Cast of CBC’s The Trickster Revealed

Sienna Films and Streel Films have unveiled the cast of the new CBC original series The Trickster, which has begun production in Ontario.

The six-part series, billed as an Indigenous Gothic, is set to bow on CBC and the free CBC Gem streaming service in 2020. Starring newcomer Joel Oulette, the series is based on the best-selling novel Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson and created by award-winning filmmaker Michelle Latimer (RISE, Nuuca) and Tony Elliott (Orphan Black).

Oulette plays Jared, an Indigenous teen struggling to keep his dysfunctional family above water, holding down an after-school job and selling ecstasy to support his partying mom, Maggie (Crystle Lightning), who self-medicates an undiagnosed mental illness, and his unemployable dad, Phil (Craig Lauzon). But when Jared starts seeing strange things—talking ravens, doppelgängers, skin monsters—his already chaotic life is turned upside down.

Additional cast includes Kalani Queypo (Jamestown), Anna Lambe (The Grizzlies), Joel Thomas Hynes (Little Dog), Gail Maurice (Cardinal) and Georgina Lightning (Blackstone).

Kew Media Distribution is managing international sales for the series outside of Canada.

“It is vital for Canada’s Indigenous stories and perspectives to be shared with authenticity of voice, and we’re proud to work with the exceptionally talented team that was assembled to adapt Eden Robinson’s gorgeous novel,” said Sally Catto, general manager of programming at CBC. “We know that this wonderfully unique and complex coming of age story will strike a chord with audiences across the country and we can’t wait for Canadians to see it.”

“What’s magnificent and unique about The Trickster is that our characters defy the stereotypes of Indigenous people so often seen in the media—the romanticized, safe abstractions of ‘dead Indians’ invented by settlers,” said Latimer. “We are striving to reimagine these images by creating a more nuanced and authentic portrait of Indigeneity. Our sovereignty as a People is tied to story, because through our stories we can write our future.”

“It’s a tremendous honor—and incredibly humbling—to be entrusted with adapting Eden’s groundbreaking and celebrated novel,” said Elliott.

“We are excited to be a part of this amazing team bringing Eden’s incredible voice and irreverent brand of humor to broadcast audiences; it reminds us how important it is that we try to ensure this specificity of voice and experience be present in the stories we put on our screens,” said Sienna Films’ Jennifer Kawaja.