Lights, Camera, Acting
David Mortimer’s Journey from CBU to the Big Screen
When David Mortimer, CBU Class of 2017, was set up with a dialect coach, he chuckled to himself. The coach was assigned to teach him the very specific and difficult-to-learn ‘Cape Breton Accent’ for an upcoming feature film. The coach introduced herself and he immediately said, “Hey, how’s she goin’ bi?”, the coach knew she wouldn’t need to teach him a thing – in fact he could likely teach some of the other cast.
David knows the accent well as he grew up in Glace Bay, but now shares his time between Toronto and Halifax and is on the verge of making acting his full-time career. A grad of the Bachelor of Engineering Technology program, David credits his time at CBU for giving him the skillset to focus and grow. “Looking back at my time at CBU, if it wasn’t for the skills I developed, I don’t know if I’d be where I am today.”
Growing up in Glace Bay, David worried his interest in acting could become, at best, a hobby but he was up for the challenge. The past few years have proven that hard work and dedication can lead to some pretty incredible things.
With both television and movie roles, he is excited to find his footing in the film industry. “I’m getting more confident and that’s leading to more opportunities,” he recounts. From the Cape Breton film, ‘Little Lorraine’, being in a Disney + feature, many TV movies yet to release and a series involving a bank robbery in the 1930s, there’s been more than enough work.
Recently, David was cast in a project that will tell the story of the Swiss Air Flight 111 disaster of 1998 that rocked Nova Scotia. The film will depict the impact on the families involved and communities that were affected, and David is both honoured to play a part, but anxious to do the story justice. “Filming in Peggy’s Cove was emotional as many of the background actors were locals recalling that day like it was yesterday.”
In addition to his film work, David’s creative ties to CBU run deep. Around ten years ago in 2014, he and his neighbor collaborated on a special donation to CBU’s Boardmore Theatre, supplying a collection of ‘Shakespearean’-style wardrobe pieces his neighbor had stored in the basement. David remembers delivering the items to Todd Hiscock, the theatre’s director, who was thrilled to add such unique pieces to the wardrobe department. David also took part in a few weekend workshops at Boardmore, which he found inspiring, though he never had the chance to perform in any plays as his time soon filled with film projects—starting with his first movie in his first year at CBU and continuing with projects in Halifax throughout his studies.
Working in film, David travels many different places and meets many different people. On a recent project, he found himself in a conversation with others on set talking about the ongoing climate issues in this world. When it was his turn to talk, he took great pride in his outlook on this issue after writing his thesis on the agricultural impact on our climate, “I'm so grateful for my time at CBU, it allowed me to grow a wealth of knowledge on this climate crisis. Being able to share the facts with the people that have voices that reach beyond mine means so much to me. It's the perfect match between my degree and the film industry.”
With his most significant year yet underway, David has had seven film projects, got engaged and recently launched his own contracting business. “It’s been the most hectic year of my life, and I couldn’t be happier.” We’re proud of David’s accomplishments and look forward to seeing him grace the big screen for years to come.
To find out more on supporting Cape Breton University, visit www.cbu.ca/alumni