TALENT INC CANADA FACULTY
FROM THE BEGINNING
Talent INC Canada was founded in 2010 and is located in the east end of Toronto, conveniently close to many casting houses. We are proud that our company is 100 percent Canadian, working only with Canadian directors, agents, and producers. We feel that in order for an actor to sign with a legitimate agency, they must continually train. We have a strong Talent INC Canada family with well over 5000 success stories since we opened.
WHERE WE ARE NOW
Doug has placed thousands of actors in to the tv/film industry through their programs and their award winning annual Showcase. Talent INC Canada has been in operation for 10 years and some students have been clients since day 1. Our students work in television, films, commercials and voice overs. We share our latest bookings on Instagram and Facebook so feel free to follow us on social media, we'd love to hear from you!
Talent INC Canada was founded in 2010 and is located in the east end of Toronto, conveniently close to many casting houses. We are proud that our company is 100 percent Canadian, working only with Canadian directors, agents, and producers. We feel that in order for an actor to sign with a legitimate agency, they must continually train. We have a strong Talent INC Canada family with well over 5000 success stories since we opened.
WHERE WE ARE NOW
Doug has placed thousands of actors in to the tv/film industry through their programs and their award winning annual Showcase. Talent INC Canada has been in operation for 10 years and some students have been clients since day 1. Our students work in television, films, commercials and voice overs. We share our latest bookings on Instagram and Facebook so feel free to follow us on social media, we'd love to hear from you!
Talent INC Canada's Owner
DOUG W. SLOAN
DOUG W. SLOAN – As the head of our admissions and marketing team, Doug grew up in a small town with big dreams. Early in his teens, he modeled for Calvin Klein and quickly gained a keen eye for the business side of the industry. Doug earned his degree in Business Management and opened a successful tanning salon, which quickly grew into a chain.
Using the investments from the sale of those salons, Doug bought 2 of the leading day spas in Yorkville and merged them together. The David and Francis Salon was one of the most prominent Salons under his direction for 8 years.
Doug knew his passion was in the entertainment industry so he sold the salon and embarked on the journey he continues to follow to this day. He has managed the development of some of today’s top talent and has successfully placed 1000’s of working performers of all ages with agencies and managers in the U.S, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
His performers can be seen in projects like Harry Potter, Humans, The Stanley Dynamic, The Royals, Hell On Wheels, Wynona Earp, Home Alone 5, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, Degrassi, Heroes Reborn, The Detail, Connor Undercover, and national campaigns for Winner’s, IKEA, Rogers, Nike and VW to name a few. He is the co-founder of Talent, INC (Canada) Ltd.
“Engaging with young performers has enriched my life in so many ways. I cannot imagine doing anything better than changing a young person’s life forever.”
-Doug W. Sloan
Using the investments from the sale of those salons, Doug bought 2 of the leading day spas in Yorkville and merged them together. The David and Francis Salon was one of the most prominent Salons under his direction for 8 years.
Doug knew his passion was in the entertainment industry so he sold the salon and embarked on the journey he continues to follow to this day. He has managed the development of some of today’s top talent and has successfully placed 1000’s of working performers of all ages with agencies and managers in the U.S, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
His performers can be seen in projects like Harry Potter, Humans, The Stanley Dynamic, The Royals, Hell On Wheels, Wynona Earp, Home Alone 5, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, Degrassi, Heroes Reborn, The Detail, Connor Undercover, and national campaigns for Winner’s, IKEA, Rogers, Nike and VW to name a few. He is the co-founder of Talent, INC (Canada) Ltd.
“Engaging with young performers has enriched my life in so many ways. I cannot imagine doing anything better than changing a young person’s life forever.”
-Doug W. Sloan
ACTING COACHES
Jennifer Gibson
Adult Division
Available for workshops to be announced and by special appointment
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Jennifer is an accomplished actor, director and activist. She began her career in Los Angeles and has since worked in New York, Vancouver and Toronto. She is a well known actor, having appeared in numerous Canadian and American TV series such as Suits, Kim’s Convenience, Hemlock Grove, The Bold and the Beautiful, Guiding Light and too many Hallmark Christmas movies to name, among others. Her film work includes roles alongside Julianne Moore (David Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars) and Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey and Justin Timberlake (Edison). On stage, Jennifer starred as Betty in the Canadian premiere of Neil LaBute’s “In a Forest, Dark and Deep”. In 2019, Jennifer co-wrote, executive produced and directed “The Christmas Chalet” for CBC and directed “Christmas Stars” for Lifetime Network and CTV. In addition, she is proud to be a founding member of AfterMetoo, working to end workplace sexual violence and harassment on set. As a coach, Jennifer is in the unique position of knowing both sides of the camera and what directors are looking for in the room, and on set. She has trained extensively under Larry Moss, and shares his passion for script analysis and the exploration of one’s own life to create characters. |
Paul Barnes
Comedy & Improv Division
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A Dora Award nominee in 2017 for Superdude & Mr. Rude, Paul is a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and the Second City Conservatory Program in Toronto. An actor, comedian and pupeteer, he has spent four years as a cast member of the Second City's Educational and Family Companies. He is also a principal cast member of the TVO/Jim Henson kids' show Hi Opie!, and recenlty recorded a role for the Nelvana animation series, D.N. Ace. Paul also performs with various improv and sketch troupes around Toronto such as Improv Against Humanity, Dog Science, We Happy Few and Men with Mustaches. Paul is thrilled to spend his adult life playing with toys and making pretend. He has been teaching Improv for the last few years with Talent INC Canada. |
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Melanie Davis
Voice Over Division
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Melanie is an actor, coach and writer. Her passion and specialty is voice acting. If you listen closely, you can hear Melanie's voice on Netflix and TVOKids. Melanie has taught voice acting at the college level and owns her own company coaching, training and producing voice demos for actors of all ages. She also works with several Canadian companies casting and directing voice over projects virtually. Melanie enjoys character creation and development and loves helping people share their voice in a fun and professional manner. |
John Shubat
Adult Division
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Beginning his career at 17, modelling with Elite Model Management, John has been in front of the camera for over a decade. A graduate of The University of Toronto’s Theatre and Performance Studies, as well as NYU-TISCH online program, John has earned a wide range of stage and screen credits ranging from classical to contemporary. With a belief that an actor must always remain a student of the craft—as well as life—John is now training towards his MFA in acting. |
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Deanna Palazzo
Adult Division
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With over two decades of acting experience, Deanna holds a BaH of English and Theatre Studies from the University of Guelph. She is also an alum from the Second City Conservatory Program and performed for many years with Grade Eight Dance and various other comedy troupes. She is no stranger to the Talent Inc Family, having been part of the teaching staff for over a year, some years back. In addition to her on-screen appearances such as Fear Thy Neighbor, Evil Encounters, Haunted Hospitals and Spoons she has also served as one of the hosts and co-creators of BellFibeTV1's HAUNTED HURONIA. Her hosting roles also include her work with the Type One Diabetes Think Tank's Pregancy Series. She is also a member of the award winning local sketch troupe Good Morning Apocalypse and has produced award- winning films with Midland Film Company Inc and others. In addition to her acting credits, she has spent much of her career as a producer and was part of the founding collective pivotal (arts), and served as the Producer for many years for the Tim Sims Fresh Meat Comedy Award Showcases and the award winning Baram & Snieckus. Finally in her nearly 30 years acting, she has appeared in over 100 theatre productions. She is so excited to be able to offer her coaching to a new generation of emerging talent from our incredible community! |
Jinny Wong
Adult Division
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Jinny Wong is a Canadian Actor, Acting Coach, and a mom of two boys. Jinny started her professional acting career in theatre and travelled from Florida to the Mediterranean, performing on stage for the Disney Cruise Line. After taking a few years off to start her family, Jinny’s focus shifted to TV & Film. Since then Jinny has had the pleasure of working on many TV/Film projects including appearances on Stolen By Their Father, Ruby and The Well, Unlocking Christmas, Candy Cane Candidate, The Parker Anderson’s & Cutie Pugs. When Jinny is not on set, she’s busy raising feminists, deep-diving into personal development, and motivating fellow actors to follow their dreams. |
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Meredith Forlenza
Adult Division
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Meredith Forlenza is an actor and coach who has recently relocated to Toronto from New York. She has appeared on Broadway in 1984, Noises Off, The Winslow Boy, and A Behanding in Spokane, and Off-Broadway in Dan Cody's Yacht (MTC), Completeness (Playwrights Horizons), All-American (Lincoln Center), and Empathitrax (EST), among others. She has worked all across the United States, from the world premiere of Itamar Moses's new play The Whistleblower at The Denver Center, Can You Forgive Her? (IRNE nom Best Actress) and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? at the Huntington Theatre in Boston, to The Delling Shore at the Actor's Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival. Meredith's TV and film credits include: The Tick, Blindspot, Billy & Billie, Mercy, The Union, Hannah Has a Ho-Phase, and Not Fade Away. She has appeared in two national commercials: for U by Kotex and as the Naughty Librarian for Pearle Vision. Since coming to Toronto, she's studied improv and stand-up at Second City. Meredith is a graduate of Northwestern University and a member of New York's Ensemble Studio Theatre. She is passionate about scene work, and can't wait to dive in with everyone at Talent, Inc! |
Carmen Kruk
Adult Division
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Carmen is an actor, coach and writer who has taught performance and verbatim theatre for over five years. Her work has received funding from the Ontario Arts Council, and her play What She Said has toured across the GTA. Carmen holds an MFA from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and has also studied at the University of Toronto, Canada’s National Voice Intensive (now the Moving Voice Institute), the Vineyard Arts Project, as well as improv at Second City Toronto. |
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Bernadette Janssen
Social Media Manager
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Rocio Martinez Delfa
Teacher's Assistant
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Rocio started acting at age 9 participating in musical theatre and soon falling in love with acting. Starting from a “Lost Child” role in “Peter Pan” school musical , making her way up to the lead role of Cinderella in “Cinderella’s Rodgers and Hammerstein” school musical. Currently, she is attending Cardinal Carter Academy For the Arts High school in a drama major. Additionally, she has been vocally training for 10 years and is fluent in both English and Spanish. She has been training with Talent Inc for the past few years and always strives to bring her fun, loving personality and experience to inspire young talents. |
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Ryan Ramcharran
Teacher's Assistant
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There’s no doubt that the acting industry has become more saturated in the last five years, with more aspiring students eager to share their passion for acting. Ryan has been acting since high-school days. He has been in Film and Television shows such as: See No Evil, The Comey Rule, Salt-N-Pepa, and The Unleashed. He brings his confident energetic personality and experience to inspire young talents. |
Tyler Barre
Teacher's Assistant & Administrative Assistant
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Coming originally from Winnipeg, Tyler began his career and love for the industry behind the camera, working on film crews starting back in 2018 on productions such as; “We Summon the Darkness” and “Tales from the Loop”, and has continued that career here in Toronto on shows such as; “Mrs. America”, “American Gods”, “Mayor of Kingstown” and many more. Tyler has been acting since a young age, and joined Talent INC Canada originally as a student in 2021. Tyler is a graduate of George Brown College’s “Video Design and Production” course, and has experience telling stories from the perspective of an actor, writer, director and producer. |
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