Oakville’s Rebecca Dalton reflects on some of the most cherished memories of her career, “Working with Dave Foley was so much fun, and he’s a comedy genius; a National Treasure in Canada.”
CTV’s 2014 television series Spun Out was the first multi-camera sitcom in Canada, with a star-studded cast featuring Dave Foley as the lead character. Rebecca Dalton snagged the role as his character’s daughter for two seasons.
“It was kind of a workshop in comedy every single day that I worked with him. You rehearsed Monday to Thursday and put on a performance on Friday, like a play. We work with jokes, sets and dialogue in front of a live studio audience," Rebecca shares about her time on the show.
"The live audience gave us immediate feedback, which helped our creative process, to know what worked and what didn’t. That kind of experience doesn’t come around very often. I made friends forever, and it will always be my favourite time in my career.”
How long have you been acting?
“I have been acting my whole life, really. As a young girl, I loved reenacting movies for my family. I also had this schtick down of my impression of Steve Urkel. You know, the character from the 1989 sitcom Family Matters? Pants pulled up high with suspenders. I had a whole routine. That got a lot of laughs from family and friends, which just fueled my desire to capture more attention.
I was pretty tiny when I was young. I decided to play the trombone in grade six and used it as a comedy routine. The size disparity was hilarious to people. It was then that I started going to drama camps every summer and performed in all of the school plays.
In high school, I began taking acting classes and got my first agent and did 16 commercials. I studied Sociology at Ryerson, and this was the point at which I really started professionally acting,” Dalton remembers.
Did you have favourite hangouts as a teenager, growing up in the town of Oakville, Ontario?
Dalton fondly recounts, “Yes, my friends and I would hang out at Post Park and throw a frisbee around. When I was older, in the evenings, we’d go to King’s Arms for drinks. I am still really close friends with my high school group, who I see every time I’m in town.”
Known for her Rom-Com roles, one could easily draw comparisons with her real-life marriage to her high school sweetheart, acclaimed IndyCar racer James Hinchcliffe. The two created a TikTok account filled with their crafted skits of hilarious pranks during the pandemic.
After graduation, the two had reunited during a tragedy in 2015 when Hinchcliffe suffered excessive blood loss from a near-fatal racing accident. Following the incident, with the knowledge of a lack of immediately available blood for racing accidents, James ensured the presence of a refrigerated blood unit to be present on the Indy track for every race.
Fast forward to the pandemic, recognizing that a world shortage of blood arose, Becky and James launched the Stop & Go Foundation to bring awareness.
The intention is to have a mobile blood unit at every race set up as easy access for racing fans to donate blood while at an event. The goal is to expand its reach by helping other causes based on the community's needs. Donations can be received through the Stop & Go website.
Is there another genre of acting that you’d like to pursue?
“Rom-Coms seem to be my bread and butter, but I would love to branch out. It hasn’t happened yet. I’d love to strip down my seemingly perfect persona that I’ve played in past roles. I’d love to play a villain or a drug addict. Those opportunities haven’t yet come around. For now, I am grateful for the opportunities that I do get,” Dalton confesses.
Do you have a wishlist of Directors that you’d love to work with?
“There isn’t one specifically, but I’d love to work with a female director. I am curious about the dynamic. If I had to pick a name, I love Amy Schumer’s work,” adds Dalton.
Was there a role that you turned down that you have since regretted?
Rebecca remembers, “I passed on a movie ten years ago. I had signed a contract for another role the same day that I was offered a role as a villain. I don’t have regrets, but I have wondered how my career might be different today.”
Is there a role that got away?
Dalton responds with a sigh, “Yes, it happened quite recently. Sex Life is a new Netflix series that aired last year. It’s a little edgier, but it didn’t go my way.”
What projects are you currently working on that your fans can look forward to seeing?
“It was my busiest time during the pandemic. Crews were smaller, but there were very strict protocols in place. There was a two-month break until the production companies had the protocols set up. This year I have had four weeks without filming since January 1. I am so grateful to be busy.
All of the projects are Canadian full-length films. Lemonade Stand Romance just aired Friday, May 20, on Citytv’s Fall In Love Fridays.
From Italy With Amore, alongside co-star Marcus Rosner, will air this summer.
Dream Wedding with co-star Jesse Hutch is set to release this summer.
A Tiny Home Christmas filmed with Christopher Seivright will come out Christmas 2022.
I am filming right now in Newmarket with Brain Power Studio. This is a Christmas 2023 release; title of the movie TBD. Though James’ passion is in his new career as an IndyCar race broadcaster with NBC Sports, he dipped his foot in acting in a small part for this film, and he was really amazing. I credit all of the practice that he’s had making our TikTok skits together,” Dalton jests.
When asked if Rebecca thought there might be more opportunities to see the two together on film, Dalton laughingly responded, “You never know. He really enjoyed himself.”
Remarking on how supportive Rebecca is of her husband, she jumped in without delay responding, “No, definitely. Yeah, there's no other way really.”
Follow Dalton on Instagram to catch up-to-date information on dates and network details for all new releases.