9 minute read
TODD TALBOT
By Jay Cooper
Love It or List It
Actor, Television Host and Real Estate Mogul But most important - Funny Guy!
I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my favourite TV hosts and my new best friend. Right, Todd? (laughs) It was a fascinating, informative and completely hilarious chat. Todd and his family are currently constructing their Eh Frame cottage on the West Coast. Follow Todd on his social media for updates on the build.
Todd Talbot and Jillian Harris, Love It or List It Vancouver
ATOTK: How’s the weather in Vancouver?
TT: Classically shitty. (laughs) I’m a Vancouver boy born and raised, but I’m not sure if it’s climate change or I’m just getting older and tired of all the rain.
ATOTK: I’ve never made it out to the West Coast, although I’ve been so many other places and countries.
TT: Well you know what they say, Jay, save the best for last (laughs)
ATOTK: What’s your connection to the Kawarthas?
TT: My Dad is from Toronto and all of my extended Talbot family stayed in Ontario, except my father who moved out west. I’ve spent a lot of time there, every year growing up, coming back at Christmas time or the summer. My grandfather and uncle had a place on Pigeon Lake. My cousin built a beautiful cottage on Sandy Lake. My aunt lives in Peterborough. The latest connection is that I was working with Toyota Canada and they put on a 3-day event where we went 4X4ing with the local groups, testing out the new trucks near Bobcaygeon. Social media being what it is, I did an in store appearance there, which was also an absolute blast. I’m not trying to blow smoke; so to speak, we really don’t have that kind of experience out here on the west coast. Sure we have the Gulf Islands, ocean and mountains but there is something magical, amazing and inspiring about your area. After coming back from the Bobcaygeon area, we bought a property on a lake in the Okanagan, which is about four hours from Vancouver.
ATOTK: What inspired you to start your Eh Frame business?
TT: We built a brand around this A Frame we’re building. We also have merch that adds to that lifestyle, lake life feel. Have to say, being in the Kawarthas gave me that vibe and inspired me to bring my own version to the table. Check us out at www.ehframe.com
ATOTK: History lesson for your fans that might not know.
TT: I was born in Vancouver. We moved around quite a bit from Victoria to Salt Spring Island to Tumbler Ridge and then North Burnaby. I’m the oldest of 5 kids, super active with parents that were passionate, supportive and did everything they could do to create opportunities for their kids. Follow your dreams and set the bar.
ATOTK: You were on Hillside (TV series) early on?
TT: Yes, I started acting professionally at a very young age with that show - which was a big success - alongside Ryan Reynolds. My parents were supportive, creating the opportunity to pursue it, if that’s what I wanted to do. Ultimately, I went to London England to attend theatre school to follow that path.
ATOTK: Were the rest of the family creative with a thirst for the arts?
TT: Not at all. (laughs) My parents were highly educated and talented but acting was something they had zero exposure to. A friend’s father was an actor named Harvey Miller who ran a theatre program. I expressed interest, so my parents phoned him and he suggested an agent. Much different times then of course, so we just went blindly down this path. My wife, Rebecca, is an actor also and that’s when we met. My son Kessler took to the business and not because we really encouraged anything. The nice part for us, we’ve been in the business a long time and know how the whole machine works and the processes.
ATOTK: So many actors have expressed their love of theatre to me and you are no exception.
TT: I got into live theatre, which is not such a great financial move. While I never wanted for work, I’m very fortunate as a full time actor, but theatre just doesn’t pay that much. (laughs)
ATOTK: Your best known for Love it or List it Vancouver.
TT: Whether I like it or not. (laughs) It’s OK, it’s all good. Well after 130 episodes I felt that it was time for a change. We filmed for almost 8 years. Which was an amazing journey that changed my life in a bunch of ways, but it was definitely time for a shift to do something else. It’s a tricky proposition for someone like me that’s been a self-employed actor my whole life and any gig I did would be for 4 to 6 months. I would equate it to being on a long running Broadway show, where you’re doing the same thing over and over again for 8 years. It astounded me at how popular it got and we had a great time doing it. Many people have a hard time with why I would want to switch it up but you have to have a level of passion for what you’re doing, as it’s hard to manufacture the comedy and energy behind it.
ATOTK: On the show you’re the real estate agent. Is that real or just acting? T
T: I am licensed. My journey into real estate came from a hobby and a passion that was never designed to be a business. As a full time actor, I started investing in real estate. I bought my first place, refinanced it, then bought another one. It was a good time to get into it and a perfect fit while working in theatre. My colleagues noticed what I was doing and started picking my brain for investment knowledge, so I started mentoring them to help build a stable financial future. I really didn’t know the business of real estate, just that I was super into investing and renovating. A friend and I started a business called Condo Guys Marketing. The condo market in Vancouver was booming, so we helped people buy, sell and market. By then I had that, plus a staging company along with my own projects building and renovating, all while I was a full time actor in theatre. The great part was the shows were in the evening, so I had my days free. Thankfully I had a high capacity for working in those days. Not quite so much anymore. (laughs)
ATOTK: How did you get the role on Love it or List it Vancouver?
TT: Well, because I was sort of the go-to guy for real estate in the entertainment sector and they were expanding the show from Toronto to here, they hired a producer friend of mine. He phoned and told me about the show and they were struggling to get the male character for it. It was a one-year contract and would I be interested? I’ll say yes to anything once and that started my new adventure, bringing my two fields together.
ATOTK: Did you really get along with your Cohost Jillian Harris?
TT: We came from different worlds. Her television experience was The Bachelor and Bachelorette, which were foreign to me, as I have never watched any of it. Not my cup of tea so to speak. (laughs) What worked well was that we could identify where each other’s strengths were. I learned a lot from Jillian to operate in the reality world, which is a funny business, as she spent many years exposed to it and how to leverage the format. Another part with Jill and I is the brother and sister kind of feel to the characters
ATOTK: The popularity of HGTV renovation shows is huge.
TT: It surprised me on how popular the show became. People think it’s a Canadian show; it’s far from it. It airs all over the world. The viewers dwarf the Canadian audience in Brazil for example. I think Vancouver was an unspoken character in the show. It’s beautiful, you could showcase interesting things and the environment was great to shoot in. The format was appealing to people with the hook at the end where you at home kind of get to play along, thinking what would I do in that position. I get messages everyday thanking me for making them smile and laugh and that is the thing I’m most proud of.
ATOTK: Although the show seems seamless, I’m sure that was not the reality of it.
TT: (laughs) Well, this is where real life and TV life collide. There were real life challenges that impacted how we could shoot the show, like permits. Although we never talked about that, it can mess up the process, as the city is saying 4 months to process the paperwork to take down a wall. We shot 4 episodes at the same time because it took so long to get all those pieces to come together. The hardest part was, Jill and I would run around to these 4 different episodes and ask, what did I say to these people the last time I saw them, 3 couples ago and 2 weeks ago. (laughs) Our crew and the production team really managed that stuff with the reno, design and finding houses. That would have been too many hats to wear for a host of the show. The show says you need a home in a certain area as we film on Wednesday. The team says “There isn’t one”. (laughs) Or could be 5 houses that fit the criteria and they all say no to having a production crew in. And then what do you do?
ATOTK: Do the guests on the show actual pay for the reno and furniture?
TT: Great question. Yes they paid for all of it. So why would you do such a show? The answer would be speed, quality, accountability and some people wanted to be on TV. 98% of the couples were awesome as they had zero clue of what it is like being on a show. I took it upon myself to mentor them with what and how much to say, as some had little to say and others went on and on and on. (laughs)
ATOTK: Any other future projects you would like to do?
TT: Yeah I want to do a show called “Canadians in Canoes getting beer”. (laughs) Myself and maybe Wayne Gretzky paddling along, waving at people on their dock, then stop in and chat for awhile and have a couple of beers. (laughs)
ATOTK: Wine or Beer?
TT: Oh beer, hands down. In fact Love it or List It set up the end scene where the loser had to buy the other a glass of wine. I said but I don’t drink wine and my awakening was that the producers just didn’t care. I have a partnership with Heineken and when they approached me I was thinking OMG I’d do that for free beer. (laughs) When I was offered that last summer I was like I have made it. Heineken, a beer that I truly love, comes to me and pays me money to drink their beer, I thought I can retire now, I’m done, it’s the coolest thing ever. (he laughs)
