A young Filipino Canadian has made his acting debut on CBC’s original comedy, ‘Son of a Critch.’
Mark Rivera is playing a lead role in the real-life story of Canadian comedian, actor, and writer, Mark Critch, back in the 80s in St. John’s Newfoundland.
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“I didn’t believe it at first. I thought I never got the role, but surprisingly, the production chose me. I portrayed the role of a Filipino boy named Ritche Perez. He is a painfully shy kid and he wants to fit in with the other kids at the school but he’s being bullied because of his color and ethnicity. He is the second to the least favorite in the school with Mark Critch being the first least favorite in the school. Over time, he developed this deep friendship with Mark,” Rivera said as his parents shared their excitement over their son’s big break.
Rivera’s mother Marissa said, they were’nt expecting it. “He doesn’t really wanna be an actor because it’s not his forte. He’s a singer, he’s a musician. But then we tried it. We submitted the self-tape video and then he got a call back. I told him probably they saw something in you that we haven’t seen.”
