Canada-India tensions spark travel concerns among members of Indian diaspora
As tensions escalate between India and Canada, some in the Indian diaspora say they're concerned about how the situation might affect travel between the two countries.
Matt Berry has spent six years playing a suburban New York vampire but he will forever associate "What We Do in The Shadows" with Toronto, where the acclaimed series was filmed.
"For me, it's a Canadian show and a Canadian experience," the British actor said in a recent interview from London. "If ever anybody mentions 'What We Do in The Shadows,' that's the first thing that kind of comes to my mind."
As the final season of FX's mockumentary-style show about four Staten Island vampire roommates premieres next week on Disney Plus in Canada, Berry and his co-stars are reflecting on the time they spent in Toronto each year – and how they made the city their second home.
For Berry, 50, a growing familiarity with Toronto meant frequenting his favourite record stores and food hot spots.
"You just become kind of fond of somewhere ... I think it helps that the reason why I'm going there, you know, is a positive one. It's because I'm going to do a show that I enjoy doing," said the actor, whose portrayal of the pompous, aristocratic vampire Laszlo Cravensworth earned him an Emmy nod.
Mexican-American actor Harvey Guillén, who plays another vampire's human assistant Guillermo de la Cruz on the show, said he found his home away from home in Toronto's Kensington Market.
"I would get my tortillas from there," Guillen said in a video call from Los Angeles. "I literally would go shopping there to get my stuff that made me feel not homesick. Stuff like that made me feel like, ‘OK, I live here now, I'm a part of this community too’."
The 34-year-old even trekked to a mass vaccination clinic in the city during the COVID-19 pandemic to get his shot in the spring of 2021.
"I remember going to this racetrack and the lines were outside and there were scattered people in between and someone thought it was a good idea to have a live jazz band lighten the mood," he said of the setup.
Over the show's six seasons – which follow its undead protagonists' clashes with the modern world – the cast and crew became very close, Guillén said.
"What We Do in the Shadows" is based on the 2014 film of the same name by New Zealand filmmakers Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, who also serve as executive producers on the show. The series, which also stars Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou and Mark Proksch, satirizes vampire tropes such as blending in with regular people, avoiding the sunlight and sleeping in coffins.
Berry said there was some initial uncertainty among the cast and crew about the show resonating with audiences, given the cult status of the movie that inspired it. But the series' success helped bring the team even closer, he said. The series garnered 29 Emmy nominations throughout the years, including three nods for outstanding comedy series, and received the Emmy for best fantasy or science fiction costumes in 2022.
"For it to continue and be nominated (for several awards) ... and all the other things that have happened to it, well, that adds to the shared experience," Berry said.
Guillén admitted he felt a "little sad" when he learned the show was coming to an end – especially since the news came on Christmas Eve and amid some turmoil in his personal life.
But the show is ending on a high note, while still popular, Berry said.
"Like all good things, I think they have to come to an end while they're still doing well," he said. "I think if you go on too long, then that can kind of damage the legacy that you've got."
Upcoming episodes find Guillén's character re-evaluating his life after a very brief stint as a vampire last season, while the vampires reflect on their lack of accomplishments when their former roommate reappears after "a 50-year nap."
The final season premieres Monday on FX, with new episodes streaming on Disney Plus Tuesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
As tensions escalate between India and Canada, some in the Indian diaspora say they're concerned about how the situation might affect travel between the two countries.
Shockwaves spread around the world Thursday at the death of Liam Payne, who shot to stardom as a member of British boy band One Direction and had to deal with intense global fame while still in his teens.
An Ontario woman is feeling uneasy after she received a sextortion email demanding she pay the fraudster US$1,900 in Bitcoin or risk having compromising photographs of herself shared with her loved ones.
The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development is investigating after an employee was found deceased at a Cambridge grocery store.
The U.S. military unleashed B-2 stealth bombers to target underground bunkers used by Yemen’s Houthi rebels early Thursday, a major escalation in the American response to the rebels' attacks on Mideast shipping lanes that appeared to be a warning to Iran as well.
Mounties have released startling new details about their investigation into the disappearance of Amber Manthorne, who was reported missing on Vancouver Island more than two years ago, and is believed to have met with foul play.
U.S. vice-presidential candidate JD Vance said "no," former U.S. president Donald Trump did not lose the 2020 election "by the words" the Ohio Republican would use, when asked Wednesday what message it sends to independent voters that he has not directly answered that question.
Liberal MPs who have spent the last 10 days organizing to ask Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step aside from the leadership of the Liberal party plan to plead their case directly to him at next Wednesday's caucus.
Two people robbed an Ontario convenience store at knifepoint. One of them, police say, was wearing a Halloween costume.
An Ottawa man was arrested after taking a shower in a stranger's house, Ottawa police say.
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) Chef Paul Natrall, the man behind Indigenous food truck Mr. Bannock, is bringing cooking classes on First Nations fare to schools and offices throughout Metro Vancouver.
The Celtic Colours Festival is taking place at venues around Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia from Oct. 11 to 19.
Sometimes love is written in the stars, but for one couple, it’s written in the aurora borealis.
Canadian hip hop artist Dillan King says running 100 marathons in 100 days was not only the hardest thing he has ever done, but the 'proudest accomplishment' of his entire life.
James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.
This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of a large blizzard that paralyzed Manitoba.
There was an eye-catching mix of rainbows and lightning over Vancouver following a brief downpour this week.
Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.