Demore Barnes
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Demore Barnes was a shy student at Sir Oliver Mowat High School in
Toronto when some friends cajoled him into hosting the school's
Christmas assembly. The performance was a hit, giving Barnes the
confidence to try out for Squawk Box, a sketch comedy show on YTV.
(Canada's version of Nickelodeon) He was eighteen years old, and it was
his first professional audition. He got the job. And the beginning of a
career in acting was launched. The show lasted one season, by which
time Barnes knew he wanted to pursue acting as a career. He applied to
Ryerson University's theatre program, but a successful audition for the
CBC kids show," Street Cents", sidetracked his academic aspirations.
He spent the next three seasons on the show doing sketch comedy.
"Street Cents" allowed him to hone his comedic talents, but he felt the
need to expand his range and challenge himself. For a while, that
something else was a series roles in television and movies and cable
shows, including a turn as the tribal warrior, Mudo on the nationally
syndicated Tia Carrere show," Relic Hunter." Also, in the television
movies, "White Lies", with Sarah Polley and Lynn Redgrave, "Second
String" starring Jon Voight, "Blackout" with Jane Seymour In less than
a year, Barnes was cast as Benjamin Hardaway on "The Associates", and
thrust into a media maelstrom. For that role, Demore was nominated for
two consecutive years for the Gemini award (Canada's equivalent of
Emmy) as Best Lead Actor in a drama series. In addition, Demore was the
winner of the BFV and Black Film Award for best performance in a
dramatic series.
"The Associates" lasted two seasons, after which Demore he was ready
for a big change: moving to Los Angeles It was a tough decision, but it
was clear at that point that the roles that Demore was seeking were
often cast long before they came to Canada. It was a huge decision for
someone with such close ties to family and friends, who loved his
career and his country, but the next logical step, nonetheless.
Demore arrived in Los Angeles in January 2003. He fully expected to
step off the plane and start working; after all, that was always the
case. Everything had fallen into his lap. This was not the case. What
did fall into his lap, however, was an opportunity to work with the
acting coach Larry Moss. Once again, he was in the right place at the
right time. One phone call and he was in. Demore had no idea how
extraordinarily difficult it was to be accepted into a class with the
man for whom there was always a one year waiting list. For the first
time, Demore was having an opportunity to study acting. He studied and
waited and believed in himself. As a Canadian with no working papers he
had to wait for the right project and the right role.
And then came The Unit. After Demore's first audition for David Mamet,
Mamet looked up at him and said, what you just did there is what they
call demanding the part. You just demanded that part". Demore's
response was decidedly Demore, "Well, I do want the part, David". And
the rest as they say, was history.
Toronto when some friends cajoled him into hosting the school's
Christmas assembly. The performance was a hit, giving Barnes the
confidence to try out for Squawk Box, a sketch comedy show on YTV.
(Canada's version of Nickelodeon) He was eighteen years old, and it was
his first professional audition. He got the job. And the beginning of a
career in acting was launched. The show lasted one season, by which
time Barnes knew he wanted to pursue acting as a career. He applied to
Ryerson University's theatre program, but a successful audition for the
CBC kids show," Street Cents", sidetracked his academic aspirations.
He spent the next three seasons on the show doing sketch comedy.
"Street Cents" allowed him to hone his comedic talents, but he felt the
need to expand his range and challenge himself. For a while, that
something else was a series roles in television and movies and cable
shows, including a turn as the tribal warrior, Mudo on the nationally
syndicated Tia Carrere show," Relic Hunter." Also, in the television
movies, "White Lies", with Sarah Polley and Lynn Redgrave, "Second
String" starring Jon Voight, "Blackout" with Jane Seymour In less than
a year, Barnes was cast as Benjamin Hardaway on "The Associates", and
thrust into a media maelstrom. For that role, Demore was nominated for
two consecutive years for the Gemini award (Canada's equivalent of
Emmy) as Best Lead Actor in a drama series. In addition, Demore was the
winner of the BFV and Black Film Award for best performance in a
dramatic series.
"The Associates" lasted two seasons, after which Demore he was ready
for a big change: moving to Los Angeles It was a tough decision, but it
was clear at that point that the roles that Demore was seeking were
often cast long before they came to Canada. It was a huge decision for
someone with such close ties to family and friends, who loved his
career and his country, but the next logical step, nonetheless.
Demore arrived in Los Angeles in January 2003. He fully expected to
step off the plane and start working; after all, that was always the
case. Everything had fallen into his lap. This was not the case. What
did fall into his lap, however, was an opportunity to work with the
acting coach Larry Moss. Once again, he was in the right place at the
right time. One phone call and he was in. Demore had no idea how
extraordinarily difficult it was to be accepted into a class with the
man for whom there was always a one year waiting list. For the first
time, Demore was having an opportunity to study acting. He studied and
waited and believed in himself. As a Canadian with no working papers he
had to wait for the right project and the right role.
And then came The Unit. After Demore's first audition for David Mamet,
Mamet looked up at him and said, what you just did there is what they
call demanding the part. You just demanded that part". Demore's
response was decidedly Demore, "Well, I do want the part, David". And
the rest as they say, was history.