Murree Tyler

Article by Kathleen Hay
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September 16, 2008

THE PLAY'S THE THING - Or the musical or the film work or the television, for that matter, when it comes to Tyler Murree's career as an actor. The South Lancaster fellow pursued drama for a career after graduating from St. Joseph's Secondary School, and hasn't looked back. Now based in Toronto, one of the things he loves best is when he's
able to sneak a few days back home with his family.

Tyler Murree might have been born in Point Claire, but one of his favourite things to do in life is chill with his family. His family - including his folks, Patrick and Melanie, and siblings, Patricia, David and Shana - moved to Cornwall, then South Lancaster, where Tyler was raised. He attended Immaculate Conception School, then St. Joseph's Secondary School, where he landed a role in its production of Godspell.

He always loved to make people laugh, and began performing with Glen Productions in Into the Woods (Jack) - one of his all-time favourite roles - as well as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Benjamin).

When he graduated from high school - no less, as valedictorian he pursued drama studies at Queen's University. It was during this time he began working professionally. While studying during the day, he spent his evenings as a company member with Theatre Kingston. During the summer months, he performed with several Canadian summer stock theatres, as well as two summers in Vermont with the Weston Playhouse.

In autumn 2002, Tyler moved to Toronto where he's worked on a variety of projects with The Second City, Canadian Stage Company Theatre by the Bay and Ross Petty Productions. In 2005, he was cast as Disney's newest villain, Franco DiFortuillato, in the musical Twice. Charmed:- An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story, plus his voice was featured on the original cast recording.

Tyler can often be seen on television commercials, most recently Tim Hortons gourmet cookie where he raises one in awe to the music of Beethoven's Ode to Joy. As well, he's done ads for Chevrolet, Coors Light, ' h Best Buy, Listerine, Hershey, Nicorette, Febreeze and TSN. In addition to film and television work, he's performed with the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, and appeared in the world premiere production of The Lord of the . Rings: The Musical, in Toronto.

Currently, he's entering his second year performing as Stan in the North American premiere of Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Currently, he's entering his second year performing as Stan ill the North American premiere of Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage, at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, also in Toronto.

Q1. What was your childhood ambition? Just to get attention. I did impressions of my grandmother's dog, Freddy, for two years when I was four or five, She was a mutt. She'd bury things with her nose and do her little while. I've never stopped doing impressions.

Q2. When did you realize you wanted to be an actor? I used to watch old movies and movie musicals with my mom. It looked like so much fun. Movies like White Christmas, or any Fred and Ginger movie. To this day, I adore Gene Kelly: He made dancing very masculine. That's one of my regrets to this day is not taking dance lessons: It's all about the old Hollywood idea of sweeping a girl off her feet.

Q3. What was your very first time on stage? In second grade at Immaculate Conception, I played the Ghost of Christmas Future. I did not have any lines. Chris Evans was Scrooge. He was excellent. I remember my part because my teacher, whose name escapes me right now, had a blue Batman cape. I got to wear that as the ghost. Even then, I just loved it. It felt natural. And Batman's cape, this is good.

Q4. If there was a movie about Tyler Murree, what actor would you like to portray you? Michael Keaton. When you spend your entire life being compared to Fred Savage or Steve Guttenburg, and as I've aged I've started getting compared to John C. Reilly or Michael Keaton. Of those four, Michael is the leading man. After being a Hobbit for a year, any comparison to a leading man type is a welcome change.

Q5. Have you ever corpsed onstage?
Yes. Frequently: The worst was when another actor had the liberty to ad-lib a certain line. Once she ad-libbed it, our job was to repeat the line. One day, without thinking, she made an unmistakable sexual innuendo, and we had to repeat it. As it turned out, the cast was laughing harder than the audience, and our shoulders were shaking trying to hold it in. The fourth wall was broken, which in certain lines, is not okay, but it was a legitimate mistake. If you let the moment happen in this together, you share it with the audience because no one is being fooled. Then it's easier to move one. (Stuff) happens. Give or take 330 performances of Dirty Dancing something happens, and the audience doesn't know a thing.

Q6. What's your greatest fear as an actor? Not working. I think the moment it starts going away, is when you're dead in the water. I'm not really afraid of unemployment. We work better when we're hungry and afraid. I guess my biggest fear as an actor is not having a fear.

Q7. What teacher has made the greatest difference in your life? There have been so many, but from this community, Helen McAlear. She was the person who kicked my from early on, and never accepted mediocrity: And she has supported me to this day, and for that I'm eternally grateful. She never took any of my bullshoot. I'll thank her to my last breath.

Q8. What's it like going to a professional audition?
Different now than in the I beginning. I used to get nervous around everyone. Now it depends on who's behind the table. If it's a commercial, it's usually a casting director, but if it's a Stratford or Shaw show, or a big Toronto show, with a few months of income, I'm more nervous.

Q9. Who would you thank if you won a Dora Award? I'd start off with, because this is business, my agents, producers and directors. Once you finish with the politics, that's when you thank your cast. You're only as good as the actors you work with onstage. But mostly my family. I'd save them for last because they deserve the last word.

Q10. What part did you really want that you didn't get? I've auditioned for Stratford a few times, and not been given a callback. Stratford's the goal.

Q11. What's the most difficult aspect of filming a television commercial? Staying awake. The shortest amount of time I was ever onset was 1.5 hours. Huge exception to the rule. For a 30 second commercial you're usually on-set about 10 hours. For the Tim Horton's cookie one, it was 14 hours. You got to repeat the same actions with the same energy with the same words.

Q 12. If you weren't acting, what would you do for a living? I'd probably be teaching. Not sure what. Maybe drama, history or English.

Q13. What do you remember most about Sir Peter Ustinov? He was the most ferociously intelligent and kindhearted man I've ever met in my life. I say that without exaggeration. He was a sweet man. It was two of the greatest learning weeks of my life.

Q14. Is there anything you'd have done differently in your career? No

Q15. What did it feel like to get your first pay cheque as a professional actor ? I don't recall. I mostly celebrated with a pizza. It was for the Picton Summer Festival in 1999. The first day of rehearsal was my 20th birthday. It was a vaudeville style show called A Little of Wot You Fancy.

Q16. What is most critical for an aspiring actor to learn? Everything. Think of the art in relation to the art of painting. Sometimes all you need is black and white, more often than not if you have a large palette of colours, you can create a more layered intricate piece of work. If you think each experience of life as colour on a palette board, you'll see what I mean.

Q17. What would be your ultimate role? I have a list of roles I'd like to play. They're for different reasons and all very different roles. Not so much specific, but the ultimate spectrum of roles.

Q18. Would you ever consider television or film work? I've done television and film work; that's where the money is, so I'd never not consider it. But I'd always go back to theatre. It's the interaction of the audience, there's something liberating about the idea of something going wrong.

Q19. What are you known for in the kitchen? This is nothing special, but my Tango Club Sandwich. Just the greatest club sandwich in Toronto. I'm giving away my secrets! There are several people in Cornwall who can tell you I make the greatest club sandwich in the world. "

Q20. What do you love most about Toronto? I love being a Montreal Canadiens fan in Toronto!