Ephraim Ellis

Last updated
Ephraim Ellis
Born
Ephraim Todd Ellis

(1985-02-23) February 23, 1985 (age 39)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Education Earl Haig Secondary School
OccupationActor
Years active2003–present

Ephraim Todd Ellis (born February 23, 1985) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for playing Rick Murray on Degrassi: The Next Generation and Danny Ellis on Falcon Beach.

Contents

Early life

Ephraim Ellis was born in Toronto, Ontario on February 23, 1985. [1] His mother is an artist and jeweler, while his father is a visual artist and former stage manager for The Second City in Toronto. [2]

Ephraim began acting while studying at Earl Haig Secondary School in Toronto, Ontario as part of the Claude Watson School of the Arts program. Ephraim attended Earl Haig at the same time as fellow Degrassi co-stars Jake Epstein and John Bregar. [3]

Career

Ephraim Ellis' first television role was an eight episode arc during seasons three and four of Degrassi: The Next Generation. He played Rick Murray, the character who famously shot and paralyzed Jimmy Brooks, the character played by Aubrey 'Drake' Graham. [4] [5]

After appearing on Degrassi, Ephraim appeared on such varied television shows such as Naturally Sadie, Wild Card, and Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye before landing the series lead role of Danny Ellis in the Global Television / ABC Family drama series Falcon Beach. [6] [7] Falcon Beach ran for two seasons until 2006, when it was cancelled as a result of ABC Family's decision to decline bringing the series back for a third season. [8]

Concurrently with Falcon Beach, Ephraim also appeared as Riley Kineston in seasons two and three of the YTV sci-fi series Zixx, as Dylan in seasons four and five of the APTN series renegadepress.com, and in the Canadian Film Centre's short feature White Out, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. [9]

Soon afterwards, Ephraim played the role of Eli Keller on the YTV sitcom Family Biz which filmed in Ottawa during the summer of 2008. [10]

In 2009, Ephraim appeared in the Canadian Film Center horror/comedy web-series Seth On Survival as the title character, supernatural survivologist Seth Greening. [11] In 2011, the series spawned a spin-off web-series, Your Lupine Life, where Ephraim reprised the role of Seth, as well as writing the episode in which he appeared. [12] As a tie-in to the two web-series, Ephraim also wrote and published a book, Archie Hartigan & The Frost Wolf, a young adult fiction novel set in the same universe as Seth On Survival and Your Lupine Life. [11]

Ephraim appeared in several episodes of season four of Murdoch Mysteries , as Toronto Gazette reporter Paddy Glynn.

From 2011 to 2016, Ephraim was a member of the Toronto sketch comedy troupe The Rocket Scientists alongside Brandon Hackett, Kevin MacNeil, and Chris Small. [13]

Ephraim appeared alongside Minnie Driver and Meat Loaf in the 2014 horror/musical/comedy film Stage Fright. [14] Later that year, Ephraim took on the role of Hedwig in the Lower Ossington Theatre's production of Hedwig & the Angry Inch , in a performance Toronto's Now Magazine said "achieves emotional depth, telling stories of love and betrayal, revealing a poignant loneliness beneath the makeup, sparkly costumes and iconic blond wig," and that "Ellis has the manic energy and singing chops to deliver in this difficult role." [15] Ephraim later returned to the Lower Ossington for Legally Blonde and two productions of Jesus Christ Superstar. [16]

Ephraim continued to make forays into the world of Ontario theatre in productions of Perfect Wedding at the Lighthouse Festival Theatre in Port Dover, [17] Barefoot In The Park at Upper Canada Playhouse, and The Money Tree for Toronto's Roseneath Theatre for Young Audiences. [18]

In 2018, Ephraim reunited with his Degrassi co-stars to appear in the music video for Drake's single "I'm Upset", reprising his role as Rick Murray. [19]

Personal life

Ephraim lives in Toronto, Ontario with his wife (a stage manager), and their cat.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2004HeadhunterTeenShort Film
White OutWadeShort Film
2005 I Do, They Don't Jeff BarberTV movie
Falcon BeachDanny EllisTV movie
2006 Booky Makes Her Mark GeorgieTV movie
2012RoomiesBrandonShort Film
2014 Stage Fright Sam Brownstein
2016Deadly InfernoVictorTV movie
2019Claws of the Red DragonSam Costello
2021The Wedding RingRyanTV movie

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2003-2004 Degrassi: The Next Generation Rick Murray 8 episodes
2004 Wild Card Gerald Wilkins1 episode
Sex Traffic Billy Harlsburgh2 episodes
2005 Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye Nelson Carlyle1 episode
Zixx: Level TwoRiley Kineston13 episodes
Naturally, Sadie Vince4 episodes
2005-2007 Falcon Beach Danny Ellis27 episodes
2007 Renegadepress.com Dylan7 episodes
The GatheringMiles Woollacott2 episodes
2008The Curse Of DegrassiRick Murray (voice)1 episode
2009-2011Seth On SurvivalSeth Greening12 episodes (web-series)
Family Biz Eli Keller26 episodes
Zixx: Level ThreeRiley Kineston13 episodes
2010 Warehouse 13 Terry1 episode
2011 Murdoch Mysteries Paddy Glynn4 episodes
2012 XIII: The Series Frederick Barnowsky2 episodes
2015 Man Seeking Woman Tim1 episode
2019 V-Wars Charlie1 episode
2020 PAW Patrol Percy1 episode (voice)

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
2009 Rumors Leonard GanzAbrams Studio Theatre
2011ZugzwangSidneySummerworks Festival
2014 Hedwig & The Angry Inch HedwigLower Ossington Theatre
2015 Legally Blonde Emmett ForrestLower Ossington Theatre
Jesus Christ Superstar Pontius PilateLower Ossington Theatre
2016 Perfect Wedding TomLighthouse Festival Theatre
Jesus Christ Superstar JesusLower Ossington Theatre
2017The Money TreeSimonRoseneath Theatre U.S. Tour
Barefoot In The Park Paul BratterUpper Canada Playhouse
2018Don't Quit Your Day JobSelfCabaret Show

Radio

YearTitleRoleNotes
2011 Afghanada Maj. TorbinCBC Radio Drama
2012 Trust, Inc. Serge SwiftCBC Radio Drama
Music Video
YearTitleArtistRole
2018 I'm Upset Drake Self

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References

  1. ↑ Effraim Ellis' bio at www.northernstars.ca
  2. ↑ Gibb, W. (2017-06-15). "From Degrassi to Morrisburg". Morrisburg Leader. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  3. ↑ "20 Questions With Degrassi's Ephraim Ellis". PopGurls. 2004-12-05. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  4. ↑ "Drake reunites with ‘Degrassi’ cast in ‘I’m Upset’ music video" at www.thestar.com
  5. ↑ "‘If your life was a show, this would be it’ Former ‘Degrassi’ alumni reminisce as HBO prepares to reboot beloved franchise" by Murtz Jaffer at www.thestar.com
  6. ↑ "Heatin' it up!" by Allison Stewart at www.chicagotribune.com
  7. ↑ "Family hits ‘Beach’" by Tamsen Tillson at variety.com
  8. ↑ "Falcon Beach: No Season Three for ABC Family". canceled TV shows - TV Series Finale. 2007-04-25. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  9. ↑ "White Out". cfccreates.com. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  10. ↑ "Stratus, Seaton on Family Biz". 7 July 2008. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  11. 1 2 "Friends". Seth On Survival. 2009-10-27. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  12. ↑ "Credits". Your Lupine Life. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  13. ↑ "Date a Sketch Troupe: The Rocket Scientists". The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. 2014-02-12. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  14. ↑ "Stage Fright comes up flat as a horror-musical spoof" . Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  15. ↑ Fein-Goldbach, Debbie (2014-09-18). "Hedwig And The Angry Inch". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  16. ↑ Dugalin, Istvan (2015-12-06). "Review: Jesus Christ Superstar (Lower Ossington Theatre)". Mooney on Theatre. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  17. ↑ "Gary Smith: Little sun, little sand, little theatre in Port Dover" by Gary Smith at www.thespec.com
  18. ↑ Gibb, W. (2017-06-15). "From Degrassi to Morrisburg". Morrisburg Leader. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  19. ↑ "Watch Drake Return to 'Degrassi' in 'I'm Upset' Video". Variety. 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
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