Born in England, raised in Canada and dubbed the Grand Empress of Sci-fi by her legion of loyal fans, Amanda is one of the most recognized actors working in television today. She is cast as Dianne in Random Acts of Romance.
She is best known for her role as Samantha Carter on the Science Fiction television series Stargate SG-1 (1997 – 2007) & Stargate Atlantis (2007 – 2008). Amanda is currently thrilling fans with her role of Dr Helen Magnus on the Syfy television series “Sanctuary”.
Behind the camera Amanda is Executive Producer on Sanctuary and has directed episodes of Stargate SG-1 and Sanctuary.
Amanda’s Charitable Foundation “Sanctuary for kids” has successfully raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for causes both worldwide and locally in Vancouver.
She currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband Alan, daughter Olivia and dog George.
A modern day Renaissance man, Zak is a Golden Gloves winning boxer, popular nightclub DJ, classically trained musician, flamenco dancer, stuntman and a talented actor. Zak is cast as Matt in Random Acts of Romance.
Among his acting credits is a series lead in the N Network comedy ‘The Assistants’, series regular in the PAX/NBC series ‘Young Blades’, series regular on the popular Canadian series ‘Robson Arms’ and many recurring and guest starring roles in episodic television.
Most recently, he has completed filming ‘Smoke Screen’ with Jamie Pressly, and also has a recurring role on the compelling television series’ ‘Caprica’ and ‘Stargate Universe’. Other recent credits include ‘Psych’, ‘The Front’, ‘At Risk’, ‘Defying Gravity’ and ‘Human Target’. Last year he co-starred alongside Steven Segal in ‘Driven to Kill’.
Zak has supporting roles in the Emmy nominated mini-series ‘Alice’, and in the MOW ‘A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story’, as well as the thriller ‘Canes’ with Michael Madsen, and ‘Underclassman’ with Cheech Marin. He also shot the Christmas comedy feature ‘Deck The Halls’ with Danny De Vito and Matthew Broderick. With a guest starring role on the USA hit television series ‘Smallville’ and a leading role in the Lifetime MOW entitled ‘A Family Lost’, Zak is always working.
Zak won a Leo Award in 2004 for best supporting actor in the lauded ‘Human Cargo’, and was praised for his supporting lead work as one of the terrorists in A&E’s ratings blockbuster ‘Flight 93’. In 2006 Zak was nominated for another acting Leo for his work on ‘Young Blades’. Other credits include the feature films ‘Shooter’ with Mark Wahlberg, ‘The Eye’ with Jessica Alba, ‘Underclassmen’ with Nick Cannon, ‘Josie and the Pussy Cats’, ‘Trixie’ produced by Robert Altman, and a supporting role in ‘Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal’ with Rutger Hauer.
Zak has also had numerous Recurring and Guest Starring roles for episodic television shows, including: ‘Da Vinci’s Inquest’, ‘Intelligence’, ‘The L Word’, ‘Godiva’s’, ‘Stargate SG-‘1, TNT’s hit series ‘Saved’, and a guest starring role in the crime drama ‘The Evidence’, opposite Orlando Jones.
As a DJ, Zak has played throughout Canada, the US and Europe, and has played with some of the world’s biggest names including DJ AM, Miguel Migs, Marques Wyatt, and DJ Spider. His residency at Bar None in Yaletown, Vancouver is the longest and most legendary tenure in the country. In his twelfth year at the club, Zak continues to break new tracks, new artists, and new genres, all the while keeping the spot full with the city’s most dynamic people. Zak formed the DJ duo Los Hermanos Libres with Flipout in 1999; they are reputed to be the baddest sound system in Canada, selling out shows for their rare appearances. They have opened for artists including JayZ, Mobb Deep, Ludacris, Afrika Bambatta and Busta Rhymes.
While passionate about acting and making music, Zak’s first love is dance. Zak has studied classical ballet and flamenco extensively for many years. In 1998, Zak ended his amateur boxing career to focus exclusively on dance. In 2000 he was accepted to Madrid’s world-renowned Amor de Dios Academy where he studied under several legends of flamenco.
Bertram was born in Toronto, Ontario, and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. She earned her degree in history from the University of Guelph. She has two younger sisters named Heather (born 1981) and Jennifer (born 1984), who are also actresses. In 1997, Bertram was a ceramics instructor at Kilcoo Camp. She also used to sing in the Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus. Bertram is portraying Hollly in Random Acts of Romance.
Her credits include the TV series Ready or Not, Are You Afraid of the Dark, Seasons of Love, and Andromeda as Trance Gemini, and the movies Night of the Twisters, and Dear America: So Far From Home. She was a series regular on Season 2 of Robson Arms.
Bertram is a licensed high school teacher; in addition, she also teaches young actors at Biz Studio in Vancouver.
At 6 years old Robert wanted to be a stuntman. By age 13 he found himself dreaming of being a director. At 15, his passion had turned to special effects make-up. Then as the fates would have it, a high school drama teacher forced Robert to play Barnaby Tucker in Thorton Wilder’s The Matchmaker in the school’s lunchbox theatre. Terrified for his life, Robert took to the stage on the opening day, barely able to breathe. When the ordeal was over he asked the director “What were they laughing at?” Dumbfounded, the director replied, “You, you idiot, it was hilarious!”
Robert is cast as David in Random Acts of Romance.
He never forgot that magical day, and although he took a few detours along the way, trying in vain to resist the call, the sheer thrill of moving that audience into fits of laughter—and the awakening of a previously-undiscovered vitality within him—became a major driving force in Robert’s life.
He traveled around the world for a year and a half at the ripe old age of 21, and returned to his native Calgary enlightened—and at the same time daunted by the uncharted road ahead, a depressing winter on the prairies, and a family in shambles.
Restaurant jobs provided the illusion of fun and the necessary quantities of alcohol to keep Robert numb and lost, but one bright spot came in the form of an amateur theatre company named Aurora Productions. Artistic Director Peter Spear cast Robert in Bent by Martin Sherman, and in Orphans by Lyle Kessler, experiences that taught Robert that the calling was real and he’d better take heed.
Finally, at 26, Robert was accepted to Studio 58, the Theatre Arts program at Langara College in Vancouver, and he began his training. Thanks to the unparalleled patience and dedication of the teaching staff, Robert graduated and began his professional acting career at the tender age of 30!
Since then, Robert has worked with some of the best in the business. Known for his impressive range and honesty, Robert continually brings a passion and a vulnerability to his portrayals that has gained him the respect of his peers and the admiration of audiences, whether on stage or in front of the camera.
Blessed to live in Vancouver, Canada, Robert is an avid outdoor enthusiast and environmentalist. When he’s not acting he can be found at the climbing gym, on the ski slopes, at the tennis courts, or supporting humanitarian or environmental causes.
Ultimately, it is Robert’s desire to be involved in telling stories that in some way challenge, enlighten, and inspire people—stories that shed light on our humanity and cause us to ask ourselves: “How can I be less selfish and more compassionate; how can I be happier and wiser; how can I live up to the enormous potential I have and be the best I can be?”
Sonja Bennett (born August 24, 1980) is a Canadian actress who portrayed Marcie Brasko in Battlestar Galactica. She portrays Lynne in Random Acts of Romance.
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Bennett has acted in various genre series including Eureka, Stargate Atlantis, Painkiller Jane, The Dead Zone, Cold Squad, as well as other Vancouver filmed television series.
Bennett starred in the 2002 film Punch which her father, Guy Bennett, wrote and directed
Ted Whittall is the actor who portrayed both Mitchell and The King on the ABC television program Once Upon a Time. He portrays Richard in Random Acts of Romance.
Isabelle is the daughter of Graeme and Gail Murray, Graeme created special effects for the TV series The X Files. Isabelle’s brother is actor, writer and director Joshua Murray. Isabelle broke into acting at an early age with parts in the films Cousins and Cold Front and an episode of MacGyver. Isabelle later had the lead role in Ginger Snaps. She won Best Supporting Actress in a mini-series for The Englishman’s Boy in the 2008 Gemini Awards.
Cast as Bud.
Katrin Bowen is a Vancouver based director whose award-winning films include Financially Strapped, Spitting Reality, Someone, Almost Forgot My Bones and Sandcastle.
Katrin won the 2011 Artistic Achievement Award for direction in her first feature film: Amazon Falls. Amazon Falls won the best debut feature at the 2011 Female Eye Film Festival. Katrin directed the Gemini nominated slam poetry film Shane with Shane Koyczan that opened the 2011 Doxa Festival.
Katrin just completed her second feature the sexy and hilarious Random Acts of Romance which received Telefilm Canada funding.
Katrin is in development on two features, the semi autobiographical feature Off Course about her experiences modeling in Italy. Off Course is a suspenseful road movie set in Italy about a young model’s desperate journey to get home and the charming man who gives her a ride into his own version of hell. Off Course has received development funding from Telefilm Canada and Blackbird a film set amidst a world of nightlife and crime, two DJs struggle with their demons, their families, their relationships… and fight to make the right choices.
Katrin is an Alumnae of the University of California at Berkeley, The Cannes Producing Intensive, Women in the Director’s Chair and the Berlinale Talent Campus.
Founded by Producer Darren Reiter, Purple Productions is a Vancouver-based film production company with a focus on creating locally shot independent feature films. Darren most recently finished filming the edgy & hilarious romantic comedy, Random Acts of Romance, in conjunction with Director/Producer Katrin Bowen and financed in part by Telefilm Canada and Rogers Telefund, with a broadcast date of August 2013 on Super Channel.
Darren’s prior work includes Amazon Falls, an uncompromising 80 minute drama that screened at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, garnered a Women In Film and Television Artistic Achievement Award, a VIFF Artistic Merit Award and Leo Award for Best Performance by Female Lead. Amazon Falls is currently being broadcast on The Movie Network and is distribute by Celebrity Home Entertainment and in Canada by Indiecan Entertainment Inc.
Work in progress and development includes a role as Executive Producer in Grave Encounters 2, a found footage horror phenomenon written by The Vicious Brothers with a theatrical release date in October 2012. Co-producer of Heart of Dance, a dramatic feature written by Scarlett Bruns to be directed by Terence H. Winkless. And Producer/Creator of Coincidence by Design, a thriller in development with Alexander wood.
Born and raised in Vancouver, B.C., Darren is an alumnus of the University of British Columbia and The University of Edinburgh. Since 2003 he has been chief executive officer of eMedia Networks Incorporated, a publicly traded sonic branding and out-of-home-advertising company (TSX: EMM), where he oversees business development and international music licensing.