This week, on Cue To Cue, I am sitting down with Actor/Producer/Entrepreneur, Peter Keleghan. There’s a certain ease about Peter that makes one feel very comfortable when chatting with him.
One of my main take aways from my conversation with Peter is when I asked him, “ What is one quote he aims to live by?” He answered, “ Leave the world a little bit better than you found it.” It became very apparent to me during the course of the interview that this really is the lens through which Peter views the world. I believe this is how he has accomplished as much as he has. He seems to focus on solutions rather than problems. Having an entrepreneurial spirit, Peter has gone on a few entrepreneurial journeys over time and every one that he told me about involved finding a solution. His current endeavour, Creative Arts Savings and Credit Union is a credit union that he helped start, was formed to meet the financial needs of creative professionals. Along with his partners, Creative Arts Savings and Credit Union was borne out of frustration. When Peter attempted to purchase his third property, the bank demanded that his father co-sign due to the fact that Peter didn’t have a current contract. Most people would walk away and say, well, I guess that is that and accept that as a necessary means to an end. Peter, who lived and worked in the US, had knowledge of the AFTRA/SAG credit union and thought, “why don’t we have one here just for people who work in the arts?” The capital was raised and Creative Arts Savings and Credit Union was formed and has now grown from $2.5 million to $30 million over the course of 8 years. They offer everything from mortgages to RRSP’S, loans, and Financial Planning.
In addition, investing in the arts is a key mandate for Creative Arts Savings and Credit Union. There is something key here in the philosophy Peter has adapted for himself that can be applied to an artist’s journey. That is, when we live with the intention of leaving the world a little bit better than we found it, it switches our focus immediately. It is so easy to feel isolated and become inwardly focused as a freelance performer for many reasons (all of which, I am assuming, this audience is intimately familiar with). When you look at how you can change the world around you for the better your creativity is heightened, we see opportunities more easily, and you feel more in control of your purpose. Yes, there is still a lot of failure, Peter is transparent about that but at least you are not experiencing failure and rejection in a vacuum. I used to think that it was easier to fail alone, in silence, but it has been my experience that “putting yourself out there” is strangely easier. At least I have done everything I could allowing me to sleep a little easier at night. Peter brought that to the forefront today which reminded me to keep thinking about how I can contribute, create solutions, and serve others with my talents and to be resourceful about it. For that I am deeply grateful!
Peter Keleghan: Canadian Prime Time, Seinfeld, And Embracing The Entrepreneur Within
A little about Peter:
Born and raised in Montreal in the middle part of the last century, Peter studied acting at John Abbott College and Concordia University. He then concentrated on classical theatre with a diploma from The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in England and a degree from York University in Toronto.
He went on to become a company member of The Second City, as well as the Stratford and Shaw festivals.
In the late eighties, Peter joined up with Steve Smith and co-wrote and starred in sixty episodes of the Gemini award winning, The Comedy Mill. From there, Peter brought the character of Ranger Gord to The Red Green Show for 14 seasons.
When Peter moved to Los Angeles in 1991, he starred in 3 pilots for NBC and ABC as well as guest starring in some of television’s most popular series including Seinfeld, Murphy Brown, and Cheers. He spent 2 months on ABC’s General Hospital as Barry Durbin.
Back in Canada in the mid-nineties, he created the role of Jim Walcott with Ken Finkleman for The Newsroom (CBC) which won an International Emmy. From there, Rick Mercer asked him to join the cast of CBC’s Made in Canada (syndicated worldwide as The Industry) for six episodes as Alan Roy. The series enjoyed a very successful five-year run. Peter had a continuing role on Showcase’s Slings and Arrows as Mark McKinney’s nemesis Mr. Archer. Peter also had a recurring role as Charles on the popular CBC series Little Mosque on the Prairie and as The Great Randall on Saving Hope.
A busy voice over artist, Peter can be heard on dozens of radio commercials and in animation series nationwide including the overblown announcer on the YTV series Captain Flamingo. He is also the voice of Scardey Bat (for which he was nominated for an ACTRA Award in 2007 and a Gemini in 2008) in the cartoon series Ruby Gloom, Dad in Willa’s Wildlife and Blake in Producing Parker.
Peter is an eighteen-time Gemini Award nominee and a five-time winner in the category of Best Performance in a Comedy Program or Series for his roles as the self-absorbed Jim Walcott in The Newsroom, and the vain and vociferous Alan Roy in Made in Canada. In 2011 Peter won Best Performance in a Comedy Program or Series for playing Ben in two seasons of 18 To Life.
Appearing on the cover of MacLean’s magazine, Peter has been called “…the funniest man in Canadian television…” (The Toronto Star, Jan. 2003), as well as one of the eight “Cutting edge performers of Hollywood North”, (Razor Magazine, Feb. 2003) and in April 2003, Peter was voted one of the “Top Ten Funniest People In Canada”, by Star TV. Peter was also nominated twice for a Canadian Comedy Award and for an ACTRA Award for his role on The Newsroom.
Peter has produced his own two episode pilot for CBC called Walter Ego. He also has a lead role
in the Canada/England co-pro feature film by George F. Walker, and Bernard Zukerman – Niagara Motel directed by Gary Yates. Peter has hosted the ACTRA Awards in Toronto for three years as well as the DGC Awards. He hosted Man Alive Night at the CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival on CBC. After a twelve year absence, Peter returned to the stage to tremendous reviews in late 2005 in the one-man show Fully Committed. He was a semi-regular in the Showcase series Billable Hours. In March 2007, he shot a pilot for NBC called Business Class….his 4th US pilot. Peter has a continuing guest role on Murdoch Mysteries as Terrence Myers and has appeared in several Canadian feature films: Eating Buccanneers, The Bend, Cooper’s Camera, Gravytrain, and Leslie, My Name Is Evil and the short film PMO all released in 2009-2010.
In 2012, Peter appeared as Reverend Drone in CBC’s Sunshine Sketches of a Small Town. Along with his partner Leah he wrote, starred and produced Love Letters For Canada, a CBC Valentine’s Day special. He recently shot a recurring role on The Ron James Show, The Rick Mercer Report as well as Republic Of Doyle.
In late 2012 Peter was host for the CBC feature documentary The War Of 1812; Been There Won That. Peter won the Canadian screen award that year for Best Host or Interviewer in a News Information Program or Series – Canadian Screen Awards 2014
2013 saw Peter starring in two feature films “Sex After Kids” and Don McKellar’s “The Grand Seduction”.
Check out Creative Arts Savings and Credit Union!
http://www.creativeartscu.com/
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