Carter Ryan is an Actor most known for his role as Cody Stanton in “When Calls the Heart” and “When Hope Calls”. He has also appeared in shows such as “The Man in the High Castle” and “Travellers”. Ryan is represented by Premiere Talent Management and Lynk Public Relations.
Headshot Photography by: Noah Asanias Photography
What inspired you to get into acting?
My sister inspired me to get into acting. She had been an actress since she was 5 years old and when I turned 7 years old she suggested I start acting as well. I began taking classes and my teacher told me I was a natural which I thought was really cool. I was having fun playing the characters, working with other students and coaches and learning about the process. I started booking shortly after and now along with my other activities, acting has become a big part of my life and I love it.
What was the first ever role that you booked and what was it like filming it?
The first role I ever booked was a lead in “Her Infidelity”. It was a blast filming it because everyone was so welcoming and nice to me. Rachel Hunter played my mom and she was really awesome. It was the best experience for my first show and the cast and crew made my time on set very memorable and fun. I learned a lot about the filming process on set and the crew were so experienced and would always explain things to me. I also got to really enjoy going to the craft table for the treats!
What was the casting process like for When Calls the Heart?
The casting process for the show was great. I went out for my initial audition feeling good and after a little while I got a call back. I met with the director, Neill Fearnley and was pretty nervous but my nerves didn’t get the best of me. I came out feeling confident and hoping that I got cast in the role as all actors do. A few days later I got the call from my agent that I booked the show and I was super excited! My family and I started to watch the 1st and 2nd season of When Calls the Heart in order to prepare myself before I started filming and I was thrilled to become part of the show.
What was it like on your first day of set for the show?
My first day on set for When Calls the Heart was memorable. It was an early morning shoot though, around 7am (I had to get up at 5:30am) and I remember it was foggy and cold. I was really nervous because I didn’t want to mess up, even though I didn’t have a line and I only had a couple of scenes to film. My first scene was filming outside the church and I was stealing wood. It was a great day because I got to meet many of the main cast, executive producers and director and the crew. On that day I became familiarized with the set and my new surroundings and it was the beginning of a memorable time in my life.
What’s your favorite part about working on “When Calls the Heart”?
My favorite part about working on the show is the people. I spent many years working on that set and made such great friendships with all the cast. My character Cody had many awesome storylines and I was fortunate to work with all the cast as well as many other actors making special appearances.
Cody Stanton.
Do you hang out with any of your cast members outside of set?
I mainly spent time with Jaiven Natt and Christian Michael Cooper (Robert and Timmy) outside of the set. I see Jaiven mostly these days but I do remember whenever the show premiered each year, we would get together for a party with the kid cast as well as their parents and we would watch the show and tweet with the fans. This was always lots of fun. We also had great weekends when we would go to the Awards shows, ie. Joey Awards here in Vancouver, and the YEA and Young Artist Academy Awards in L.A.
You recently starred in When Call the Heart’s spin-off Christmas film on GAC Family, what was that like to return to the Hope Valley set life?
I was really happy to return to film in that setting and type of genre again. The cast and crew were great to meet and work with and I got to see Morgan Kohan again because she had appeared in When Calls the Heart. The Hope Valley set is quite similar to Brookfield’s, except Hope Valley is a little bit bigger. Both towns have a great feel and are set back in the early 1900’s. I enjoyed putting on my old style clothes and especially loved the new poorboy hat I got to wear in the Christmas special of When Hope Calls.
Where did you film the movie?
We filmed in the small town of Powassen which is not far from North Bay, Ontario.
How many days did it take to film it and what was your typical filming schedule like?
It took 3 weeks to film the two Christmas episodes of When Hope Calls and I was on set for 10 of the 15 days. I filmed 3 or more days each week and on my off days I caught up on homework and tried to do something fun in my hotel like watching TV or playing some video games. My mom and I would also go for walks and we always enjoyed dinner or meeting up with our friends later in the evening. During the days on set it would start in the hair and makeup trailer, our wardrobe and then off to schooling on set with our tutors. All us kids would take turns in and out of tutoring depending on the filming schedule. Being older I would be on set for longer hours which I enjoyed. At lunch times we would visit with each other and the days would always end with a drive back to the hotel in the van with some of the other kid cast. I made some new friends on the set of When Hope Calls which I’m happy about.
Any advice you’d give to one your age interested in becoming an Actor/Actress?
Don’t give up. It’s a really hard business to be in, work hard and do some training, online acting classes are your friend right now especially during COVID. Don’t let a role you didn’t book hurt your feelings, you will get hundreds of auditions before you book something. It’s all about your mentality and keeping positive and working toward your goals. The right role will come and it’s a matter of time. Remember to enjoy the process and have fun.