Christian Potenza longboards to work, gets to say “dude” on the job and is part of Saturday morning cartoons.
Things have worked out for the former St. Raphael Catholic Elementary School student.
The voice of Chris McLean on Total Drama, Jude Lizowski on 6Teen and Trevor Troublemyer on Sidekick returned to his old stomping grounds Sept. 22 to tell students about his quest to become part of the entertainment industry.
Potenza chatted to a small group of students at the school before heading to the Cinéfest screening of Moon Point, a film Potenza acted in and produced.
Between high-fives and questions about his video game habits, he managed to work a positive message into his presentation.
“I've become everything I wanted to be,” he said.
Potenza said he is happy to now be embarking on a new chapter in his professional career.
Producing Moon Point “is probably the cherry on the sundae,” he said.
For more information about the film, visit www.moonpointmovie.com.
Roles on Saturday morning cartoons and production gigs weren't always waiting for him though. Potenza said he went through a six-year period where he didn't book a single gig. Instead of getting down, he persevered.
During his presentation, Potenza encouraged students at St. Raphael do the same, even if they encounter stumbling blocks.
“Follow the energy” to achieve dreams, he said.
Potenza also made a point of recalling his experiences at the school with students.
“I remember this gym being so much bigger,” he said while leaning against the wall he scored his first handball goal on.
Having been away from Greater Sudbury for about 30 years, Potenza said it felt good to come home.
Rolling into Sudbury, passing places like Deluxe and the Adanac Ski Hill, left him feeling nostalgic.
“I just got a nice feeling,” he said. “It's good to be home.”
- Posted by Jenny Jelen
