach or someone I could work with closely and accomplish my dreams.
This is so interesting. First of all, I know of many actors who have done cooking before they became actors, so you’re in good company there. And secondly, many actors have done exactly what you’re doing. They tried a university program, and it just wasn’t right for them. So they dropped out and found a private coach to work with or took acting classes elsewhere. So I understand completely what you’re saying. Thankfully, there’s not just one way to accomplish your dreams.
Thank you. It’s good to know I’m not alone.
After leaving the university, what would you say was your next step?
Well, I wasn’t in the best mindset for about a year. I really didn’t do anything for that year. I was trying to figure out if I really, really wanted this. I was lacking belief in myself. Eventually, I snapped out of it, but I knew I wanted to be an actor. So the next step was hard–getting roles to make a demo reel. But I did start thinking practically, as I often do, and I started auditioning for every little student thing I could possibly audition for. And every little independent thing I could possibly audition for. So in that year, I just auditioned as much as I could, and sometimes I would have six auditions within the week. I had to pass on some auditions because I just couldn’t prepare for all of them. My whole focus during that year was doing as much work as I could so I could get footage together for a demo reel.
So what’s the story about you getting connected with Van Helsing?
The last independent project I did was The Olympus Project. Then I told myself I was gonna stop for the rest of the summer and take a break. But near the end of the summer, I decided it was time to get an agent. I emailed two prospective agents, and suddenly I got an email from a woman whose company really liked my casting workbook which incidentally had been dormant for like two and a half years. She said they liked my look and really wanted to represent me, and I was like, “Wow, this is cool! The timing is awesome since I just started looking for an agent, and here’s one messaging me.” So I looked up the area code–604–and thought, “What the heck is that?” And when I looked it up, I realized it was Vancouver, British Columbia! When I looked on casting workbook, I found out it had me listed in Vancouver. Somehow that happened when I signed up, and I remember not knowing how to change it. And now it was too late to figure out how to change it. So she said, “If you ever decide to come to Vancouver, let us know.” Well, I was just about at that point in my life where I was thinking about taking more risks. And my brother lives in Vancouver and he wanted me to live with him. So I was like, “Why not? Win, win, win, win, win!” So I packed all my stuff and moved to BC. I signed with the management team in September 2016, and they started getting me situated. They helped me form a demo reel, and they started sending me out on auditions, my first professional auditions ever. So I was now learning the realities of auditioning for roles. And it’s been one of the greatest learning experiences I’ve ever had.
January 2017 came along, and everyone had their New Year’s resolution, and I told myself that I was going to change my life drastically by the time I was twenty-five. Just then, I was sent on the audition for Van Helsing. Only God knows how this audition was acquired. I knew this was a huge deal. A guest-starring role on Van Helsing. It’s on Netflix. I was told it would be unbelievable if I could get this. It was highly recommended for me to get a coach and give it my best shot. I was extremely in debt, so there was no way I was getting a coach. So to prepare for that role, I literally spent hours and hours over the course of a few days recording myself. I watched myself on my phone over and over and over again, and I kept doing it till I thought it was believable.
I went into the first audition, and I got the callback. Right after I did the audition, the casting director was like, “Very impressive.” I walked outside, and I screamed. I was happy. When I went to the callback, I walked into the room and did the best I could. I was given a redirect, and I always take my time with those. I did my best again. After the audition, the person I read for told me I did a really good job. Not to sound arrogant, but I somehow knew I got it when I left that day. I called my mom, and I said, “If I don’t get this, there is nothing else I can do.” I did the very best I could possibly do. Of course, my mom was like, “Don’t worry. You’ll get it.” And you know what? Mama was right. I got it.
What can you tell us about your role and your character?
While I cannot tell you a whole lot, I can tell you the following. My character’s name is Felix, and he is described as a student at a military prep academy when The Rising occurred. Think kind of like Lord of the Flies “Piggy” character in this new world. Felix is more bookish and less physically capable than his classmates. Sadly, that means he is often sidelined and punished as a result. Even though he isn’t the most physically capable, he really wants to impress others and find a sense of belonging. Underneath that vulnerability and fear, Sam finds something in Felix that reminds him of Muhomad. My character is in a few episodes, but I don’t want to give too much away. It is a recurring guest spot.
What was the filming experience like for you?
First of all, if anything else, it solidified the fact that this is what I want to do. Right off that bat, it was like, “Okay. This is what I’m doing. No ifs, ands, or buts.”
Now, in addition to that, the first thing that hit me was that it was not as easy as I thought it was gonna be. Before I started doing this as a living, I always wondered why actors made so much money. When I got there and started doing it, I got it. Actors are there for like sixteen or seventeen hours. If you’re not on set, you’re just in your trailer waiting to be on set. And if you’re in your trailer, you’re going over your lines. I can see how it would be taxing on someone.
Then I started thinking about the fact that I wasn’t even a lead. I can hardly imagine being the lead in a show and having to be in so many of the scenes. It would be unbelievable. But what I noticed as I realized all this is that my respect for what I do increased. No longer was it just what other people think. I realized it wasn’t like, “Oh you can just do it and be rich.” No, it’s not like that. It’s not as easy as you think. It’s pretty hard, and people who do it deserve respect. So it made me feel better about what I was trying to do with my life.
In general, I can get excited, but I am also very professional. I think that comes from my cooking background. The best way to put it is that everyone was shocked that it was my first time on a regular show. It really felt natural to be on that set, to talk to the director, to take direction, to work the scenes. It was almost second nature to me.
The thing that wasn’t always the most fun was the waiting around in between. Going back to the trailer and waiting to go on set. I had no problem I wasn’t getting much sleep because of all the hours I was working. In fact, I was very anxious to get to set on my three hours of sleep. Loss of sleep did not matter to me.
It really was a great experience because everyone was so complimentary of my performances. I got to experience what it was like to sit in the makeup chair for thirty or forty minutes of time, and that’s actually not that bad. One thing it opened my eyes to is who I am as a person, not just as an actor, but as a person who is appreciated on a set. And that was very heart-warming. I just want to be a low-maintenance person. The first time I was on set and the AD asked me what I wanted for breakfast, I was dumbfounded. I was like, “What do you mean what do I want for breakfast? I can go get it.” He was like, “No, no, man. You stay here, and I’ll go get breakfast for you and bring it back. Where do you want it?” I honestly didn’t know what to do. I was like, “This is so bizarre to me. Why is this person doing my bidding?” I guess it’s something you get used to. But overall, it was a pleasurable experience.
While Bzhaun does not have the kind of experience some actors do at his age, his innate ability and intuitive mindset, as well as his humble and gracious demeanor, have been the impetus for initiating his professional career. While he has been careful to have fallback plans at various points in his life, he is now courageously living his dream, and the rewards are immense. He expects nothing to be handed to him on a silver platter, but he also realizes and respects the massive amount of effort that is required from him as a performer in this business. Because of his perceptive nature and willingness to learn, he is further ahead than so many other young people who may have been in this business for years. He has the drive to triumph and not abandon his goals and desires even when the situation becomes disagreeable and discomfiting. He is committed to this profession, and I believe that as long as he remains as deferential and pliable as he is now, his future is bright and cheery in spite of any road bumps along the way.
So please consider tuning in to Van Helsing tonight (October 19) and every Thursday night on the SyFy Network in order to see this young man who is on the precipice of unmitigated success. Please also consider checking out his other works on IMDB and watching for more from this talented actor as I believe this guest star role is only the beginning for this young thespian.
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