From CBC Television, which brought to audiences the much-loved sitcom Schitt’s Creek, comes Son of a Critch. The TV station’s latest comedy offering premiered earlier this year and is a brainchild of Mark Critch and Tim McAuliffe. The show is based on a memoir of the same name by Critch, which details his teenage life, including school, friends, and relationships, while growing up in Newfoundland and Labrador in the ’80s. Son of a Critch is described as a coming-of-age comedy series, featuring a list of prominent actors including Critch himself. In an interview with CTV News, Critch talked about reliving his childhood through the show. “It’s a lot of truth,” says Critch. “But the casting and creation of who these characters are changed a lot for the TV version, and then took on a life of their own. It’s not a biopic, it’s not a documentary, but the spine of every episode is a true story.” If you are curious about the show’s cast members, we got you covered. Here are the cast members of the CBC Television comedy series Son of a Critch.
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth plays a fictionalized younger version of Mark Critch, around the time he’s about to enter junior high school. The young actor, who is actually British, has appeared in a few prominent projects, most notably Netflix‘s The Haunting of Bly Manor. He’s also worked in Flora & Ulysses and provides the voice of Pinocchio in Disney’s live-action remake of the tale. Aside from Son of a Critch, Ainsworth is set to appear in an upcoming Netflix series titled The Sandman, which is based on the comic by Neil Gaiman.
Mark Critch
Mark Critch is also playing a character in his own show, portraying Mike Critch, Mark’s father and a reporter for a radio station called VOCM. Aside from co-creating Son of a Critch, Mark Critch has been involved in a number of projects, most notably the comedy series This Hour Has 22 Minutes. In an interview with Screen Rant, Critch talked about how he brought his memoir to life with Tim McAuliffe, whom he previously collaborated with on This Hour Has 22 Minutes. “I had written the book first. Then my friend Tim McAuliffe, who’d written for The Office and The Last Man on Earth and a million other things, said, “We really need to make this a TV show.” At first, I thought, “That’s silly.” But no, he persisted. And so, we got together and wrote outlines and a couple of scripts. Then we went off to Just For Laughs, actually – we talked to a couple of different networks there in Montreal at the Just For Laughs festival, and CBC were very interested. Before we knew it, we had it sold and were off to the races.” Critch also talked about his feelings about playing his own father in the show, saying: “It was a bit strange at first, and something that I worried would take people out of it a little bit or be a distraction. But once playing the role, I was delighted to be able to do it and act alongside of this wonderful cast.”
Claire Rankin
Actress Claire Rankin plays Mary Critch on Son of a Critch, Mark’s mother. The actress has worked on projects like One of Our Own, Molly’s Game, and Seven in Heaven. She’s also played roles in prominent TV shows, like Monk, House, The Swap, Halcyon, and Ransom. In an interview with My Devotional Thoughts, Rankin has expressed some desire to work behind the camera, saying: “I actually would love to direct. I coach a bit and really love working with actors. I’ve written a couple of shorts that I’m trying to find funding for and working on what I hope will turn into a web series.” Perhaps she will be given a chance to do so in Son of a Critch.
Malcolm McDowell
Veteran actor Malcolm McDowell portrays Pop Critch, Mark Critch’s grandfather, in Son of a Critch. A prominent film and TV actor, McDowell’s most popular film is 1971’s A Clockwork Orange, in which he gained worldwide acclaim. Since then, he’s appeared in movies like She Will, Pups Alone, Father Stu, The Walk, Bombshell, and The Big Ugly. On TV, he’s worked in Gossip Girl, Castlevania, Truth Seeker, Chicago Meds, and Mozart in the Jungle. In an interview with Everything Zoomer, he talked about enjoying the script of Son of a Critch, saying of his character: “He’s like a father confessor, he’s like his psychiatrist,” McDowell says of the dynamic. “It’s pretty universal stuff and he’s such a great character. I mean, fancy taking a 12-year-old to a funeral home — for the sandwiches. Jesus!”
Colton Gobbo
Actor Colton Gobbo plays Mike Critch Jr. in Son of a Critch. Colton has appeared in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Titans.
Sophia Powers
Sophia Powers plays Fox, who is in the same grade as Mark in the series. Previously, Powers worked in It’s a Beautiful Day.
Mark Rivera
Mark Rivera portrays Ritche Perez, Mark’s best friend. Son of a Critch is actually Rivera’s acting debut, according to The Filipino Times. “I didn’t believe it at first. I thought I never got the role, but surprisingly, the production chose me. I portrayed the role of a Filipino boy named Ritche Perez. He is a painfully shy kid and he wants to fit in with the other kids at the school but he’s being bullied because of his color and ethnicity. He is the second to the least favorite in the school with Mark Critch being the first least favorite in the school. Over time, he developed this deep friendship with Mark,” according to Rivera.
Recurring actors
Recurring actors appearing in Son of a Critch include Petrina Bromley, playing Sister Margaret; Nora McLellan, playing Sister Rose; Daisy Harris, a classmate of Critch; Richard Clarkin, a coworker of Mike at the radio station; and Nicole Underhay, who portrays Suzanne, the mother of Fox.
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