EMBRACING WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE HATED…ON SCREEN

Canadian actor PJ Johal is an affable and charming person. It’s disturbing to watch him as Farid Singh in “The Guard.” It’s almost like seeing someone’s evil twin. Statements like this during an interview cause Johal to smile, which is disconcerting in its own way due to his portrayal of Singh. The duplicitous character in this Canadian drama series is someone whom most viewers would find despicable, which again makes the actor smile. Being so pleasant in his personal life and so menacing on screen means that he is doing his job properly.  An actor must believe that the evil intentions of their character are based in as much truth and reality as the inclination in helping or saving someone. The difference is that one is insane but the character only judges logical actions/reasoning within the given circumstances of the character’s life and environment. “The Guard” is a Canadian television production about the heroic men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard…and heroes need a villain. Farid was one of the most hated characters to appear on the show, and therefore a favorite among other cast members, writers, and the production team. This celebrated TV show has been on the air for nearly a decade and has won numerous recognitions including Leo and Gemini awards. The success and notoriety of this program also meant acclaim for PJ in his portrayal, which is yet another reason you’ll find this actor smiling a lot. - read our article on The Crazy Mind magazine