Too Opinionated

Today on Too Opinionated, we visit with actor Derek Johns. In 2015, Derek made his transition into film and television and would go on to book roles on highly acclaimed productions including The Bold Type (Freeform) and The Moodys (FOX). In 2021, he landed his first major role on the feature film The Wolf and the Lion (Blue Fox Entertainment) directed by award- winning French filmmaker Gilles de Maistre where he played the likeable animal tracker, Charles. His big break came when he was cast as the fan favourite character Love Sausage in the popular hit series The Boys streaming on Prime Video. Since then he has amassed a growing body of work including Candy Cane Christmas (Lifetime), The Voyeurs (Prime Video), Essex County (CBC/CBC Gem), and Moonfall (Lionsgate). Coming up next, Derek is set to star in the highly anticipated feature We Are Zombies, based on the comic book series The Zombies That Ate the World. The film is directed by the RKSS trio that brought cult classics such as Turbo Kid and Summer of 84’. He can also be seen in the horror film, The Sacrifice Game starring alongside Mena Massoud (Disney+/Aladdin). Both films made its premieres at the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal this July 20 – August 9, 2023. Outside of acting, Derek is an avid Twitch streamer, under the name @DerkaJohnsTV, where you can see him gaming and providing his witty banter.  Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan Pod (Please Subscribe)  

A native of Toronto, Canada, Jessica Steen is probably best known in the U.S. for having been a regular on two short-lived TV series: the critically acclaimed Homefront and the science fiction show Earth 2. She also appeared opposite Michael Richards (Kramer from Seinfeld) in the film Trial and Error. She was additionally the only female regular on the 1987 syndicated show, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, and has appeared as a guest star on a number of other TV series including ER, Touched by an Angel, Murder One, and The Outer Limits. Steen was later cast as Constable Donna Sabine in the acclaimed Canadian police series Flashpoint, and Special Agent Paula Cassidy in the popular CBS drama NCIS. In 2012 she appeared as Commissioner Eva Braden in the dark comedy miniseries Bullet in the Face, written by Alan Spencer. She has done several Lifetime and Hallmark TV movies to date, and has also made an appearance in the Facebook Watch TV series Sacred Lies (2020). Steen landed the role of Lisa Stillman, which was initially intended to be guest stint, on Heartland, which is the longest-running hour-long scripted drama in Canadian TV history.  Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan (Please Subscribe)

Since his days in high school, actor Julius Cho knew he wanted to perform. Despite apprehension from his traditionalist family and even his university professors in regards to pursuing performance as a career, Julius’ desire to break barriers on-screen and tell stories for those who look like him and come from similar backgrounds kept his passion to perform alive.  Julius has worked on numerous projects including CBS’ ‘Ghosts’, FX’s ‘What We Do In the Shadows’, The CW’s ‘In the Dark’, CBC’s ‘Kim's Convenience’, Netflix’s "Wedding Season", and most recently as Jean-Luc in CTV and Roku's "Children Ruin Everything."  Julius is also an accomplished voice actor most known for his work on 'Bakugan: Battle Planet', 'Paw Patrol: Ready Set Rescue', and Ubisoft’s 'Hyper Space', and has a number of upcoming animation projects on HBO Max, Apple TV+, Cartoon Network, Treehouse TV, Netflix, and Nickelodeon. Julius can also be seen in E! Entertainment's "Maybe It's You" which premiered Sunday, July 23rd. Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan Pod. (Please Subscribe)

Ian Hanlin has established himself as one of Canada’s most in demand Voice Actors, and currently appears as Shadow and Big the Cat in Netflix's Sonic Prime, as well as Red & Neiderflyer in Angry Birds: Summer Madness. Ian's other prominent roles include: - Owen Grady in LEGO: Jurassic World - Thor in Marvel Battleworld - Killvearn in DragonQuest: The Adventure of Dai - Sunburst in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Dad Pocket in Polly Pocket, - Mr. Magoo in Mr. Magoo - Ralph in Fruit Ninja - Larry Parker in FarCry 5 - Fireman, Airman, and ManMan in Mega Man: Fully Charged.  Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan Pod (Please Subscribe)

BenAnthony LaVoz drops “Aunque Me Mate” his first full-length solo album available now on all music platforms. The three-time Latin Awards Canada winner and Latin Artist Of The Year recipient performs his truth on “Aunque Me Mate.” BenAnthony is a composer, songwriter, music producer & singer who brings a deep passion for his Latin heritage to the Canadian music table. He challenges current popular music by promoting traditional methods of composing Latin music, restoring the creative power to "el cantante" (the singer) and his band. “Aunque Me Mate” features mostly original compositions, recorded with live musicians. The album taps into BenAnthony’s connection with the ‘underground,’ a dark place where truth surrounds and inspires his raw passion.     BenAnthony started recording in his teens and hasn’t looked back. “I believe you must Love what you do” to make it work.”   The Latin performer has produced songs as a solo artist and collaborated with many in the Latin community both in Canada and Internationally. BenAnthony’s success has made him a go-to artist for international stars appearing in Toronto. He has opened for Prince Royce, Nicky Jam, Ozuna, Bad Bunny and Dominican rapper El Alfa. Fresh off a tour with performances in Indonesia, England, France, Hungary, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Colombia, ending with a performance for Telemundo 51 in Miami, the Latin star is happy to be home for the upcoming release of “Aunque Me Mate.”  “I hope “Aunque Me Mate” (If it kills me) helps focus some much-needed attention on the neglected Canadian Latin music community. Latin music is the most streamed genre’ on Spotify and has no category at the Junos. I remain humbled by my success and determined to promote change”.                                                             BenAnthony LaVoz    “Aunque Me Mate” out now! Summer just got hotter….   Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan Pod (Please Subscribe)

Sam Lipman-Stern is a Jersey-born documentary filmmaker, producer actor and cinematographer. His current project is Telemarketers debuting this Summer on HBO Docs. A hilarious, irreverent look at the Telemarketing Industry, Sam is the ideal creator and star of the series because he actually was a Telemarketer and the show exposes the behind the scenes madness of his real life experience. After cutting his teeth as a director, crafting videos for underground hip hop artists and graffiti writers alike, Lipman-Stern began interning at VICE in 2011 working his way up from a production assistant to a director/producer during the time when VICE exploded and became a globally recognized brand. In 2012, he launched Live From The Streets, a celebrated documentary series starring hip-hop producer, Mr. Green, which became one of the most popular series on VICE's music channel, Noisey. After VICE, Lipman-Stern was hired as a full time staff director/producer at Rolling Stone Magazine, and he continued to work for them until 2018. Known for getting authentic interviews by making friends with artists and celebrities, from Rick Ross and Slash to Charlie Puth and Keith Richards, Lipman-Stern was able to develop Rolling Stone's video brand which garnered them 100's of millions of views worldwide. Lipman-Stern also filmed viral conversations between Jerry Seinfeld and Wale for Complex and his current client roster includes HBO, PBS, MTV, Esquire, The New York Times, Interscope Records, Apple, Adidas, The NBA and more. In 2019, Lipman-Stern spent a month on the OceanX ship filming sea life and documenting a scientific mission to save coral reefs. 

Most Hated” the highly anticipated debut novel by Real Housewives Of Toronto cast member and media personality Kara Alloway, available now  Published by Canadian publishing house, RE:Books Publishing, “Most Hated” is a juicy and fascinating peek behind the curtain into the world of reality TV.  Kara Alloway is a respected journalist, fashion magazine editor-in-chief, on-air personality, producer and a cast member of The Real Housewives Of Toronto franchise. Alloway wrote “Most Hated” because she knows a little something of what takes place behind the scenes. The novel delves into the glamorous yet merciless world of reality TV. Alloway brings readers the inside perspective of someone who has been the reality TV villain and survived. “Most Hated” details what happens when six women join the cast of a reality tv show to try to change their lives.  For those behind and in front of the cameras on Talk of the Town, make-ups, break-ups, and manipulation are all in the name of great entertainment. When real life blends with reality content, it's hard to tell the salt from the sugar.     Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan Pod (Please Subscribe)       

Jesslee's rise to national recognition was nothing short of meteoric after turning the chairs of both Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson on NBC's The Voice. With five appearances on national television, Jesslee strategically exited the show at what is now being hailed as "the perfect time" by her team, propelling her already fast-rising career to new heights.   Since her unforgettable stint on the show, Jesslee has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett, Dierks Bentley, and many more. Her captivating performances have captivated audiences in the United States.  Notably, she has graced the biggest main stages in American country music, leaving an indelible mark on stages such as Country Fest in Cadott, WI, a sold-out headlining slot at Freedom Fest in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and the iconic Eddies Attic in Atlanta, GA.   Jesslee's brilliant new single, the party anthem "South of Somewhere” is out now!   Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan Pod (Please Subscribe)

Today on Too Opinionated, we sit down with actress Greta Carew-Johns.   Greta has appeared in numerous productions including Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok, The CW’s Supergirl and ABC’s A Million Little Things. At the beginning of 2022, Greta landed the lead role in the Christmas romcom TV movie, Meeting Mr. Christmas which recently aired in the USA on Crackle TV. It was also sold to air in Canada, the UK, Latin America and Germany. She also landed a guest star role in the pilot of CBS’ Early Edition alongside Alice Eve and Charles Michael Davis. Most recently, Greta was seen as the lead in the TV thriller, The Pregnancy Scheme which premiered in June on Lifetime.   Greta can also be heard as the voice of Sara, one of the lead characters in Curiouscast’s popular scripted podcast Escaping Denver. She is currently recording Season 3 (which is set to premiere this fall), while Seasons 1 and 2 are available now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.   Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan Pod (Please Subscribe)  

A 23-year-old luxury interior designer and content creator who has skyrocketed to social media fame for his unapologetic and comedic takes on design and spaces, Bilal Rehman is leading the next generation of luxury interior design. Featured on INSIDER.COM, Buzzfeed, and The New York Times for his viral content, Bilal is next gearing up to launch his e-commerce store where he will sell home goods to make any space feel more luxurious. From an interior design intern to CEO of his own company in only 4 years, he is ready to impress the world with his talents and branch out to create a full fledged lifestyle brand. We would love to set up an interview with you and Bilal to discuss his unique take on design, tips for styling the interiors of your home or business, and what’s next for the young artist.  As CEO of his Design Studio & Gallery based out of Houston, Texas, Bilal has already shown his skills and talented eye for design in his numerous commercial and residential design projects. Bilal takes an all-encompassing approach, focusing on every detail of the space to make sure it is cohesive and tells a story. Bilal’s commercial projects have included plastic surgery offices that strived for a less “medical office” feel, law offices meant to stand out and have a stylish atmosphere, and retail stores that promised to leave their customers feeling at the height of luxury.  Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan Pod. (Please Subscribe)