I caught up with Canadian actor Greg Tiderington lately. The man of many talents has a lot going on just now, so read on for news on where you can expect to see him in the coming months.

Who is Greg Tiderington and how did he get to where he is today?
Well trying to make a real long story short, I started doing sketch art as I had a difficult time talking when I was a toddler as I was diagnosed with a learning disability so I described my actions through drawings. I moved from my hometown of North Vancouver to Abbotsford when I was four and a half. I learned to talk properly when I was six although the doctors said I would never be able to and won some art certificates in grade school. When I was a pre teen I started making comic books and sold them.

When I was in Junior High I started making comic strips for my school paper and then got interviewed through local papers and a spot on the 6 O’clock news for my comics.

I wanted to sing in a rock band when I was 16 but I never knew anything about getting together one although I thought there was nothing to it but I had a lot to learn.

At 17 I was finally brave enough to try a bit of acting and acted in a short student scholarship play and then during my grad year I acted in a handful of others too. After I graduated I volunteered at my local community cable station doing camera and audio for their shows. Eventually I had the opportunity to appear in front of the camera as I V.J. Hosted a late night rock video Halloween special titled "The Friday Night Halloween Howl" and a year later another late night special of a comedy-variety show titled "I Love Rock N' Roll" which was almost a disaster to do but it got done. Both shows were only shown in Abbotsford as the place was a small community so I got little feedback on both shows.

I moved back to Vancouver and took small acting workshops and eventually I had a chance to experience myself doing a walk on role due to shortage of men in a Greek tragedy at a community theatre called the United Players of Vancouver. While I was doing that show there was an announcement that auditions would be held for a British comedy-drama written by Oscar Wilde titled "A Woman of No Importance" so I tried out and had confidence I would get a part. I read for a supporting role of a butler named Francis who only had 3 lines but again I was new to the acting business so I wanted to grow but he had tons of scenes.

When I returned to the theatre to get ready for the Greek tragedy the president named Andree Karas said that the director named Nicholas J. Harrison wanted me to be in his play. I was so excited and had a lot of fun with my role as I made my role as Francis come to life with his facial expressions as people knew I really stood out and it was one of my noted performances. The show was sold out almost every night.

Greg: "Post-production was a nightmare however due to personal issues".

Afterwards I had a tough time getting work but eventually I got back into the swing of things a year after that show and landed other supporting roles in stage plays. Eventually I became a regular performer with a theatre in Surrey, BC titled the Fraser Valley Gilbert & Sullivan Society by performing in their shows such as Charley in "The Pajama Game", Gormless in "Sleeping Beauty" and King Neptune in "Robinson Crusoe". I wanted to get back into acting in front of the camera but never had the opportunity but eventually I pushed myself to contacting some directors with my story idea of a horror short since I love horror films.

Eventually I met up with a filmmaker named Apolostolos Kouromalis who agreed to tackle the project as I pitched in some money and he did too. He wrote, produced and directed the short as it was titled "Streaks in the Mirror". I play a role of a mysterious killer named Edwin who seems innocent at first but in the end he's deadly. I got the idea off of a short titled "Birds of a Feather" which starred Felissa Rose and Chris Cooke. This film was a little more gothic and bloody though with a different twist. I don't remember it all that well but all I knew was it was a great challenge and I had some back problems too which made stuff difficult. The flick was not made on a DV but a film budget too.

Post-production was a nightmare however due to personal issues I am not allowed to discuss and it barely got done. Over a year later however it was completed but badly dubbed, edited and there were annoying sound effects during some dialogue scenes. Last Halloween it did get shown at the Halloween Horror Picture Show (www.halloweenhorrorpictureshow.com) down in Florida and it is available in Quebec on DVD along with Apostolos' other short film projects which he titled the whole DVD "Cerce - Last Caress". The film was rated PG-13 in Quebec which is strange as it should've been rated R for some of the gruesome scenes towards the end of the film. I waited for my next break in film and while I waited I wrote, produced, co-directed and starred in a 5 minute short titled "Room for Rent" as I played a college student named Richard Thomas who rents a room in a creepy old haunted house.

I screened it at some areas near me and then it got picked up at the Horror Dance Film Festival in Texas of 2005 (www.horrordance.org). People loved it. This was also a take off to a chapter I starred in a horror anthology titled "The Horror Seasons" which was a golden turkey as well as a "Creepshow"/"Twilight Zone"/"Tales from the Crypt" type rip off. I had a lot of fun doing the film but it was a flop. I played a traveler named Gareth Freeman who was escaping his past and he has a deadly surprise waiting for him on Halloween night after renting a room with an elderly woman. I hated my costume as I looked overweight with the pants I wore plus my hair was too short. Each chapter took place every 4 seasons. Now I am involved in acting with a professional film company here known as Second Impact Entertainment (www.secondimpact.ca) as I will be acting in their upcoming horror and non-horror films.

You are a man of many talents, but if you could only chose one thing to do for the rest of your days what would it be?
I would love to sing in a band as that opportunity may still happen.

Do you feel it is important for people wishing to work in the entertainment industry to be able to do many things?
I encourage people to go with their instincts but to be cautious too, as it can be a nasty business and I would never encourage to pursue acting full time and to have another job unless they knew what they were doing.

You have been lucky enough to act in both films and theatre. Which do you prefer and why?
I prefer films as its less time consuming and I hoped theatre would be a stepping stone into a film career as most actors start out that way. Theatre has too many days of rehearsals and it's so intense. I do encourage actors to start out in theatre as it's a true way to know your craft as an actor. I will always cherish my moments in the shows "Sleeping Beauty", "The Pajama Game" and of course "A Woman of No Importance"

Greg: "A sequel was planned but that fell through. No big loss".

Horror Seasons sounds interesting, what’s the latest on that?
Last year it was shown at the New York International Film & Video Festival but only in areas of Los Angeles and Miami. Then the director took it to a place that's not even a distribution company called Custom Flix that sells DVDR of films. It's available online at www.amazon.com as well as at www.customflix.com/207115. A sequel was planned but that fell through. No big loss.

You’re out there in beautiful Canada. What’s the low budget horror scene like across there?
It’s really happening I tell you, as there's an independent horror film company called Creepy Six Films and I hope to work with them one day. They one time had scream queen Brinke Stevens co-starring in their film "Vampires Vs. Zombies"

You have a role in the upcoming Dust to Dust, how did that come about?
I found a company site called Gallows Hill Productions that was very uneven and I was behind a horror film site at www.racksandrazors.com. I interviewed the director D.T. Carney. He saw my work and asked for me to work on the Gallows Hill site and so I fixed it up for him. He was planning a horror anthology and I am planning to go to Los Angeles for a holiday and agreed to act in his film. I will play a hit man named Razor which is a supporting role in the second chapter.

The film has an amazing cast of genre stars. How does it feel to be part of that line up?
I am so excited to work with some of the actors of films I enjoyed watching like Linnea Quigley, Felissa Rose and Joe Estevez.

Who did you get to work with during your time on set?
My scenes haven't been shot yet as shooting is planned this fall. I know that I will be working with Cleve Hall who is getting a lot of credit for co-starring as Lutkus in his brother's recent horror flick "The Halfway House" and he was also remembered for playing the mentally challenged killer named Mathew in "Twisted Nightmare". Also I think Linnea Quigley will be in this chapter too as I am so nervous since she's one of my favourite scream queens ever since I saw her work in "Return of the Living Dead", "Night of the Demons" and "Graduation Day". Also, I think Ariauna Albright who was remembered as Lilith from "Witchouse" has a small role in the chapter too. I will find out when I get down there this year.

You have a lot going on right now. Is there anything else you would still like to do that you haven’t already?
Well D.T. Carney and I are writing a grad camp slasher film as it's hopefully the next project after "Dust to Dust". The film is a tribute to the retro genre like "Friday the 13th", "The Burning", "Prom Night", "Graduation Day" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street". If this film happens I will have the lead in it. My dream cast for this project would be Sherry Bendorf, Felissa Rose, Danielle Harris, Miles Meadows, Jonathan Tiersten, Joe Barton, Joe Estevez and cameos by Paul Kratka and Reggie Bannister but again this is who I picture in the film like anyone else who would write an idea for a film picturing what actor would be good for a character.

What’s next for you?
Right now I am co-hosting an internet radio talk show on horror films titled "The Bloodletting Hour" which will be almost airing and you can listen to it at www.radiogay.ca and not only that, there will be an official site made by me on the show. It will be great. Also, I am going to be working with Second Impact Entertainment acting in their films as I mentioned above. I also make websites too and have a couple clients lined up. Also I am talking to some musicians too and hopefully that will go through well. You can check out my site at www.gregtiderington.tk for more information.

"Thank you ever so much for taking part in this interview Greg.
And we wish you the very best of luck in the future."