Tod Fennell: ain’t no mountain high enough

There aren’t many 25 year-olds who can claim to have been a banker, a 16th century ninja, a fugitive, a museum curator and a cult member in their lifetime. Todd Fennell is one of them. A Montreal born and raised actor, he’s been performing for over 20 years, exploring the classic film and TV realms but also a less expected branch of the entertainment family, the video game industry. “Being on set is exhilarating,” says Fennell in an e-mail exchange with NIGHTLIFE. “However, recording in a sound booth is much more relaxed. It’s cozy and you can even play roles that look nothing like you, like a 7-foot, 300 pound warrior from ancient times. Something I wouldn’t get cast for in a live film, given that I’m 5’8".”

Beginning as a child actor, Fennell worked his way into the YTV family, and got to star in the beloved 90s cult TV shows Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark. These eventually led to bigger roles with bigger co-stars. For instance, playing opposite James Brolin in The Reagans and Morgan Freeman in Levity, from whom he learned a key thespian lesson: “how to be professional while not taking yourself too seriously at the same time.”

Without a doubt, becoming a respected actor takes more than memorizing lines and showing up on set, and Fennell is most definitely up for going the extra mile, which includes gaining weight for a role. “I’ve always kind of hoped they’d ask me to gain weight. I’ve got it all planned out, I’d train like an athlete in a strong man competition. 2-3 rep sets and eat tons of food. No junk food though, just tons of meat and pasta. I’d love it.” For one of his latest projects, the kung-fu movie Wushu Warrior, he even lost 20 pounds and got to star alongside Max Headroom and Matt Frewer. “It was one of my favourite projects. I got to travel to Shanghai for 6 weeks, I was actually paid to take private lessons in Wushu – a style of kung fu – and I got to do most of my own stunts including wire work.”

It also made him recognize something absolutely crucial about his future. “When we all watched the final product, I then realized I could do anything if I really put my mind to it and that making movies was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” Okay, so Todd may have found his true calling, but what might that mean for the type of characters he wishes to play next? “To be honest, I’ve always wanted to do a super-hero flick. And with how many movies Marvel is producing now, it’s starting to look like a possibility.”

Despite not having a tall, leading man figure, Todd has no qualms about building an career abroad, for instance in the States. Whatever the role asks for, wherever the wind blows, Fennell is aiming high, and it’s downright refreshing. “Ideally, I’d move out there and land a role as a regular on a television show or a major role in a film opposite someone well established in the industry as soon as possible. I’ve got some friends out there to stay with, some from Canada and some from down there. It works out well too because pilot season is in the winter, so I’d have an excuse to skip the -30 degree weather we get here in Montreal!”

 
Wushu Warrior | Now available on DVD
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