A new take on a Shakespeare classic has set the scene for Max Parker to take Hollywood by storm.<\/p>\n
The third-year Brock student is ready to make his mark with moviegoers in his breakthrough role playing Benvolio in Juliet & Romeo<\/em><\/a>, which premieres in theatres across Canada later this month.<\/p>\n The musical, from acclaimed filmmaker Timothy Scott Bogart, boasts a star-studded cast, including Rebel Wilson as Lady Capulet and Jason Isaacs as Lord Montague.<\/p>\n Majoring in Studies in Arts and Culture (STAC), including courses in Dramatic Arts (DART) at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA), Parker said his studio work at Brock helped him to hone his acting skills.<\/p>\n \u201cMy classes helped me realize the physicality in acting to prepare me for a role like Benvolio; a character who is always worried, weary and cautious,\u201d he said. \u201cI would not have played the role to the best of my abilities if it hadn\u2019t been for all my training in the arts and at Brock.\u201d<\/p>\n Driven to grow as an artist, Parker was signed by his acting agent in 2022 and thrown into a world of creating audition tapes while also studying full time at the University\u2019s downtown arts school.<\/p>\n An accomplished musician whose debut album<\/a>, including a chart-climbing single, was followed by the 2024 release of the song \u201cRush<\/a>,\u201d<\/em> Parker\u2019s musical ascension has rocketed over the past few years.<\/p>\n Currently working on a self-written and produced project, Parker also continues to work alongside award-winning Canadian and American producers such as Derek Hoffman (Arkells), John Nathaniel (OneRepublic) and Justin Gray (Mariah Carey, Avril Lavigne), who is also a music producer alongside songwriter Evan Bogart (Beyonc\u00e9) for the film\u2019s soundtrack.<\/p>\n It was a special moment when he broke the news to Associate Professor Danielle Wilson and retired Associate Professor Gyllian Raby that he had been cast in the feature film, which resulted in rescinding his role in the DART mainstage production that year.<\/p>\n A dedicated, straight-A student his whole life, Parker was heartbroken to let them down.<\/p>\n \u201cThey stared at me for a minute before erupting with joy and said, \u2018you are going to act in a movie!\u2019 I am forever grateful for their warmth and positivity, that vote of confidence will always stay with me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Parker took key lessons with him while shooting on location in Italy, harnessing meditative and body breathwork skills from Wilson\u2019s voice and speech class, which helped him stay grounded.<\/p>\n \u201cProfessor Wilson let me know she was just a phone call away, and that really shows how caring Brock is,\u201d he said. \u201cI felt comfortable, safe and supported to have this life-changing experience.\u201d<\/p>\n