About
Adriano is a classically trained screen and stage actor based in Toronto.
“But it didn’t start out that way. Acting wasn’t on the radar coming out of high school. Smart kids did sciences. So, I went off to Queen’s University for an Honours Degree in Life Sciences. But making good grade was tough. After graduating with so-so grades it was time to pivot to a new field.
“Being good with numbers and people, a career as a business consultant made sense. So, I bought my first suit and worked corporate for ten years across Canada, the US, and eventually Australia.
While living in Melbourne, my interests began to shift. Volunteering as an usher woke up the acting bug after a prolonged dormancy. I completed an acting program at The Victorian College of Arts. Soon after I was accepted into Australia’s National Theatre Drama School. I felt the business and acting world were on a collision course. I knew what I needed to do. I not only quit my job, I also dropped out of the National Theatre, and packed my bags. I bought a plane ticket back to Canada. I was going home — intent on carving out a career in Toronto.
“I threw myself into any acting work I could get. But it felt like the artistic tools at my disposal were limited. So, after swearing off going back to school, I auditioned and was accepted into Canada’s only MFA Acting Conservatory at York University. Two years later, diploma in hand, I was done. The reset was complete, I was an actor.
It took awhile to get here, but hey, better late than never.”
-Adriano Sobretodo Jr.