Keeping Up With Will Lafrance

Besides gearing up for the WMIFF festival in August where he is nominated for Best Actor in a Short Film he just wrapped the experimental short film, “White Noise”. Lafrance is still filming a crime-comedy, “Morning Glory”, a relaxed break from the seriousness of White Noise. He took a few moments to answer questions for Indian Time.

1. Was there anyone specific who inspired you to pursue a career in acting?

When I was at CCVS I had a drama teacher by the name of Robert Poirier. He was so important in inspiring me to really get into acting. It was seeing his passion for it, and his ability to bring the best out of me that really helped me develop my passion and love of acting.

2. How did you get started in the industry? What were your first steps?

Coming out of high school I decided to go to Algonquin College and take the Theatre Arts program. After I graduated I did a lot of theatre. A lot of those early plays were community theatre, so I wasn’t paid, but I slowly started to get paid acting jobs. The big thing for me at the beginning was about just doing as much I could so I could develop my reputation and find out exactly what kind of actor I am. Nowadays I’m better equipped to find roles that I think will suit me. Being cast in the right role is huge part of acting that I didn’t get at first.

3. What kind of training did you receive (if any) and would you recommend it to others?

Aside from the drama classes I took in high school, the only training I’ve had was the two year Theatre Arts program at Algonquin College. I also auditioned for the National Theatre School of Canada and was able to get a call back. That was a huge learning and training moment for me because I was able to be around some very, very talented people.

4. Have you faced any struggles along the way?

Yes, I have. Three years ago I was in a car accident that almost took my life. It really opened my eyes to the fact that stuff happens that you can’t control and at any time the thing you love can be taken away. That accident made me put my career on hold for about a year, but when I came back, I came back more motivated.

5. What is your favorite part of being an actor?

The thing I love about acting is the focus it requires. Life is so crazy all the time and a million things are happening at once. When acting, it’s complex, but it requires you to focus on one moment. It’s almost like time stops and it’s just you, the moment, and the emotions. It quite the experience. When you get a scene right, and your performance just buzzes, there is a huge sense of pride among the cast and crew.

6. Aside from acting, what do you enjoy doing? Any hobbies or pasttimes?

Aside from my acting I like to watch movies and play some football whenever I can. I played tackle football in high school and fell in love with that also.

7. Who would be your dream co-star?

When it comes to co-stars I’m not really interested in names. The only thing I’m interested in is if they are a good team player; someone who will go with what happens and really jumps off the cliff with you. It’s a big risk anytime you act, and I guess I like to act with people who embrace that uncertainty and bring that to the scene. If I had to pick a current actor in Hollywood, I guess I’d go with Micheal Fassbender. I love everything he does. He is as intensely committed to his roles as I want to be. I think I would learn a lot doing a scene with him.

7. Do you have a favorite movie?

My favorite movie is always changing. It seems every year I see at least one or two movies that just blow me away. Right now I think my favorite movie is Sicario. It’s such a tense, gritty, realistic movie that is the type of work that I want to do at some point. The performances in it are all great, the ending is fantastic; it’s just a really well put together movie.

8. How many credits do you have under your belt so far?

I have far more theatre credits than film credits. In theatre I have about 30 credits. When it comes to film I have 6 credits. I was doing theatre for three years, and about a year and a half with my film career.

9. What kinds of qualities should a person possess to be successful in the film industry?

Humble looks great on actors. There’s nothing worse than an ego driven, temperamental actor. Flexibility and enthusiasm are key. If you are in this industry, you should love it. If you have a true love for what you do, then those things will come naturally.

10. Based on your past experiences, what advice would you offer to young people interested in pursuing a career in film.

One of the biggest things I can say about getting started in this field is about the rejection. The thing to realize is that it’s not personal. I’ve seen a lot of actors take bad news about a role poorly, and that wears on your motivation. You could be the best actor in the world and not get a role because you just weren’t right for it. That’s not their way of letting you down easy, it’s the truth. Sometimes when it doesn’t work, it just doesn’t work. You’ll get rejected a lot more times then you’ll be welcomed, you just have to remain vigilant. If you do something long enough you’ll become good at it, same thing rings true of acting.

11. How did you come about getting your role as James in See How Easy That Was?

I got that role totally on luck. I’m a part of this online actor databases where directors can look and see if they’d like you to audition for a role. The director of See How Easy That Was contacted me out of the blue and invited me to audition. I self taped an audition and I was able to get the role. The director was really taking a chance because we had never met before my first day on set. I was so lucky be able to come onto a great set, with a great crew, director, and a great supporting cast.

12. Were you surprised when you found out you were nominated for Best Actor in a Short Film from the WMIFF?

I was so surprised to find out I was nominated. I wasn’t even aware it had been sent out to other festivals, so to find out I was in the running for an award at a big festival like that was incredible. I think I was smiling for a week after I found out. I’m so honored and excited to be able to represent Akwesasne to an international audience.