Recently I was lucky enough to interview actor Dion Johnstone who has appeared in shows such as Stargate SG-1, Monk, King, and television production of The Tempest.  He has done work both in front of the camera and on stage, including The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Richard III. In this interview, he talks about what inspired him to become an actor, how acting both for television and on the stage helps his craft, his love for mythology, Shakespeare, and comics, the evolution of sci-fi and superhero genres, and how he has totally raised the bar for all boyfriends (take note, boys of the world!).

This interview was a lot of fun for me because Dion is so well spoken and intelligent. Check it out, kids, you might learn something.

Defective Geeks: What inspired you to become an actor?

Dion Johnstone: Initially I was living in Alberta during Junior High, and I played the trombone in the school jazz band and there was a local festival in town called “Citadel Teen Festival of the Arts”. Once a year at the Citadel Theater in Edmonton they would put on a nine day festival geared towards teenagers. They would have new plays written by local professional play writes, they would use full professional facilities, and it would be an all teenage cast. They would have battle of the bands, they would have art exhibits. It was a massive festival geared towards teenage talent. I auditioned as a trombone player because I was into music at the time and getting into a musical. It was a new musical called Planet of the Lost Swing Babes. I was playing a jazz musician because the story was basically about this famous jazz group called the “Swing Babes” and we’re off on a major concert that we are supposed to play at, but a storm happens. They get lost in the storm and then they wind up getting transported to Jupiter where they make friends with the aliens there and then play their music.

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