It wasn’t that long ago that Jared Abrahamson was in Flin Flon, working on a diamond drill crew.
Now he’s on the cusp of acting stardom.
Abrahamson, born and raised in Flin Flon, has earned praise from filmgoers and critics alike for his most recent role as an embattled hockey enforcer in Hello Destroyer.
The film was an official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival late last year, earning rave reviews.
In Hello Destroyer, Abrahamson plays Tyson Burr, a hockey player who deals with the aftermath of a violent incident that all but ends his career.
“This is what the goons go through,” he said. “It’s a look into the sport after the sport, after the lights go out. It’s a look at the guys who don’t get to the show and get left behind.”
Abrahamson said his own upbringing and experiences in Flin Flon helped prepare him for the role.
“I grew up around that culture and had a good insight into what it’s like,” said Abrahamson. “I was able to parallel it to my own experiences. I’ve fought in kickboxing and MMA and that, so I know what it’s like, the hard work that goes into it.”
Hello Destroyer earned four nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards, held in Toronto on Sunday, March 12. Abrahamson was also nominated for best actor in a leading role.
“It’s crazy, I didn’t even think about it much,” said Abrahamson, who is currently working on a project in North Carolina. “I’ve just been working. I don’t really follow award shows. I don’t watch them, I’m so removed from that. It didn’t really hit me until later, when more people started hitting me up and I thought it was maybe a bigger deal than I thought.”
Abrahamson said audiences should not expect a light-hearted romp.
“It’s dark,” he said. “This isn’t The Mighty Ducks, this isn’t Slap Shot, this isn’t Goon. It’s looking at it from a completely different lens. It’s a heavy film, it’s exhausting. It forces you to sit with this guy completely from beginning to end. It’s uncomfortable a lot of the time. There’s a lot of scenes that are brutal, but it’s honest, it’s authentic. We wanted to make it as real as possible.”
Abrahamson’s next film project is American Animals. The plot focuses on four college students who plan a grand heist.
Abrahamson plays one of the four students, and sees the role as a good fit with the character he portrayed in Hello Destroyer.
“It’s a perfect follow-up, it’s a pretty grisly film,” he said. “I’m excited about it.”
Abrahamson will work on another project, the second season of the Netflix drama Travellers. On that set, he works alongside Patrick Gilmore, son of Flin Flon native and former pro hockey player Tom Gilmore and brother of prominent writer Scott Gilmore.
Abrahamson doesn’t know when he’ll next visit Flin Flon, but hopes to make it back for the summer.
“I can’t wait to get back,” he said. “I’m going to try my ass off to get to the Homecoming this summer.”
