Gambling with government

10:00 am

From the moment the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) announced its modernization strategy, including an intention to locate a new supercasino somewhere in downtown Toronto, residents and councillors were out for blood.

Watching the many discussions has been almost a delicious form of suburban entertainment. Much of the protest centres around the possible effect on well-laid downtown precinct plans, the effect on surrounding restaurants and arts and culture facilities. For good measure, concern for problem gamblers has been thrown in, with research from the nearby Centre for Addiction and Mental Health or our own medical officer of health.

The most important question is about OLG’s strategy to capture new gambling money. As Ontarians, how reliant do we want our provincial government to be on games of chance for revenue? As one casino closes and another is proposed, shouldn’t we ask ourselves if this is an unsustainable way to fund a province?

Currently, the OLG returns $2 billion plus in profits to the provincial government each year, $2 billion in losses to the families who house the gamblers. What happens when the families have no more gambling money to spare? How does the province replace this revenue?

What happens when this newest casino dries up? Vancouver has four casinos, two waterfront convention centres, cruise ships, mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

Although tourism thrives in Vancouver today, only five per cent of its flagging casino revenues come from tourism. A great city with great convention facilities is a tourism draw all on its own. Let’s provide just that.

The Comedy Issue: Fraser Young

12:27 pm

Like many other professional comics, Fraser Young completely tanked his first stand-up show — an unofficial comedy rite of passage in and of itself.

“It was brutal, oh man,” Young recalls today. “I went up and did five minutes with zero laughs, just on autopilot.”

Fortunately, a comedian’s worth is not judged on that first, awkward performance, but rather on how he or she responds to it — and Young was far from discouraged.

“I was thinking to myself, ‘Well, if it’s this much fun when there are no laughs, it’s gotta be better when there are laughs,’” he recalls.

His career since that initial disappointing night has proven him right. With credits such as a Comedy Now! special, a Writers Guild of Canada Award nomination and a comedy CD, Young’s career is thriving. And it all seemed to fall into place naturally, which is remarkable for a guy who had no grand designs on being an entertainer.

Young grew up near Yonge and Sheppard, after his family moved there from rural New York state. He has a love for the area, no doubt fuelled by his childhood passion for a local Becker’s corner store where he blew his allowance on cavity-causing quantities of candy.

Even as a child, Young’s perspective on the world provoked laughter in the people around him. “I was weird,” he declares. “I would get laughs, but I don’t know if I always understood at the time why I was getting laughs. I was just like, well, this is the way the world makes sense to me.”

Around the time he entered middle school, Young emerged from his “weird” phase and figured out just why he was getting those laughs. He realized that he had a unique perspective.

Young spent three years studying business at Wilfrid Laurier before taking a year off to focus on stand-up full time and see where it led him. During those months, he performed five nights weekly, developing the act that would get him noticed.

He booked his first headlining week within the next year. And as he returned to school in the fall of 1999 for the final year of his degree, he was given the prestigious Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award, which recognizes talented young performers with less than two years’ experience in their field. Young finished his business degree but it would end up collecting dust as his comedy career continued to build momentum.

“I got a Comedy Now! special after the award, got booked for the Just For Laughs Homegrown Competition and signed with an agent as well,” he says. “I got a bunch of gigs out of that, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can make money off of this job.’”

He’s been doing just that ever since. In 2006, he even released his own comedy CD, Everyone Loves a Smug Bastard, titled for Young’s expression on the CD jacket cover. His stand-up material has changed and developed over time, but his style remains consistent.

“Most of my stuff is kind of like anecdotal observation, done in a storytelling style,” says Young.

These days his observations are likely to revolve around road trips with his girlfriend and his challenges shopping for vintage clothing. In the past five years, Young has also expanded his comedy repertoire by writing for television. It started with the job of “punching up” scripts — adding jokes to pre-written dialogue — for the Family Channel show The Latest Buzz and soon developed into the writing of entire episodes, work that earned him his Writers Guild nomination.

He’s presently in his second year as a staff writer for George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight. It’s rewarding work, and all that remains is finding enough time for stand-up. Young plans to further his writing and possibly get some of his own projects into development. And maybe then, that business degree will finally come in handy.

Turner on Real Estate: a slow and steady march to the bottom is well underway

11:00 am

Each spring, they migrate back to the well-treed ’hoods of North Toronto, flitting from property to property in a fecund frenzy. You can stand there, quietly watching, certain there’s but one obsession on their minds: Nesting. These are the house hornies, the drivers of GTA real estate.

“Oh, Garth,” veteran Toronto realtor Stephen McShane writes me after reading my Post column, “the sky is finally falling! How long has it been since you have been preaching that the real estate market’s going to hell in a hand basket … 10 years? Meanwhile, those who ignored your advice (I think I remember you referring to them as fools) and bought anytime in the early 2000s have seen an appreciation of 75 to 100% of their property as well as built equity with their mortgage payments. And they have been able to do this with as little as five per cent of the purchase price as a down payment.”

He makes some valid points. First, be clear about the spring frenzy that’s been making headlines. As the snow banks melted in the demand areas of 416 this year, there were clogged driveways, busy open houses and multiple offers. But this was not a rerun of the spring of 2012. A year ago, the hot properties were those over $1 million where asking prices constituted opening bids and the “lucky” buyer paid 125% of list price. At the other end of the spectrum, condo sales were fevered, hitting an all-time high.

This year, that house someone paid $1.5 million for a year ago is worth 15% less, according to market stats as well as current information from realtors. The multiple bids are coming in lower price ranges, typically in the $700,000 zone (a 416 starter home in need of organ transplants). Meanwhile, condo sales have collapsed, and prices are stuttering. In fact, in February, the whole market suffered a 15% year-to-year sales drop, with condos off by 20% and houses over $2 million decimated by more than 30%.

Without a doubt, the market has changed. Sales are declining, household debt isn’t. Buyers are tougher and prices under assault. This is what a correction looks like, as opposed to a crash.

Canada’s economy barely has a pulse, despite 2.99 per cent mortgages. Capital is flowing out of real estate. Household and mortgage debt is at record levels, and 70 per cent of families already have a house. Millions of wrinkly boomers are house-rich, cash-poor and poised to sell.

So, where is the demand coming from? Stephen McShane is right. Real estate has benefitted many who bought a decade ago. They were able to use leverage and take a risk that paid off. But this is no guarantee of the future. Buying, and prices, reached an apex one year ago. Ownership is at saturation levels. The population is aging. We’re not on the road to where we have been. Responsible realtors see that.

So, no sky falling. No going to hell. Just a steady grind lower, punctuated by the seasonal tweets of the hormonal and the angry bleats of the salesguys.

Post City Magazines’ real estate columnist, Garth Turner, is an author, investment advisor and former MP.

Release your inner style sleuth

3:30 pm

I have a new addiction. My new addiction is checking out houses. Not necessarily to buy, but for decorating ideas.

Like most addicts, I’m going to blame it on everyone but me. I blame my daughter, who got me into garage sales, and I blame the weather in Canada because it’s very hard to find garage sales in winter.

I was introduced to Michelle Niren, of Sage Real Estate, through a mutual friend. I was looking for a new house a few months back after my fiancé moved in with his kids.

Niren “got me” right away. She understood what I was looking for and needed, and she was lovely to hang out with. But, I realized, after seeing about 15 houses, most homes were out of my price range, or they were in my price range but in locations that I didn’t love. However, I also realized I was actually addicted to going into people’s homes because, even though I might not buy the home, I loved looking at what people have done to their houses.

“Michelle,” I said to her a couple months ago, “I’m not even sure if I’m looking for a house anymore or just decorating ideas!”

She laughed and said that happens a lot, especially during open houses when you don’t need to book an appointment with a realtor. Last week, I told Niren I felt the urge to go out again. Since it’s spring, there are a lot of houses coming out on the market. Within a day, she set up five showings for me. I didn’t have the heart to tell her I probably wasn’t going to buy a house but that I just wanted to check out some ideas to pep up my own house. I was now fully addicted to just checking out people’s houses for the sake of getting decorating ideas.

By now Niren knows my personality quite well. She knows I love modern homes, so the first house we hit was north of Lawrence on Brookdale. I loved the house immediately. Niren is not only a good real estate agent, but she has a good eye, which makes her doubly fun to house hunt with. She pointed out what’s new in the home, including the hidden panelling on fridges and dishwashers, and I immediately loved it for my own fridge. She also pointed out these fabulous lights in the master washroom that can be turned on at night.

“It’s like Halloween,” Niren says about people who head to open houses just to check out decorating ideas. “On Halloween, don’t you always try to peek into the houses that you’ve always wanted to see the insides of?” (Of course I do!)

I didn’t find many decorating ideas at the second home; except I noticed that a teenage girl lives there, and I really loved how she hung up framed photos of high-heeled shoes over her bedroom door. I made a mental note to mention that to my stepdaughter.

“My favourite part is doing this,” says Niren, about checking out houses in being in the real estate business. “I love matching people’s personalities with properties.” In fact, because she loves to move often, she often is looking at houses for herself and also admits that she has gotten decorating ideas for her own homes. But there’s a downside.

“Every time I go back to my own home, there’s always something I want to change,” she says.

At our third home, on Lowther, I found myself absolutely loving the two-toned cabinets in the kitchen. I have all-white cabinets in my kitchen, and I made a mental note, too, to look into the dramatic affect of having different coloured cabinets. It sounds awful, but that’s the beauty of going to houses just to check out decorating ideas. You can actually see what works and what doesn’t — in practice.

Our last house we hit was a jackpot for decorating ideas. Located on Glenayr, the owner is apparently a designer herself. I loved this house and actually left thinking about buying it (alas, it’s a little out of my price range). But I also left with great ideas that are easily applicable to my house (and bank account). For example, in almost every room in the house, only one wall is painted a different colour, and the rest remain white. It just made each room pop! In their young daughter’s bedroom, instead of painting all the walls, they had just painted the ceiling pink. I thought it was simple and genius, and I plan to do this for my daughter’s room. I also plan to paint only one wall in my kitchen. I left, too, planning to paint the wood around my windows inside all black, as well as the inside of my door black.

Such little things, but when you see it in someone else’s house, you actually see how much such a little change can make.

Sure, I could buy a decorating magazine, but it’s so much more fun to be voyeuristic in reality. I don’t want to waste a realtor’s time. But it’s like I told Niren: I’m not not looking; but I sure am getting some great decorating tips in the meantime.

Post City Magazines’ columnist Rebecca Eckler is the author of Knocked Up, Wiped! and her latest books, How to Raise a Boyfriend and The Lucky Sperm Club.

Concert Review: Green Day at the Air Canada Centre

12:15 pm

This reviewer was left feeling awfully old at the end of Green Day’s two hour-plus show last night at the ACC. Part of it may have been my less-than-enthused attitude about sticking it out for a show lasting until — gasp — 11:30 p.m. (a time that, in my younger years, qualified as early evening). But for the most part, my aged feeling stemmed from the band’s disconcerting transition from continuously relevant to, well, nostalgia act.

You see, Green Day’s rise coincided with my musical awakening. Dookie was the first album I owned, and they were my first taste of live music (not counting Raffi). And yet, hard as it was to accept, Thursday night had more to do with who they are than who they once were.

Rather than coming off as edgy and unpredictable, Billie Joe Armstrong and co. were decidedly paint-by-numbers, pairing familiar songs with some too-cute intro lines. Before launching into “Holiday,” Armstrong rhetorically asked if the crowd was “ready for a war.” “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” even included a hold-the-mic-to-the-crowd participation bit.

The gimmickry, while sometimes fun, also seemed played. I mean, c’mon — T-shirt cannons? There was a day when they would have gotten booed out of Edgefest for that one. The spray hose seemed equally unnecessary, even if the crowd of nearly 14,000 ate (drank?) it up.

Its not that the show was bad, per se. Armstrong’s voice was pitch-perfect crisp (most notably during a rising-to-the-occasion rendition of “St. Jimmy”), quashing any doubts about his capacity to perform post-rehab. His energy did seem to sag at points, but hey, that’s what happens over the course of a marathon 150 minutes. Good thing Tre Cool was game for a few standout guitar riffs.

You could dispute some of the song choices (a cover medley of “Hey Jude,” “Satisfaction” and “Shout” should not occur at the expense of unplayed hits like “Time of Your Life,” “21 Guns” and “Basketcase”), but an entertaining encore that included “American Idiot,” “Jesus of Suburbia” and the show-closing “Brutal Love” at least offered a satisfying ending.

Still, there was an inescapable sense of a set that was too neat, too tidy, too put together. Also absent: any meaningful political or social commentary, a-la their American Idiot period (save for a few generic, pandering references to Canada “having it right”).

Armstrong’s enthusiasm aside (he really did seem happy to be performing again), this show just felt a little hollow. The last time I came away from a live offering with that sense was seeing a practically fossilized America a few months ago in Oakville. I truly hope that’s not what Green Day has become.

Tony Aspler’s Weekly Wine Pick: a rustic, full-bodied red from Italy

11:14 am

Appassimento is a traditional Italian winemaking technique that concentrates flavour by drying the grapes for several weeks before fermentation. This version is a deep ruby colour. It has a spicy plum and raisin bouquet with a woody, struck-flint note. Its rustic, plum flavour is full-bodied and mouth-filling with sweet fruit and supple tannins.

Food match: meat-based pasta dishes or hearty stews

Fabiano Negraro Corvina 2010, Veneto, $14.95. Vintages #310110

Post City Magazines’ wine columnist, Tony Aspler, has written 14 books on wine and food. Tony also created the Ontario Wine Awards and has been inducted into the New York Media Wine Writers’ Hall of Fame. He can be heard on 680News.

Weekend Warrior: Toronto Indie Arts Market, Thai Water Fight, Toronto Monologue Slam, Green Living Show

12:24 am

It’s Thursday, and the weekend is fast approaching. Need stuff to see or do? We’ve got you covered. In this edition, an arts and crafts market, a monologue performance competition, an outdoor water fight for Thai New Year and more.

Toronto Indie Arts Market

When: April 13
Where: The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W.
Details: Showcasing over 50 artisans, the Toronto Indie Arts Market features arts and crafts, food, music and fashion. Items up for sale include screen-printed textiles from Prints & Needles, jewellery and accessories from Limberlina, handmade stationary from Emily Taylor and more. Two dollars from every admission is donated to Food Share, a non-profit local organization advocating sustainable healthy produce for all.

Thai Food Market & Water Fight

When: April 13
Where: near Khao San Road, 326 Adelaide St. W.
Details: Ring in the Thai New Year with a Songkran festival hosted by Khao San Road restaurant. The third annual festival will include Thai street food stalls operated by guest chefs including Giacomo Pasquini of Vertical and Matt Blondin of Momofuku Daishō. The event will also have a beer garden and a dance party, and it will be capped off with an outdoor water fight near Adelaide and Spadina. Tickets are available at Khao San Road and include admission, food and drink tickets, a water gun and a dry bag. Proceeds go to support Out of the Cold, a volunteer initiative helping the homeless community in Toronto.

Toronto Monologue Slam

When: April 14
Where: The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen St. W.
Details: Back for its second season, the Toronto Monologue Slam is showcasing another round of Canada’s up-and-coming actors and actresses in solo stage performances. Last year, the juried competition introduced over 70 actors and actresses to Toronto audiences. The Toronto Monologue Slam is co-produced by Oluniké Adeliyi, most known for her role in CTV’s Flashpoint, and who was nominated last year for a Canadian Comedy Award.

Toronto Art Expo

When: April 11-14
Where: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front St. W.
Details: The Toronto Art Expo bills itself as the premier art and cultural event of the spring and the largest gathering of Canadian and international artists in Toronto. Featured at the expo is world-renowned artist Estefania Valls Urquijo of Guatemala. Other artists include mixed-media painter Julia Hacker, three dimensional artist Debbie Ebanks-Schlums and woodworker Paul Lemiski. Come opening night to see whirling dervishes and for a chance to win a flight for two to Istanbul.

Green Living Show

When: April 12-14
Where: Direct Energy Centre, 100 Princes’ Blvd.
Details: North America’s largest green consumer event, the Green Living Show has thousands of eco products and services available for three days at the Direct Energy Centre, from eco chic fashion to sustainable food to the newest electric and hybrid vehicles. Live presentations by guest speakers include Sharkwater filmmaker Rob Stewart, who will discuss green living and his new film, Revolution.

Five must-see movies from this year’s Toronto Jewish Film Festival

4:44 pm

“Film. It’s what the Jews do best,” reads the homepage of the Toronto Jewish Film Festival. It’s playful and quite possibly true, considering the breath of the 11-day movie event. There are documentaries and dramas, naturally, but also horror, comedy and even a screening of a reality program. Playing across Toronto starting today, the festival features entries from around the world.

Here are just some of the many noteworthy films in the expansive lineup.

CowJews and Indians: How Hitler Scared My Relatives and I Woke Up in an Iroquois Longhouse — Owing the Mohawks Rent

While the verbose title may seem a bit esoteric, this opening night documentary, grandiose in scope and incredibly idealistic, is simple and pure in heart and purpose. Marc Halberstadt tells the story of a longstanding global issue: displacement. His descendents in Germany — workers in the cattle trade, where the titular “CowJew” originates — were removed from their home, and he wants it back. Halberstadt shares his bold ideas with the audience as well as a group of Native Americans, who he describes as the rightful landlords of North America. Quixotic, smart and compelling, Halberstadt’s film is undeniably passionate and evocative.
April 11, 8:30 p.m., Bloor Cinema

Poisoned

No film festival is complete without zombies — well, that seems to be the mantra of this decade, at least. This Israeli export is a horror comedy, finding the inept-yet-charming son of a legendary military hero amid a zombie apocalypse. An army base becomes infected over Passover, and only Danny and Maya are left to fight and survive the night. Short, sweet and super bloody.
April 13, 10 p.m. Innis College

A Universal Language

Yuk Yuk’s founder Mark Breslin takes a colourful collective of Canadian comics (some Jewish, some not) over to Israel in the name of humour, understanding and compassion. This comedic pilgrimage explores the boundaries of humour and its common, uniting thread throughout the world. The film is at times funny and awkward, endearing and uncomfortable.
April 14, 8:30 p.m., Bloor Cinema

Delicious Peace Grows in a Ugandan Coffee Bean

This wondrously titled 40-minute documentary follows a global collective initiative from Uganda. A country with an impoverished people, surrounded by other poor nations, Uganda relies on the export of coffee beans, the world’s second largest commodity. Full of hope and history (and narrated by the dulcet tones of Ed O’Neill), the film introduces viewers to a small village made up of Christians, Jews and Muslims, who join together to develop a sustainable and fruitful economic collective. They name it Mirembe Kawomera — delicious peace. Simple and illuminating, the enthusiasm and optimism is palpable as the co-op gains global recognition and support.
April 15, 1 p.m., ROM

Second Movement for Piano and Needlework

A beautiful, lyrical romance, this colourful entry is one of the festival’s more surprising pieces. A peculiar but curious uncertainty underscores this 50-minute film that follows a pair of strangers, one a Korean music teacher and the other a Jewish clothing designer, through their intertwining lives in São Paulo, Brazil. Music and art, culture and heritage and men and women of varying age, size, colour and sexual orientation make up this lovely, warming Brazilian film.
April 18, 3 p.m., ROM

Chef Nigel Finley leaves Catch; sets sail for an upcoming financial district restaurant

4:07 pm

After 14 months at St. Clair West’s acclaimed seafood restaurant Catch, chef Nigel Finley has been lured to a new opportunity as chef de cuisine at The Chase Fish & Oyster, an upcoming restaurant in the financial district.

The Chase Fish & Oyster and The Chase are two new restaurants set to open in the Dineen Building this summer from owner Steven Salm, with Michael Steh as executive chef at both. As expected, The Chase Fish & Oyster will be seafood-oriented, while The Chase will serve a wider-range of cuisine.

“It was a bigger project, newer, more exciting,” Finley says. “I wanted to work with Michael Steh and Steven Salm.”

Expect Finley in the new kitchen by first week of May, soon after he finishes at Catch. He says there will be some differences in his cooking style at the new venture, but what will remain the same is his focus on quality.

“There will still be relentless standards for high quality seafood and in bringing all the best fish to the restaurant.”

When asked why he’s decided to work primarily with seafood, Finley says, “It’s something I grew up with. I grew up in Nova Scotia. It has been a major component of my training.”

There is no word yet on who will replace Finley at Catch. We’ll update as we learn more.

Q&A: Jason Priestley on his new role in Race

12:02 pm

He may always remain Brandon Walsh in our memories (and, let’s face it, our hearts), but Vancouver-born actor-director Jason Priestley has had quite a varied career. He stars in the hit HBO Canada series Call Me Fitz, and he’s acted in plays in London’s West End. He’s also directed music videos for Barenaked Ladies, and this past summer, he directed his first feature-length film, Cas & Dylan, to be released later this year.

This month, he’s in Toronto headlining the Canadian Stage production of David Mamet’s acclaimed play, Race, running at the Bluma Appel Theatre until May 5.

What made you want to return to the stage after more than 10 years?
The process is entirely different from what I do on a daily basis in film and television. It’s what I went to school for, and it’s funny how much you forget when you’re not utilizing those tools on a daily basis. I love coming back to theatre and reminding myself what made me want to be an actor in the first place.

What appealed to you about playing Jack Lawson?
To tackle a David Mamet play was something I was very intrigued by. I’ve never played a role like this before. I’ve played lawyers, but never a lawyer like this. Jack is quite a force in this play — whether he’s in the right or wrong is something the audience will have to decide!

It seems as if you really make an effort to be part of Canadian productions and work with local talent.
You know, I do, but I don’t know if it’s been a conscious decision. It just seems to me that I had a lot more interesting opportunities creatively come up for me in Canada.

What can fans expect from the upcoming season of Call Me Fitz?
Oh man, this season is crazy! There’s a wedding, there are a lot of family secrets that are revealed, there’s an abduction. There are a lot of parties, a lot of blackouts. A couple of dead bodies. And that’s all in 10 episodes! We didn’t mess around this year.

You won a Canadian Comedy Award for the show. Have you always considered yourself a funny guy?
I’ve always thought I was pretty funny. I’m just glad everyone else is finally coming around to it!

I have to go there: do you ever feel as if you’re never going to escape being Brandon Walsh?
I hated him even when I was playing him! But I feel like my life and my career moved on, and thankfully, I never got stuck playing that guy over and over. But judging from some of my Twitter followers, a lot of other people got stuck on him!

Do you think that’s why you’re drawn to playing more badass guys now?
You never want to swim in the same water twice. I think it’s important to challenge yourself and explore new things, so I’m always trying to find new characters.

First Draught: Les Trois Mousquetaires Maibock, a beer for a rain-soaked April

11:23 am

To the romantically inclined, spring means robins, flowers that you can’t tell the difference between and endless days of warm sunshine. Reality often lands closer to what we’ve experienced this week: slate-gray clouds and rain blown by vicious winds. For days like today, we still need warming, stronger beer like the maibock from Les Trois Mousquetaires.

Maple beers have made an effort at securing our attention, but there really is no point in trying to improve on what the brewers of Munich have been releasing for May Day since the early 19th century. (Just as Oktoberfest cheats into September, maibocks come out in April, so there is no reason to wait for May 1.)

This time of year calls for a beer with warming alcohol strength, a touch of malty toastiness and a pale colour. Two hundred years ago, pale beers were generally fashionable, now, I think they’re just a good reminder that brown beer season is over and summer is on its way.

From the bottle, this beer pours a hazy but bright yellow-gold with lots of fluffy white head. Light cereal aromas are joined with some floral and tropical fruit notes as the beer warms and opens up. Spices, malt and banana dominate a flavour profile that is balanced by a touch of hop bitterness and extended by a lingering, slightly sweet finish.

Without the slick marketing of Le Trou du Diable and Dieu du Ciel, and without the monastic formality of MicroBrasserie Charlevoix, beers from Les Trois Mousquetaires tend to receive comparatively less attention in Ontario. They do well when tasted blind, and they have won their share of awards. This lack of fashionable cachet may explain why excellent options like this maibock are available at such a reasonable price.

Les Trois Mousquetaires Maibock, $6.90 for a 750 mL bottle, LCBO #318451

In addition to covering beer, new restaurants and food trucks for Post City, David Ort writes about food and drink for several Toronto publications including Spotlight Toronto and his own site, Food With Legs. For more of his thoughts on food, beer and life in general, follow him on Twitter.

The Comedy Issue: Italia Ricci

5:45 pm

Life does not always go according to plan — and Italia Ricci probably knows that better than most. The up-and-coming actress and native of Richmond Hill says she never pegged herself as the funny one, but as it so happens, she got her first break with a role in American Pie Presents Beta House (a spinoff of the popular teen comedy series). And, as most teen comedy romps do, Ricci’s story starts with a party.

“A friend of mine was an extra on a movie in Newmarket,” Ricci recalls. “And they were like, ‘Do you want to make 100 bucks pretending you’re at a party?’ I was like, yeah! The writer found me during lunchtime, and I auditioned for a role and I got it. It just sort of snowballed from there.”

That role led to stints on television, such as spots on How I Met Your Mother, House, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Greek. Currently, the actress is finishing up production on several projects that have her working with Hollywood heavyweights.

That includes Ricci cozying up to Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the actor’s directorial debut, Don Jon, which follows a modern-day Don Juan as he attempts to reforms his ways. The movie, slated for release later this year, was written and directed by Gordon-Levitt, who assumes the leading role. As fate would have it, once again Ricci fell into a part that she had not originally auditioned for.

“At first I auditioned to play [Gordon-Levitt’s] sister, which was interesting. Then I had a chemistry read with him, and it ended up going well, and then he offered me a different role,” she explains.

Ricci also just wrapped another campus comedy, R.A. Resident Advisor, in which a former student comes back to college as a resident advisor in an attempt to win back the love of a former flame (Ricci’s character). Though she calls it a play on the “American Pie of the heart,” the cast attempts to teach life lessons through outrageous, knee-slapping scenarios.

On the flip side, she’s currently filming a thriller called The Remaining and just finished the pilot for a dramatic television series. The pilot, filmed in Boston and tentatively titled Terminales, will air on ABC Family, also known as Sparks in Canada. Ask Ricci what her dream role would be, and she will tell you it is her character, April, on the yet-to-be-picked-up television series. In Terminales, Ricci plays a 23-year-old aspiring journalist, whose life is shaken after she is diagnosed with leukemia.

“It’s written so genuinely and the theme surrounding it is so wonderful — and it’s something I would love to be working on for as long as it goes,” she says. “I feel like at my age and my look right now there’s not a whole bunch of supermeaty roles for someone who is not in that tiny little pool of actors. So I feel extremely blessed that I was given the opportunity to play April.”

It is exactly this type of honest and layered role that she hopes to emulate on the big screen.

These days, the actress calls Los Angeles her home, but the Richmond Hill native continues to hold a deep connection to the 905. She still visits regularly for checkups at her dentist and to see her family, and she recalls spending days there with her grandfather, who used to take her to Mill Pond Park and Three Coins Open Kitchen on Yonge Street.

Ricci had planned to go to law school until high school drama classes sparked a passion for acting that led her to major in the subject at Queen’s University in Kingston. But she says she will never forget the way it all began, back in elementary school in Richmond Hill.

“I have friends coming from nowhere contact-ing me from my elementary school in Richmond Hill, and it’s just great to feel supported by all the people who I was touched by when I was there.”

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