Trailblazer
Awards
Farid Yazdani
Actor, Producer & Writer
Farid Yazdani is a Canadian actor, producer and writer, best known for his role as Oscar Finley-Cullen on the CBC/CW series, Moonshine. Seasons 2&3 are set to premier in the US next summer, 2024 on The CW.
Farid has also appeared on Suits, Titans, The Boys, Shadowhunters and more. He has won Best Short at The Canadian Comedy Awards for his original pilot, Day Players, of which he is the creator and series lead. Currently, Day Players is being developed into a web series and is set to release in late 2023. Farid is a proud graduate of the School of Creative and Performing Arts in Toronto and a proud alumnus of the Reelworld Emerging 20 Artists.
When he’s not busy acting, Farid enjoys Muay Thai, basketball, and taking care of his dogs (Husky and a Chihuahua).
Farid was born in Hamilton, ON, and now resides in Toronto, ON.
Meet the Trailblazer
What drives you?
My passion for this craft and the fact that even though growing and representation continues to be off balance. There still isn’t enough actors on screen and stage that represent us as a BIPOC community.
Who impacted your career the most?
It’s hard to single out one person - but I have to give my appreciation to the agency team at
“The Characters”. Bryan, Jayson, Adriana & Donna continue to get me seen and get me on tape. If it wasn’t for them and the clout and respect they have within the industry, this uphill climb would be much more difficult. Having a team that believes in you makes it all worthwhile.
How did you build the team around you?
From the start of my career - I’ve always had my eyes set on being represented by “The
Characters”. I actually competed at the Toronto Monologue Slam in 2015 and won. Bryan, my current agent, was on the judging panel. It was a perfect opportunity to network and get noticed. From there, building a team became more and more necessary. In addition, I had a connection out west in Vancouver and sought out representation from Jayson, my BC rep.
What was your best experience in this business?
My first life changing role would be when I booked a role on “Suits.” I remember pacing around
my house in a full suit running lines a few hours before my audition. After booking the part, I was
on cloud nine as the second AD walked upon to me and handed me two more scripts. My Large principal part had become recurring and to this day people still come up to me and say: “Hey,
you’re David Green from Suits!”. It humbles me and makes my day each and every time without
fail.
Is there a theme in the work you do or choose?
Not particularly. I like the idea of being a chameleon. Like any career, when you adapt, you find success. As long as it doesn’t directly affect my values - I’m always looking to adjust my work and how I approach it. My priority is living and learning from my experiences, peers and mentors.
Was it luck or strategy that helped you find success?
Definitely the strategy of not being complacent. Not waiting for the phone to ring. Not waiting for
my agent to contact me. Being proactive is the simplest way to find success. Reaching out to your peers, contacting industry personnel, sending emails, making calls. Doing whatever it takes to get noticed and to be relevant.
Did you ever give up hope that you’d make it?
Each and everyday I need to continue to tell myself there’s hope. Even after being a series regular for three seasons it hasn’t gotten easier. I’m currently having to start all over again in order to find consistent work in this business. But as I mentioned earlier, it won’t fall on my lap. The grind is real - but necessary.
What was your worst experience in this business?
I would have to go all the way back to my short but painful “non-union” days. I had booked my first ever commercial. Without enough knowledge - I was expected to buzz right down the middle of my head. Too rub salt in the wound, my face was cut out from the frame, so you would never even know it was me. My pay? 500 bucks. My agent called and yelled at them and it became $1000. I was appreciative of my agent for advocating and supporting me.
Advice to someone just starting out?
What project are you most proud of?
Set goals and have a plan. Whether it be a vision board, a 5 year plan, journal or voice note. Keep busy, keep driving and USE YOUR RESOURCES. Reach out to peers and always seek advice. More importantly, when you find success, stay humble. Remember the difference of a new actor and the journey of being recognized in the acting world. At the end of the day, talent is only a small percentage of the journey. Being a good person, and easy to work with will give your career longevity.
“Moonshine” is by far the BEST and most memorable experience I have ever had in this
business. I was finally cast as a series recurring in a series led by powerhouse Showrunner,
Sheri Elwood. My character evolved in so many ways including but not limited to- name
changes, stunts, singing, dancing, love interests, slip and slides, leopard print underwear...what
was I talking about again? We filmed in beautiful Hubbards, Nova Scotia and I was in awe of the talent that surrounded me. My cast mates were unbelievably talented, but more importantly easy to work with and selfless on set. There were no egos each and every day. Three Seasons later, I know I’ll have a hard time finding a role to fill that void.
Was Reelworld instrumental in your career? AND/OR Did Reelworld inspire you in any way?
Tell us about your next project.
Reelworld has helped me along my journey in so many ways, including this absolute gobsmacking award. To share this honour with the other 5 artists has me chuffed. Back in 2017 - I led a mandate called the YEAA (Young Emerging Artists Assembly) Shorts program. It was a subsidiary of ACTRA, our union, and we chose 8-10 actors (playing age under 30) to create their own short films. Reelworld became a major partner, as each film had the honour of screening at the festival. I was also a member of Reelworld’s Emerging 20 Artists - where I was given the opportunity to workshop my own project in front of other industry professionals. This gave me an invaluable amount of experience that I am forever grateful for.
Moonshine is currently making its US rounds on The CW. Season 1 has finished airing and
Season 2 will follow in 2024. All 3 seasons can be found streaming on demand on CBC GEM in
Canada. I play Oscar Wallace, who’s an undercover RCMP accounting officer who’s investigating the Finley-Cullens for funny business. Safe to say he gets caught up in their world. The world of the show is a fusion of Schitt’s Creek and Succession.
Give us a quote that will inspire emerging talent.
What are you most proud of in your career?
“Laugh now. Cry Later.”
Transitioning my career from incredibly typecasted roles in a very short time to more traditional and appropriate parts. I stood firm in my values, and refused auditions that unreasonably asked for accents and started to diversify my credits and my portrayal on the screen and stage. My imdb is a perfect piece of evidence if you start from the beginning to end of the character
names.