Red Deer native Jacob Blair, 28, has made it big this time with his acting role in the new Underworld Awakening movie that hit theatres Jan. 20th.

The film is the latest instalment in the Underworld saga and casts Jacob as a rookie detective working alongside a veteran detective to solve the cases surrounding the war between the Lycan’s and the Vampires.

Hollywood actress Kate Beckinsale stars in the movie.

“Humans become aware of the species and want to eradicate them so they come up with this divine plan to make a three way war,” said Blair.

Blair didn’t always aspire to be an actor and said it was rather by fluke that this is where he wound up.

“I was going to Red Deer College focussing on a commerce degree when a friend said to take these drama classes to fill my course load. He said I’d get to pretend and that I’d get great marks,” said Blair.

Blair joined the drama class and fell in love with it. He said he found he was doing better in those classes than he was in commerce and was receiving positive feedback on a regular basis.

“I’d always grown up loving movies and watching movies and going to plays,” said Blair.

He eventually auditioned for some of the top theatre programs and got into Studio 58 in Vancouver.

“It was a weird way to get into acting,” said Blair.

Within reach of graduating he booked his first role on Battlestar Galactica and that is what he said got the ball rolling.

In his acting career so far Blair has been seen in roles alongside Billy Ray Cyrus in Christmas in Canaan and Christmas Comes Home to Canaan as well as movies such as The Day the Earth Stood Still, 2012, Wrecked, The A-Team and Hot Tub Time Machine.

“I’m a person who likes change and I grew up in a conventional place. Red Deer is a great place to grow up because there’s lots you can get your hands on, but I just couldn’t wrap my head around a conventional job,” said Blair.

Blair said part of what he enjoys the most is never doing the same thing twice as an actor.

“One week you’re playing a rookie detective with werewolves and vampires and the next you’re shooting at robots.”

Blair said he finds his job very rewarding because he gets to do the things he would do anyway and just have fun while telling a story and inspiring people to think and feel.

“Christmas in Canaan is a family movie and it brought up a lot of family core values. We got a lot of feedback from people saying things like they’ve been there or that it really touched home.”

Currently, Blair is residing in Toronto after having lived in Vancouver for a number of years.

“It’s a really tough business these days. There are more people getting into it with less work to be had due to the economy.”

Blair said one of the biggest things he has learned, or that he would pass along, would be that if acting is what someone wants to do, make sure to have no doubts.

“There’s a lot of downtime where you may be really talented but you’re not getting work. You really have to make sure it’s what you want to do,” said Blair.

Blair said he has a great agent who has numerous connections and continues to keep him busy.

“Once you figure out that this is what you want to do, you really have to be persistent and you can never second guess what it is you’re doing.”

kpalardy@reddeerexpress.com