Dwight Ireland; Always expanding his boundaries

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“If I’m remembered for having done a few good things, and if my presence here has sparked some good energies, that’s plenty.” Sidney Poitier

There are many difficulties presented to an individual who is actively working in show business; these difficulties are heightened when you are a black man working in the industry. We have had the pleasure of interviewing some great men for our new segment Classic Man; we have interviewed a Visual Communicator, two amazing Soca Dj’s, a world-famous mixologist, and this week, we would like to present to you, the handsome, tenacious, Dwight Ireland.

As an actor, Dwight is familiar with the hardships of being a working actor. The types of roles he has been asked to interpret, have often represented a limited view of black people and black culture. There might be less competition for these roles because there are a lot more white actors than black actors, but the opportunities to audition are still very limited. In addition to fewer opportunities, it is common to see actors of color being put into a box. Many are asked to act “black” and are often cast in “urban” roles like drug dealers, street thugs, pimps or hoes. Even with these difficulties, Dwight Ireland was destined to be great.

“Honesty and Integrity are the keys to building long-lasting relationships.”  Dwight Ireland

Dwight Ireland grew up in a middle-class neighborhood in Scarborough and moved to Markham at 15 years old. His parents noticed his talents at a young age, so they decided to enrol him in acting school. His promise for a bright future was swiftly noticed, and he had an opportunity to act in his first play, “Listen to the Wind.” After working in theatre for a while, and upon completion of university, Dwight decided to take up modeling as well so that he could broaden his professional horizons.  This helped him with the decision to make an international move; his first trip, South Africa.

The trip to South Africa was an eye-opening experience for Dwight; he learned why it was important to travel and get perspective about the world. When he had first moved to South Africa, there had recently been a boycott on magazines like Cosmopolitan, and GQ. They were now focused on black models, and you could find the cover of many of the magazines with black models on them. It was both perfect timing and opportunity for Dwight, and he took full advantage of it. Dwight experienced working with both black models, and white models, and it was then he questioned if North Americans truly understood the African way of life. Dwight admits that this trip truly opened his eyes when it came to African society, culture, and their way of life. Dwight’s next stop; New York!

Now that he had begun to travel more, Dwight was beginning to open himself up to contrasting experiences. New York was the mecca for modeling, and this is where he learned about community. After a week of living in New York and going to auditions, he experienced the word community on another level. He began to see the same people at different auditions, and they would invite him out for coffee, tea, drinks, and dinner; even though they were competing for the same jobs, they still took care of each other. Although he enjoyed his experience, New York was very expensive, so Dwight decided to head back to Toronto.

“In this business, you’re only competing against yourself” Dwight Ireland

Dwight decided to take a year off just to spend time on recuperating and reorganizing his life. He was in his early 30’s when Los Angeles was presented to him as an opportunity. He remembers having a conversation with a friend, and she told him about the opportunities that could be available to him in Los Angeles. After his year off, he decided that this would be his next move. When he arrived the first thing he learned was that not many people are actually born and raised in L.A. If you lived there, you had to be very comfortable in your own skin; you had to know what you wanted, and not be afraid to go out and get it. Unlike New York, it was a completely different scene; everyone you met was connected to the industry; people valued the connections they had and were not open to sharing them. What Dwight learned was that you would never know whether you or your dreams have what it takes until you give it a shot; this is why Los Angeles is a nexus for dreamers.

Dwight has put in the time and effort into shaping his craft, and it can be seen in the work that he has done. You might have seen him and not even have realized it. He has had roles in the following series and films:

• Nikita (TV series) Character: Evans – CIA Escort, 2013
• Beauty and the Beast (TV Series) Character: Businessman, 2014
• 12 Monkeys (TV Series) Character: Reporter, 2015
• Hannibal (TV Series) Character: Doctor, 2016
• Designated Survivor (Netflix Series) Character: White House Reporter, 2016 – 2019
• Nurses (New Fall Series) Character: Orthopaedic Surgeon, 2019

This determined and talented Classic Man extends his work outside the thespian realm; most recently he was the Associate Director of Speaking Engagements at Me to We Speakers and Free the Children, and has also developed his expertise for matching the right talent with the right event through the experiences he had working with musicians at SL Feldman & Associates. His advice to budding black male actors: build your craft, stay grounded and confident in everything that you do, and don’t be afraid to expand your boundaries.