Why is Vancouver actor John Emmet Tracy regularly called upon to portray duplicitous, sinister, and evil characters? His lengthy filmography includes poisonous characters like August Cartwright on Batwoman and Enzo Lambert on iZombie, and cunning characters like lawyer Ellis Steele on Yellowstone and Pallas on Olympus. Perhaps he’s so often cast as the villain because he inevitably infuses these despicable characters with some measure of humanity, so that you as a viewer feel even more scared and more betrayed when he inevitably leans into his dark side.

In this thoughtful and fascinating conversation, John and Sabrina discuss the mechanics of evil, and the joys and challenges of portraying duplicitous and sinister characters. John – who was recently nominated for a UBCP/ACTRA Best Actor Award for his work in the critically acclaimed feature film, Open For Submissions – discusses his journey from kid magician in Chicago to Shakespeare stages around the world to the Vancouver screen scene, why his mother isn’t a big fan of his filmography, and what he’s learned observing Kevin Costner on the set of Yellowstone. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA