The Show
We’re living through an explosion of
Indigenous film & TV.
New episodes every month*
Reservation Dogs. Seeds. Rutherford Falls. Prey. There’s even an Uncle and Auntie thriving in The Last of Us apocalypse.
We wanted a podcast where Indigenous actors could share what it was like to bring these shows to life and talk about their journeys on- and off-screen. But we couldn’t find one.
From the belly of “Hollywood North”** comes Actors & Ancestors! A film & TV podcast made specifically with Indigenous actors in mind.
Every month on the show, host and creator Joel D. Montgrand makes space for other Indigenous actors to tell their own stories on their own terms, laugh out loud, and offer their advice to industry hopefuls.
With outstanding guests like Wes Studi (The Last of the Mohicans), Kali Reis (True Detective: Night Country), and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs), this show aims to support Indigenous actors and inspire industry change while uplifting communities across Turtle Island and beyond.
** the unceded and stolen xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories.
It’s time to roll out the Red Red Carpet for the award-winning Actors & Ancestors! Available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app.
Supported by the Indigenous Screen Office
*Every month-ish :)
Why does Actors & Ancestors exist?
In a world where representation often comes in the form of harmful tropes and stereotypes or racist sports mascots, Indigenous people bringing fresh narratives to life deserve the spotlight.
Here’s where Actors & Ancestors comes in.
There is no other dedicated podcast where Indigenous actors get to talk to each other about their struggles, their triumphs, or how they made it to the screen.
With his signature wit and candour, Joel D. Montgrand chats with a different Indigenous actor every episode to learn about their stories and perspectives on a changing industry.
Every actor has a great story to tell so get ready for lively conversations tackling topics from “pretendians”, what it means to be an Indigenous celebrity, and systemic racism in the industry to lighthearted chats about nicknames, peanut butter, and embarrassing first times on stage.
On Actors & Ancestors we’ll discuss what inspires these actors to do their work (and do it well!), and laugh about their experiences on- and off-set. You’ll leave each episode feeling inspired and excited for the future of Indigenous entertainment.