Former Prince Albert man has Hollywood dreams

The next time Prince Albert residents turn on their television, they could see a very familiar face.

A man who grew up in Prince Albert is starring in a controversial show about life on First Nations.

The show, Blackstone, touches on some dark issues, like corrupt chiefs, misappropriation of funds and drug abuse.

“There are a lot of stories that are told through film and television that happen. Some of them seem pretty outrageous, but these stories come from people,” said Justin Rain.

He said he realizes that the show is a bit explicit.

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Rain's character “Alan Fraser” is the son of a corrupt chief.

Acting has not always been in Justin Rain's blood.

“I'll confess I used to laugh at the drama kids,” said Rain who graduated from St. Mary High School in Prince Albert.

Rain said that he now plans to further pursue his acting career and wants to move to Los Angeles.

He said there are not too many well-known First Nations actors.

“A question that I like to ask people when I go into an audition room, or am meeting new contacts, is who is your favourite Native American actor? Usually it is one of the five names that we all know. And that's when I come in and say I'd like to change that.”

He said he would like to follow in the footsteps of other First Nations actors as Adam Beach.

“He was working on Law and Order. He was not introduced as a native character. He was just a detective.”

Rain has not forgotten where he came from. He hopes to someday come back to Prince Albert and talk to high school kids.

“It is like a youth leadership project,” said Rain.

“Basically I will be just talking about myself and my own experiences with drugs and alcohol, losing friends because of suicide. And just really get the message in their heads that anything is possible.”

The show Blackstone can be seen Tuesday nights on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. You can also catch the show on Showcase.

nmaxwell@panow.com