As a child, Alexis-Marie Chin says she was a drama queen — but not in a bad way. She memorised and recited lines from her favourite movies and experimented with accents. Her love for film led her from Trinidad to Canada, where she now works for major shows and streaming services.
But Alexis’ journey to film was far from a straight line. After earning a business management degree from Boston University, she was expected to return home to work with her family’s business. Instead, she wondered: What more could I explore in the US? She took an acting class and weaselled her way onto the set of the 2012 movie Here Comes the Boom as a background actor.
Her first time on set was a dream, with its bright lights and big cameras, swarming directors and celebrity actors — Kevin James, Salma Hayek, Henry Winkler.
“Henry Winkler was right in front of me,” she says. “I think that was the first time I ever got starstruck.”Alexis knew then that she wanted to pursue principal acting. But when she finished university in 2014 and returned home, there weren’t many local opportunities in movies and television.
She set her sights on North America again, studying at the Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts, then signing with Lucas Talent, a top talent agency which connected her to casting agencies and the tough, not-so-diverse world of auditioning.
