Vaughan native stars in TIFF Canadian feature 'Black Cop'

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 11, 2017
By Tim Kelly

Former Vaughan resident Ronnie Rowe Jr. is making a big splash in Canadian feature film 'Black Cop', which debuts at the Toronto International Film Festival Sept. 12.

In the title role, Rowe, 32, is playing a black police officer who is profiled by white officers while off-duty. That sets him on a course of revenge as he profiles the profilers, in what the producers describe as a "searing political satire".

Rowe calls the movie "a psychological drama about a police officer torn between his duty to his job and his responsibility as a black man. After being profiled off-duty, he goes on a whirlwind of revenge-seeking events."

The movie is especially timely given the debate surrounding profiling of black men by white police officers, he said.

"It's eerily relevant. It opens up a different perspective some people may not have considered. I've heard people are uncomfortable watching the movie at times and I feel in order to change, you have to embrace discomfort. I hope it starts conversation that can lead to a resolution."

Rowe grew up in Vaughan attending St. Elizabeth Catholic Elementary School and local high schools.

He said he got his acting start in Grade 6 doing musical theatre productions.

"I went to a little Catholic elementary school; that's where I started acting in Grade 6. I started doing musical theatre productions. I always had a great experience in Vaughan; it's such a diverse community. I think it's helped me become who I am because I was exposed to every culture. I used to play basketball over at Dufferin-Clark Community Centre, and I would always be hanging out with my friends who went to Vaughan."

For Rowe, who has extensive television experience in shows such as The Strain, Dark Matter, Murdoch Mysteries, Saving Hope and The Expanse, a lead role in feature film is a "very big deal in the acting world, so I'm pretty happy and pretty excited."

'Black Cop' shows Sept. 12 at 9:30 p.m., Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 17 at 11:45 a.m. at the Scotiabank Theatre, 259 Richmond St. W., Toronto.