South African actor Shannon Kook has been named one of this year’s TIFF Rising Stars – Alexandre Landry, Sophie Desmarais, and Julia Sarah Stone were also chosen.
A graduate of the prestigious National Theatre School of Canada, Kook began his career on the stage at Factory Theatre and at the Citadel Theatre, where he starred in the Dora-nominated production of “The Forbidden Phoenix.” Entering the world of television proved a natural fit for Shannon, where he made guest appearances on the popular CBC series “The Border” and “Being Erica,” Disney XD’s “Aaron Stone,” and the award-winning HBO series “Durham County.” He also appeared as a new recruit in Global’s hit show “Rookie Blue,” and starred in the Emmy-nominated series “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” playing the role of athlete Zane for three seasons.
Kook’s first major film break came when he was cast in a supporting role in James Wan’s 2013 box-office hit “The Conjuring.” He was also cast opposite TIFF Rising Stars alumna Cara Gee in Peter Stebbings’ “Empire of Dirt,” which was an Official Selection of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. Kook’s next projects include the upcoming adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s best-selling 2009 thriller “Dark Places,” which also stars Chloë Moretz, Charlize Theron, Christina Hendricks, Nicholas Hoult and Corey Stoll.
TIFF begins this Thursday and runs until September 14th.
Photo: Shannon Kook/Twitter
