Kemptville brothers Ethan and Alex Kerr have more in common than just looks – they also have a unique talent for acting. It all started when older brother Ethan decided that he wanted to be in a commercial. While Ethan’s interest in acting soon wavered, his initiative lived on through his brother, Alex, who succeeded where many other kids have only tried. Alex ended up being in two commercials, one for a financial planning company, and one for toy retailer Toys R Us.
Ethan and Alex’s mother, Cheryl Kerr, explained that while Ethan quickly tired of acting, his little brother Alex had taken a keen interest in watching the elder brother’s endeavors. “Alex kept trying to memorize Ethan’s lines when Ethan had an audition, and Alex heard his brother with his acting coach from LA online and wanted to give it a try,” said Cheryl. “Alex started coaching with Ethan’s acting coach, and Ethan’s acting interest faded. Alex’s coach said that he should reach out to Ethan’s agents. They interviewed Alex and loved him.”
Cheryl explained that acting is not something she would have assumed Alex would naturally take a shine to. “The funny thing is that Alex had speech therapy when he was younger for a couple of years and has a very quiet personality, still to this day,” she said. “He takes everything he does seriously, schooling as well. He absolutely loves acting and asks for drama classes every night.”
Cheryl is happy about Alex’s continued interest in acting because of the life skills that it can help to develop. This includes skills such as how to do an interview and engage in public speaking, and it also gives self confidence, among so many other great benefits. Alex himself feels that acting has been instrumental in teaching him how to study.
“It’s been an amazing experience for him and me too!” Cheryl added. “He’s tried other interests that he wasn’t so passionate about. He wants to be an actor, and he has a lot going for him in other subjects too, so we’ll see how it all unravels. I can see that he’s going to do something great.”
Alex just started his acting journey in August and he is already doing great. He has immediate plans to join an acting school in addition to his regular schooling, and he will keep working with his coach. His coach is Los Angeles based actor Jareb Dauplaise, who does online acting coaching.
Cheryl explained that being the parent of a child actor can be very unpredictable. “It’s a little bit of a rollercoaster and I can see it could become a big one,” she said. “You have to remember that it’s all in your child and to not push it. When my eldest Ethan started to lose interest, I didn’t want him to miss the opportunity, but you have to know when to let it go. It’s not about what makes you happy, it’s about what truly makes them happy, and for Alex it’s acting.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, interviews for television acting jobs have switched to an online platform, with no plans for a switch back to in-person auditions. This opens up a much larger “pool” of potential actors for producers to choose from, since most productions are filmed in Toronto or Vancouver. Keep flying high, Alex!