Rock solid: Prominent Regina actress has unbreakable bond with home - April 14, 2022

(This article from the Regina Leader-Post profiles Sabryn Rock, a Do It With Class graduate who currently stars in the CBC TV series The Porter. “I owe so much to them, specifically Rob Ursan. That was a huge benefit of being in Regina is you got this amazing training from these wonderful professionals who have vast experience and knowledge in theatre and arts and music,” Sabryn says.)

By Greg Harder, Regina Leader-Post

When Sabryn Rock reflects on her growth as an actress, she can’t help but marvel at Saskatchewan’s fertile ground.

“Honestly, I think there’s something about growing up in a small place,” said the 36-year-old Toronto resident, who was born and raised in Regina. “I was lucky enough to find the circles (of people) I needed to nurture that creativity. You get a one-on-one kind of care and mentorship that you don’t necessarily get in giant centres. If you find the right people, I think you can strike gold in a smaller place.”

Rock is a shining example who ascended to the big screen from humble origins in community theatre. She currently has multiple projects on the go, among them a recurring role on CBC’s ground-breaking new series, The Porter.

Rock has made over 30 appearances in film and television, including Taken (NBC), Station Eleven (HBO Max), The Expanse (Amazon Prime), The Strain (FX), The Girlfriend Experience (Starz), and a lead role in the 2020 movie Welcome to Sudden Death.

If Rock had to choose one highlight, it would likely be a brief spot on the Netflix series Black Mirror. Her 2017 episode was directed by Hollywood icon Jodie Foster, who made an immediate impression on Rock because — despite her A-list status — she was just a “normal person.”

“I will never forget that experience because she was the most gracious, patient, present director I’ve probably ever worked with,” Rock noted. “I asked if I could eat lunch with her and she said, ‘Yeah, of course,’ and we had a really nice chat. I had like 12 lines in the whole thing, and I’m almost apologizing for even being there because she’s who she is. But it didn’t actually matter that my role was so small. She treated everybody the same. You’d never expect somebody of that stature to be so warm and welcoming, but she totally surpassed my expectations. So that’s definitely a career highlight.”

In addition to a long list of TV credits, Rock has deep roots in Canadian theatre as a director and actress. That includes her 2018-19 role in The Royale, a play about the first African American heavyweight boxing champion. Rock won a Toronto Theatre Critics Award for best supporting performance.

Like many actors, Rock left home to pursue her dream on a grander stage.

That said, she “strongly” disagrees with the perception that Saskatchewan is no-man’s land for actors, noting that she often encounters fellow performers in Toronto who have prairie roots.

“They always say: ‘You’re from Regina too? What is it about Saskatchewan that’s in the water,’” she said. “There’s so many people who are making names for themselves in other places. Amy Matysio and Tatiana Maslany and Paul Nolan are from Saskatchewan. These are huge names who are doing huge things, so I think the proof is in the pudding.”

Rock cherishes her memories of performing at home, the most recent being a Globe Theatre production in 2017. She debuted with Globe as a high schooler, but the seeds were planted much earlier when Rock overcame a bout of shyness by singing in church. That’s when her mother recognized the talent and enrolled her in singing lessons, among other performance-related activities.

“My whole family, we did a lot of musical instruments, and we’re pretty creative as a group,” said Rock, who has three male siblings (Peyson, Cabral and Kellen). “My brothers and I spent a lot of time creating together at home — home movies and writing and dressing up in costumes and acting out plays. The church singing kind of got me out of my shell a bit, and then I was able to pursue musical theatre and choir in school and improv and all those amazing things. Regina had so much to offer, and I took advantage of almost every creative outlet they had at the time.”

Rock caught the acting bug at about age 11, when she joined Do It With Class Young People’s Theatre. She stayed with the company until graduation from LeBoldus High School, after which she left home for greener pastures.

“There’s so many people who came up through (DIWC) who are still acting on Broadway and in movies and Stratford Festival,” she noted. “It was a really long journey for me, and I owe so much to them, specifically (long-time artistic director) Rob Ursan. That was a huge benefit of being in Regina is you got this amazing training from these wonderful professionals who have vast experience and knowledge in theatre and arts and music.”

Rock’s experience in community theatre helped generate the necessary confidence to enrol at the National School of Theatre in Montreal. She credits a former high school teacher and playwright, Dan Macdonald, for being a major influence. The same goes for her parents, Paulette Mazenc and Trevor Rock, both of whom worked government jobs in Regina.

“My mom talks about always wanting to be a writer and my dad is really passionate about English literature,” Rock said. “They weren’t necessarily encouraged to pursue more creative-driven careers, but they were really eager when we showed interest. They made sure that we were always able to access things that we were interested in. So they’re definitely the top influencers, I would say.”

Sabryn literally turned that support into gold as a teenager when she and her brother Peyson were part of a Regina team that won a national improv competition in Ottawa. Peyson is now an actor in Toronto, while Cabral is in Vancouver, where he’s a high-profile special effects producer. Another brother, Kellen, doesn’t work in the industry, but he’s “an amazing visual artist and was an amazing singer,” Sabryn said. “So we all kind of have our toe dipped in it still a little bit — some more than others.”

Cabral was another huge mentor for Sabryn, who admits that she “basically adored him and always wanted to do whatever he did.” She specifically emembers watching her eldest brother perform Shakespeare in high school and thinking: “I want to do that.”

Mission accomplished — and then some.

Rock is busy these days with a variety of projects, including some cartoon voice work. That’s in addition to her biggest role yet — as a wife to Paul Robinson and mother to their one-year-old son, Truen.

Although she struggles to keep up at times, Rock is happy to step back and reflect on where it all began — for her and so many others.

“There’s no shortage of talent coming out of Saskatchewan,” she added. “I’m talking about the myriads of people I know in the business who are incredible. It doesn’t really matter where you’re from as long as you have the drive. If you’re lucky enough to get that kind of nurturing and mentorship, then you can do anything.”