Colantoni hangs up his scrubs, looks to future projects

July 14, 2015 · 0 Comments

Nobleton’s Enrico Colantoni is shown from a scene of “The Colossal Failure of the Modern Relationship.”

By Mark Pavilons
Enrico Colantoni is quite the character.
If he’s not in character, the Nobleton actor has many of them running around inside his head.
Rico is mourning the cancellation of Global TV’s Remedy, a smart, genuine medical drama that spanned 20 episodes over two seasons.
The series starred Dillon Casey as Griffin Conner, a medical school dropout working as an orderly at the fictional Bethune General Hospital in Toronto, where his father Allen (Enrico Colantoni) is the chief of medical staff. The cast also included Genelle Williams, Sara Canning, Sarah Allen, Patrick McKenna, Catherine Disher, Matt Ward, and Martha Burns.
On May 22, show creator Greg Spottiswood, tweeted that Global had cancelled Remedy.
“It sucks,” Colantoni said of the show’s demise. “.. when we’re trying to do art and help everyone.”
He pointed out that such a Toronto-based show resulted in huge beneficial spinoffs, which was great for the industry.
The show was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for best dramatic series, but lost out to Orphan Black. It could very receive another nomination for its second (and final) season.
That’s the “Canadian irony,” Colantoni observed.
There was nothing sensational about Remedy – it was about family and relationships. If anything, the show may have been “too smart.”
While currently on the roller coaster ride between jobs that is an actor’s life, Colantoni is busy writing and working on a documentary.
He starred in the film “Colossal Failure of the Modern Relationship,” which he co-produced with Sergio Navarretta. Filmed in and around Niagara, this comedy-drama stars Krista Bridges (Heroes Reborn, Republic of Doyle), David Cubitt (Gemini Award winner for Traders) and Brooke Palsson (Between, Less Than Kind).
It’s funny and charming, a drama about modern relationships.
Navarretta was awarded the Castlepoint Numa Award for the film at the recent Italian Contemporary Film Festival held in Toronto. It also had its to debut at the Niagara Integrated Film Festival (NIFF).
Cat (Krista Bridges) has a mediocre job, a mundane social life and her relationship with Freddy (Enrico Colantoni) has been, uninspired. Richard (David Cubitt), Freddy’s boss, is charming, gregarious, astute, and shockingly self-confident – everything Freddy is not. Cat and Richard’s brief encounter evolves into an affair. Overwhelmed by her own guilt, she breaks it off to make a final, sincere attempt to reignite the flame with Freddy via a romantic trip to wine country.
Colantoni has a recurring role on the popular CBS sci-fi series Person of Interest, starring Jim Caviezel.
His role as crime boss Carl Elias on the popular drama was expanded last season. In the season 4 finale, he was suffering a gunshot wound, so his fate is up in the air. As a fan favourite, hopes are he will remain as a recurring character in the coming season.
Colantoni said he loves the characters, co-workers and the quality of the show, which is like a mini-movie each week. The cast and crew work very hard and for him, he comes and goes and gets his fix of New York City.
Colantoni is well known for his roles as Sgt. Greg Parker on the Canadian TV series Flashpoint (2008-2012) and Keith Mars on Veronica Mars (2004-2007).
He’s also national spokesperson for the Tema Conter Memorial Trust, which assists first responders deal with PTSD. It was created by King’s Vince Savoia.
He’s currently working with Tema and Peabody-award-winning Canadian director Karen Shopsowitz in the documentary, “The Other Side of the Hero.”
The film will plunge viewers into the world of the first responder; the camaraderie and dark humour back at the station and the flip side to all of this – depression, darkness and solitude. These are what happen when a “hero” discovers they are not emotionally immune to what they encounter during a typical shift at work.
Savoia noted that Shopsowitz joined his team during their tour, in cities such as Calgary, St. John’s, Kelowna and Kingston, all on her own time, to film some first-hand accounts.
Executive producers are Stephanie Morgenstern and Mark Ellis producers of Flashpoint and Project X.
Colantoni said he will be meeting up with Randolph Mantooth, who played paramedic/firefighter in the TV medical series Emergency! (1972-1979.). That iconic show set the stage for medical dramas and likely inspired generations of would-be first responders. The role of TV and the field will be examined in the documentary.
Colantoni said they are scheduled to film this summer in New York, Montreal and Calgary.
For more on this project, visit www.tema.ca.
As a member of the Directors’ Guild of Canada (DGC), Colantoni may be behind the camera in the future.
Maybe some of those characters wreaking havoc inside his head will find their way on the big or little screen.