"Mismated" starring Maryam Mehrtash, Michael Challenger, Anita Dionne Reimer, and Peter Ellingson

In 2008, Zack and Miri made a porno. Why? Because 10 years after the humiliating experience most of us call “high school” these two roommates, friends, and would-be couple decided that they were sick of being the butts of the joke of life. That, and they were both seriously in debt. In an effort to raise themselves from the pit of mediocrity, and earn enough cash to cover their losses, Zack and Miri decide to film, produce, and star in their own porno.

Their story runs parallel to the plight that most Vancouver actors have found themselves in these days. Well, sort of, but stay with me on this one

The Arts are hard pressed to thrive when the economy takes a nose dive, and actors in Vancouver have definitely been feeling the pinch over the past couple of years. In a comprehensive message posted to the Vancouver Actor’s Guide Forum, Richard Lucas, founder of the esteemed Lucas Talent agency,  shares a comprehensive report on the State of the Industry – a report that, in a nutshell, outlines how tough economic times forces studios to take fewer risks and enforce massive budgetary cutbacks; all in all, not very good news for budding talent in Hollywood and even worse news for budding talent in Vancouver.

That was all back in 2008/2009, and even though there seems to be more calls for auditions this year, there still aren’t enough opportunities to go around. Agents have no choice but to send a large portion of their roster to a select number of auditions in the city, so while the economy is starting to pick back up, the competition for these few auditions are still causing the odds of getting a gig to be relatively low.

So what are young, motivated actors in beautiful British Columbia supposed to do? Well, like Zack and Miri (see what I did there?) a group of proactive Vancouverites decided to take their lives and careers in their own hands, and unlike Zack and Miri, they refused to take it lying down.

On April 6th, 2010, thanks to some hard work and inexpensive HD equipment, the dramedy mini pilot web series, Mismated, was launched.

“Mismated” is the story of two couples made up of four extremely different individuals. Melinda Belluci, “The Princess”, is a successful stylist who lives a “happy and wealthy life” with her entrepreneur boyfriend Eddie Pyrell, “The Pushover”. Melinda and Eddie spend their time with their married friends – headstrong career woman, Renata Miles, “The Workaholic”, and her husband, “Tree Hugger” Derek Johnson. Throughout the four episodes, these couples discover that despite their varying personalities and seemingly “mismatched” lifestyles, they are each responsible for defining success in their relationships.

Who are the four fantastic individuals behind the pilot? Meet Maryam Mehrtash ( Eyes of a Beginner, Disturbing Behvaiour), Michael Challenger (The L-Word, Intelligence), Anita Dionne Reimer (How to Get Rid of My Ex-Wife’s Body, Twelfth Night), and Peter Ellingson (The Package, Area One). Tired of waiting for calls from their agents, this group of actors decided to pool their talents – Mehrtash and Challenger co-produced the “dramedy”, but all four stars collaborated when it came to writing, filming, and starring in the series.

The concept for the show was originally born out of a series of improv sessions held by Mehrtash, Challenger, Reimer and Ellingson. When the group saw the potential of a quirky comedy/drama about mismatched, yet perfectly suited, couples they quickly began working on turning this idea into a TV pitch, one that will hopefully catch the eye of network execs.

Thankfully, this television series is infinitely more palatable and family friendly than Zack and Miri’s venture, and I have high hopes that it will be airing in your living room in the near future.

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