Ladner's Owen Best branches out in role of Canadian literary icon

Owen Best (right) and Katie Douglas from a scene in Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town which airs Sunday (Feb. 12) night on CBC. Best, 15, plays a young Stephen Leacock in the production filmed in Toronto last September.

Contributed photo

It's not often that Ladner's Owen Best has his entire extended family over to his parents' home to watch TV with him.

But Sunday night (Feb. 12) is going to be just such an occasion. That's when the 15-year-old actor will be sharing screen time with a pair of notable Canadian actors—Gordon Pinsent and Jill Hennessy—in the CBC production of Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town.

Filmed last September in Toronto Best plays a young Stephen Leacock in a story that blends the Canadian literary icon's own life, historical fact and those of his own creation.

The role marks new territory for Best who has also had roles in Diary of a Wimpy Kid and, Tron: Legacy. Playing one of Canada's beloved humourists required a bit of research.

"I remember sitting down with my agent and talking about it for the first time and didn't really know how big of a deal it was. And when I got to Toronto it became this amazing experience," said Best who did some reading of Leacock's works to get a feel for playing a cunning and ambitious young writer.

"I've never really had a role like that where it's serious, but has comedy at the same time," Best said. "Plus, this was my first big role being the lead, so it was a bit difficult, at first. But I had some great acting coaches and they helped me through it. And of course I also had some great influences on set."

One of them was Pinsent who plays Leacock as an adult. Best said the veteran actor was "an absolutely amazing guy."

"He's so down to earth," Best said. "He just told me to never stop following my dreams and keep going with it."

Best was inspired to get into acting after he saw one of his cousins appear in a TV commercial.

"I was about three or four, I was sitting there watching one of her commercials and right then and there I knew that's what I wanted to do," he said. "So, my mom signed me up for some local acting classes."

He was then introduced to his cousin's agent at age eight and he landed a string of commercials before moving on to TV and film parts.

His first big role was in a 2008 TV miniseries called Impact which was filmed on Vancouver Island. It was a sci-fi tale about a shower or asteroids colliding with the earth and starred David James Elliott (JAG) and former model turned actress Natasha Henstridge.

The reaction from friends seeing Best—who had just move with his family to Ladner—on TV resulted in some good-natured ribbing and autograph requests.

"They still ask once in a while," he laughs. "It's like one of our inside jokes."

With the busy TV pilot season now casting, Best said he's been up for a number of jobs, but will have to wait to see if he gets selected.

Until then, he's looking forward to seeing himself in Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town,

"I've only seen small parts when I was doing voice over work in Vancouver, so I am really excited to see the whole thing," he said.