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George Canyon lands 'Trailer Park'
By TARA MERRIN - Sun Media
George
Canyon is leaving Okotoks and heading to the trailer park.
The country music star will appear on two back-to-back episodes
of Trailer Park Boys, starting tomorrow night, in the role of
an American forest ranger who protects a colony of North American
beavers.
"It's funny because the character takes this very seriously
-- it's his whole world," says Canyon, who is staying tight-lipped
about the details of the story line.
"What I can tell you is I am training a young guy, my sidekick,
who is played by (folk artist) Dave Gunning. We grew up together
in Nova Scotia and we are like brothers, so it was just really
funny to do this together. We were in tears half the time laughing."
When Canyon, who is famous for his clean-cut image, was first
asked to take on the role, he hesitated.
He says, while he wanted to get back into acting, he was concerned
about the raunchy nature of the show.
"I said, 'Sure guys, but you know who I am -- I'm the family
man. I don't curse and swear and even if I'm acting, it doesn't
matter. I won't jeopardize the person I am for that.' So they
said of course and when they wrote the character, it was dead
on the money.
"My character on that show is an upstanding character.
I am the good guy."
Canyon has known Mike Smith, a.k.a. Bubbles, since they competed
against each other in a battle of the bands as teenagers, but
they didn't reconnect until last year.
When Canyon was casting his video for Drinkin' Thinkin' he invited
Smith to play his Bubbles character in the video, which became
a huge success on CMT Canada.
Smith then returned the favour by inviting Canyon to appear
on Trailer Park Boys, which was taped late last year.
"If you are going to watch the show just to see me and
you are not used to the show, just take a breath and understand
where the comedy is coming from," he says.
"This is a television show on Showcase.
"It is edgy comedy and it is extremely funny once you get
past the language, but kids should not be watching."
Tomorrow night's Trailer Park Boys episode airs on Showcase
at 10 p.m. and also features Canadian rocker Sebastian Bach.
Canyon is spending his summer touring North America and Europe
with a show slated at Calgary's Deerfoot Inn and Casino on July
6.
In the fall, he'll take on the staring role in a yet-to-be-named
feature film.
"We have a movie we are hopefully looking at shooting this
fall. It's a cowboy movie and I am actually the lead good guy,"
he says, adding a location for the film has yet to be decided.
"I know there was talk of shooting some of it in Alberta,
but I'm not sure if that is going to happen.
"To be honest, I am just tickled pink to be in a movie."
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