As the somewhat timid, often overlooked brother of Earl Wyatt, Hearties got to witness the talents of Mason McKenzie in the role of Chad in season four of When Calls the Heart. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with this novel talent about how he became an actor as well as his experiences in Hope Valley and in the magical world of Once Upon a Time.
RH: So glad it worked out to talk with you, Mason.
MM: Glad to talk to you too, Ruth.
Mason, how old are you now?
I’m eleven.
How long have you been acting?
Just over a year.
So you’re kind of new to this.
Yes, I am.
Why did you decide to become an actor?
I’ve always wanted to be an actor. I’ve always liked performing. We used to live in Alberta, and I didn’t have much opportunity there. But we moved here {Vancouver, BC}, and I got an agent, and here I am.
So was there a specific reason you moved to Vancouver?
Well, my brother’s a golfer, so we moved partly because of him. But also my mom wanted to give me a chance to have more opportunities in acting, and so we moved here so that could happen.
What was your first acting credit?
When Calls the Heart.
Was that also your first audition?
I had some commercial auditions and some for other TV shows, but that was the first TV job I booked. And that was my first audition for When Calls the Heart. I got a callback, and then I booked it. I was on two episodes.
What was it like coming onto that set, especially the first day?
I didn’t know anybody on set. It was very fun. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. It was a really fun set to be on.
I’m sure you had fun with all the kids, but were there any kids that you tended to hang out with when you weren’t filming?
Nikolas {Dukic} and Carter {Ryan Evancic}. I still see Carter around at some auditions too.
What was your favorite part of the show to film?
I liked all of it. It was really fun, but the scene by the pond and the one with me and Elizabeth–those were pretty cool.
What was it like working with Erin Krakow?
She’s really nice, and it was really fun. She was really easy to work with.
I also loved the scene with Carter and the dog. We don’t have any pets right now, but getting to be with the dog was super fun. Dasher really helped our characters to bond.
While we don’t know who will be back for season five, I know the Hearties hope you and your brother will be back.
That would be really fun. I would be honored to be able to come back to the show.
What was school like for you when you were on set?
I go to regular school when I’m not working. I had a tutor while I was on set. It was well-organized, and I was able to keep up with my school work with no problem.
I understand that you were also in an episode of Once Upon a Time.
Yes, I had a regular audition for that show just like I did for When Calls the Heart. In fact, I was familiar with the show before I auditioned.
What was that experience like being a part of that show?
It was really cool to be a part of that, and it was really fun. My episode aired on April 9th. In fact, it was on the same night that one of my episodes was on for When Calls the Heart.
Oh, so on that day, we could have turned on both shows and saw you! I love when that happens. That’s a great way to enter the industry, come to think of it. You got to be on two great shows with amazing fans. What has it been like having fans?
There’s a lot of them, but it’s pretty cool. They’ve been sending me messages and a lot of nice things. There’s been really nice fan art from the Hearties. They are such sweet fans, and we love to see the captions they put with the art.
Is there anything else upcoming that you can mention?
No, not right at the moment, but I am on hold for a commercial. I actually booked twelve commercials this first year I’ve been acting in addition to the two TV shows. Considering we are learning as we go, I think we’re doing pretty well.
From what I can tell, you’re doing an awesome job. You’re doing a great job!
I had so much fun.
We hope we get to see you in upcoming shows and/or movies, and we’ll hope that more opportunities come your way. And the Hearties especially will do continue to follow your career and support you one hundred percent.
That is amazing. I am so grateful to the Hearties. I can’t thank them enough for their support.
In your free time, what do you like to do?
I like to play guitar, but I also play sports. My favorites are golf and hockey.
I genuinely believe that Mason’s story is a whirlwind tale of massive success. For one who has only been in the industry for about a year, his accomplishments are truly unbelievable and not necessarily typical. The fact that his family is rooting for him is a big plus for him, and after speaking with him, I can honestly attest to the fact that he is humble and considerate as well as thoroughly grateful for the opportunity to enjoy every facet of this new world of imagination into which he has been invited. I doubt the ramifications of his success have completely sunk in yet for him and his parents, but I can only hope that in the days, weeks, months and years to come that Hallmark and other studios will realize the absolute gem they have in him and reward him with roles that give him the opportunity to demonstrate his innate ability for storytelling through the art of acting. If you have not seen his episodes in season four of When Calls the Heart or season six of Once Upon a Time, be sure that you take some time to get caught up (I need to get caught up on the latter of the two). Additionally, please follow him at the links below lest you miss out on a viable opportunity to support the humble and talented youth in today’s society of which Mason is definitely a special part!
FOLLOW MASON
