Dennis Andres is a German-Canadian actor and filmmaker based in Toronto, Canada who brings grit, heart, and a quiet kind of intensity to everything he does. Raised in Berlin and later immigrating to Canada (fluent in English and German), he is comfortable with a range of accents. Dennis is equal parts workhorse and wildcard showing up full-force and captivating audiences with his dynamic roles on screen.
Before diving into the tv and film industry, Dennis dove headfirst into martial arts. He is a trained stuntman and holds a first-degree black belt in kickboxing, ranked nationally, and spent years competing before trading the ring for the gridiron, where he captained his football teams for six seasons. Additionally, as a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces, Dennis still trains like an athlete, staying sharp for any role that demands it.
He first gained international recognition for his breakout role as Ian Matthews in Netflix’s Workin’ Moms (2017), one of three Netflix Global Top 10 titles he has appeared in. His screen career continued to rise with notable performances in Feel the Beat (2020), No Escape Room (2021), and as Justin Hayes in the reboot pilot of The Greatest American Hero (20th Century Fox/ABC) opposite Hannah Simone. More recently, Dennis starred in Apple TV+’s The Changeling (2023) alongside LaKeith Stanfield and will be appearing in the upcoming film Juliet and Romeo, where he takes on the role of Lord Paris, hitting theatres in May 2025.
Alongside acting, Dennis launched his own production company, Half-a-Plan, to develop and tell the kinds of stories he wasn’t seeing enough of – character-driven, grounded, and built to leave a mark. His first feature as writer, director, and producer is The Ferryman’s Coin, a cheeky, contained thriller currently in pre-production, with more original projects on the way.
In his free time Dennis enjoys riding motorcycles, football, weightlifting, rock climbing, cooking, video games, photography, writing, traveling and being a brand-new dad! Passionate about philanthropy, Dennis is involved Resilient Kids ((Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library).
1. Dennis, welcome to OLC! You’re playing Lord Paris in the new reimagining Juliet and Romeo—a musical pop opera take on a Shakespearean classic. What drew you to this version of the story, and how does it differ from past adaptations we’ve seen?
I suppose what drew me to the story was that it was different, and Tim Bogart’s passion for this new version didn’t deter me either. I was drawn to the idea of giving Lord Paris a different image than what we’re used to. Instead of the more polished, well-to-do guy, I made him a bit more of a rugged leader-type who’s trying to do right by his family name and his people—kind of a reverse glow-up. Think of a Maximus-type character in Gladiator. And I mean, shooting on location in Italy was just awful, an absolute drag.
2. You have such a dynamic background—from serving in the Canadian Armed Forces to competing as a nationally ranked kickboxer and now thriving in film and television. How do those early life experiences inform your approach to acting and storytelling?
Honestly, I think the more “life you’ve lived” just allows you to tap into those feelings a little easier or more accurately. Like with the loss of an important fight, who is it that looks back at you in the mirror after, with a fractured nose and splitting headache? Or after an experience like being woken up by a commanding officer picking your cot up off the ground and dropping it while screaming into your face to, “get the @#$% up!!” This stuff shapes who you become and how you listen and respond, or how you think a character might. So long story short and short story long … if you are asking “how”, in every way—good and bad.
3. You’ve worked on projects ranging from Workin’ Moms to The Changeling and now Juliet and Romeo. How do you choose roles, and what made Lord Paris stand out to you in particular?
I mean, I’m just happy that I’m finally at a point in my career where I have the option to “choose” roles. For a lot of actors the roles that “choose us” are our bread and butter. But now, and hopefully, without sounding cliché, I try to choose roles that have some depth, regardless of genre, and a good script or story is always a bonus. So, really, it starts with the dialogue and story for me and how far you can take the character. And I think when you’ve been at it as long as some of us, seeing a unique challenge would be another factor: characters that allow you to flex your proverbial performer muscles. And a director’s vision will also play a large factor in whether the project resonates.
4. Your production company, Half-a-Plan, is focused on telling grounded, character-driven stories. Can you tell us more about your upcoming thriller The Ferryman’s Coin and what audiences can expect from your directorial debut?
Yeah! I mean, The Ferryman’s Coin is a cheeky thriller about a high-stakes game of life and death. I can’t reveal too much more yet, but keep an eye out at @half.a.plan on IG. The only other thing I can say is that it’s full of twists and a few philosophical questions that keep us all up at night.
It’s a story I felt I had to write, kind of a way to work through some of my inner arguments with life: morality, fairness, chaos, etc. But it’s all wrapped in a tight, stylish little package that tips its hat to the stories that shaped me.
5. You’re known for bringing “grit, heart, and quiet intensity” to your characters. How did you tap into that energy for Lord Paris, especially in a musical format?
Well, I had to repeatedly ask them not to have Paris sing. It’s called Juliet and Romeo, and if I started singing, it might’ve become Juliet and Paris. My vocal range knows no bounds. Reluctantly, they agreed it was best for the film. But in all seriousness, I tapped into that grit and intensity by treating Paris like he belonged in a drama, not a musical. Even with the heightened world around him, I wanted him to feel grounded, like someone carrying the weight of duty, legacy, and a lot of unspoken emotion. He’s not a big talker, but he feels everything. I think that contrast helped anchor the story and made the musical moments around him hit even harder. He’s kind of the steady beat underneath all the rhythm.
6. You’ve performed stunts, led football teams, and now you’re a new dad. How do you balance such a physically and emotionally demanding career with fatherhood and all your other interests?
Well, I have been a dad for all of 35 minutes so a lot of my answers are still sitting in the hopper. You do have to get clever about your time management, and if you have the option, try to have a strong, supportive community around you. Watching films with a parent-to-child storyline definitely hits differently now—I find I have a lot more moments where I “have something in my eye”.
7. Music clearly plays a big role in Juliet and Romeo. Were you already a fan of musical theater or pop-operas before this project, and what was it like stepping into that world?
Yeah, well, I love theatre and I love music. Musicals have always been a bit of an “untouchable realm” in my eyes. I would love to be cast as a singing character in a musical, but I have a ways to go and many singing lessons to complete before that happens. One day though, *winks*.
In the meantime, I will have to win people’s hearts another way. Maybe dance! Or maybe not.
Honestly, it was a bit intimidating. Singing, alone, is impressive. Acting WHILE singing is a different beast altogether. One that will never not impress me. And one I’ll always strive to achieve, I think.
8. From Berlin to Toronto, from soldier to stuntman to screen star—what’s one piece of advice you’d give young actors, especially those coming from unconventional backgrounds like yours?
Man, that is a wild question. ‘Cause I feel like I could spend hours talking about this and simultaneously feel like I shouldn’t say a word. But if I had to give just one bit of advice to young actors coming up, I guess it would be “burn the ships.” What I mean by that is, if this is what you want to do professionally for a living, there can’t be a “backup plan.” You have to be all in, good times and bad, highs and lows… pick your phrasing. And NEVER compare yourself and your career journey to someone else’s, no matter how tempted. And s#&%, while you’re at it, try to have some fun.
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