For Canadian actor Natalie Brown, living and working in Toronto’s growing arts, film and food culture is what it’s all about.
“What I love about Toronto is that we’ve really grown up as a city. We have our own unique culinary scene, amazing film and documentary festivals and a global audience that is excited to be a part of it.”
This self-professed high school theatre nerd got her start as a model and appeared at age 16 in the classic Heinz Ketchup, “The Slide” commercial.
After modelling, Brown went on to roles in film and television and starred as Sophie Parker in the CBC sitcom Sophie, where her performanced earned her a Gemini nomination.
These days, she is showing her teeth as Kelly Goodweather on the FX vampire thriller The Strain. Now in its second season, the show follows Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (played by Corey Stoll) as he tries to protect his son from his ex-wife Kelly (Brown), who has become infected by the ancient strain of vampirism spreading through New York and beyond.
The show comes out of the mind of Oscar-nominated writer and director Guillermo del Toro, who selected Toronto as the backdrop to bring the gory story to life.
“There are so many amazing producers and writers who want to work with the talented crews and actors in Toronto,” says Brown.
Del Toro, The Strain’s creator and executive producer, now spends most of his time here and has become an honorary Torontonian, says Brown. Alongside Chuck Hogan, Del Toro co-wrote The Strain trilogy of best-selling novels which the show is based on. Del Toro has also teamed up with Carlton Cuse of Lost fame to executive produce the series.
This season of The Strain is giving Brown and her fans something to really sink their teeth into. The show’s season premiere, which aired July 12 on FX Canada, has fans wondering what will happen to Kelly Goodweather, a good character turned dark after becoming infected with the virus. Now a vampire and one of the master’s chosen ones, this season her character is desperate for what she wants and will stop at nothing to get it.
According to Brown, getting turned was the best/worst thing that ever happened to Kelly Goodweather.
“A lot of people were horrified that she got turned and became this hideous creature, but for me working as an actor with Guillermo del Toro, who is the master of horror, it’s a nightmare come true to be able to play one of his monsters.”
Prior to her days of television fame, Brown studied fine arts at York University and has always been keen to connect with others through art, culture and diversity.
Throughout her schooling she fed her artistic impulses studying sculpture, psychology, aspect theatre and even Mandarin.
But her time at York also led her to Toronto’s midtown and the neighbourhood that would become her new home: the Annex.
“That’s where my friends and everyone wanted to hang out. We were always at Future Bakery or going to the Green Room to listen to poetry readings,” says Brown.
“I spent so much time travelling down to the Annex that during my second year I got an apartment right on Bloor. I officially arrived in Toronto.”
As the years went on, she shifted around the area a bit.
While living in a coach house on the storied street of Palmerston, Brown discovered some of the neighbourhood’s most unique offerings, like Barrio Coreano where Mexican food gets the Korean treatment and Wychwood’s own Stockyards where she opts for laid-back meals with friends.
Though Toronto is her home, Brown also spends quite a bit of time in Los Angeles, due to the nature of the industry.
“When I’m on the road, I miss having chocolate from ChocoSol. I discovered them at a local farmers’ market” she says of the St. Clair West chocolate shop.
The talented cast and crew behind The Strain has also drawn many international actors to Toronto for a chance to work with Del Toro and his team.
“Something that is great about working on the show is that we have actors coming to work from all around the world,” says Brown.
“They have introduced me to so many places I’ve never been to in my own city. They’ve shown me around Toronto and made me feel like a tourist again, which is great.”
Like The Strain, many of Brown’s television roles have kept her north of the border. After her starring role in CBC’s Sophie, Brown went on to star as Detective Rachel Fenton in another CBC series, Cracked.
Not to mention her guest star spots in a host of other Canadian television favourites such as The Listener, Republic of Doyle, Flashpoint and most recently as Diane McAdams in the Space channel’s werewolf series Bitten, which is filmed and set in Toronto.
Brown has also graced the big screen in a few feature films. The most popular being How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, where she had a small role as Mrs. Sawyer. And now, her 2016 projects are bringing her back to the big screen.
For fans who can’t get enough of the scary stuff, Brown is currently filming her lead role in The Box, alongside Peyton Kennedy.It is a segment of the all-female horror anthology XX, set for release in 2016, which deals with the psychological aspects of horrors of the mind. Another segment in the anthology is titled Her Only Living Son.
Those who like things a little lighter can catch Brown as she returns to her comedic roots with a cameo as Anna in the upcoming comedy feature How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town. This feature film is by Jeremy LaLonde and stars Jewel Staite, Ennis Esmer and Lauren Lee Smith and is also set for release next year.
