Writing Student Lands Role in Kevin Hart & Woody Harrelson’s Action Comedy ‘The Man From Toronto’
Andres Jaramillo is set to share some screen time with a couple of major Hollywood heavyweights during his feature film debut in The Man From Toronto.
The fifth-term Writing for Film & TV student recently won a part acting opposite Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson in the Sony action comedy, which recently began shooting here in Toronto.
“I am loving it…It’s my first time acting with big, big, big, big names, so I’m excited to meet them and to have the chance to see both the human side and the artist parts of them,” Jaramillo said of his role in the movie, which he’s scheduled to start filming in mid-October.
“It’s going to be an experience that I’m so ready to enjoy and embrace – that’s probably why I’m not nervous or trying to calm myself down emotionally. I’m just so excited about it.”
Directed by Patrick Hughes (The Hitman’s Bodyguard), The Man From Toronto follows the chaos that ensues when the world’s deadliest assassin (Harrelson) and New York’s biggest screw-up (Hart) are mistaken for each other at an Airbnb rental.
While Jaramillo had to remain tight-lipped about the specifics of his big acting break, he was able to divulge that he will be playing a tailor who upsets Harrelson’s assassin character in a scene involving both the film’s stars.
“He’s going to yell at me, and I have to be really, really intimidated by him. But it’s an action comedy, so my comedic timing will come in handy,” laughed Jaramillo, who’s typically more drawn to antagonistic roles than amusing ones.
“It’s more fun to be a bad person, because in real life, in my real nature, I am not. I am as nice as any good Canadian, but once you give me the chance to be bad, holy, you better watch out.”
Born in Colombia, Jaramillo is a self-described dancer, musician, host and promoter who’s love of acting ultimately brought him to Toronto Film School to study screenwriting.
“Acting is actually where all the arts meet…it is the most compelling way to connect with your audience,” he said, noting his biggest role before The Man From Toronto was a lead in an episode of the drama-doc series, Paranormal 911.
“But you can’t just stay in one place, you need to go higher and higher every day. And after acting and having gigs in Los Angeles, California and also here in Toronto, I decided to take it to the next level, and not only be the actor, but also be the one who creates the content. So that’s why I decided to go for screenwriting.”
Once his Writing for Film & TV studies at Toronto Film School are complete, Jaramillo’s ultimate plan is to let his “creativity explode and expand” and start writing his own material for the screen.
In the meantime, he’s more than happy to ride his first Hollywood role – “where the whole world will be able to see my work, my craft, my achievement” – as far as it will take him.
“It’s been a beautiful, beautiful time for me – and I know it’s the just first one. There’s going to be more (movies), so I’m just gonna make this the best experience I can,” he said.
“I’m going to enjoy it, learn as much as I can, and definitely just be myself…and that’s going to be the beautiful part of it.”
For those hoping to one day follow in Jaramillo’s Silver Screen footsteps, he offered the following piece of wisdom: Dreams have no expiry date.
“Life experience makes us better actors, makes us better in everything we do. Time is not your enemy, time is part of your process. Your growth depends on time and how you embrace it,” he said, urging all aspiring artists to pursue their passions without hesitance.
“The world needs your creativity, the world needs your passion, your labour, it needs your commitment, your time, your smile…And once you start, we all win.”
