CBC’s latest edition to the 9 o’clock slot on Wednesday nights is The Romeo Section. Andrew Airlie takes the lead as Wolfgang McGee.
Andrew was so kind as to accept an invitation from our magazine. We met on location. His charm and swagger did not disappoint.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Andrew moved to Toronto in the late 60’s. Although he speaks without an accent, he brings it out for the show. If you haven’t seen The Romeo Section yet, you might remember Andrew as the older Mr. Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey.
While he only began acting at age 30, he has had an illustrious career. With roles in movies such as 50/50, Apollo 18 and Fantastic 4, Andrew has also been a regular on Da Vinci’s Inquest and Intelligence. In addition to proving himself as a diverse actor, Andrew was also nominated for a Leo award. Incidentally, this is the third TV series that creator Chris Haddock and Andrew Airlie have teamed up on.
Andrew tells me he’s always wanted to act, but lacked the courage to take the plunge. Instead he played semi pro soccer until earning his master’s degree at age 26. He was on his way to obtaining his Ph.D in International Relations when he could no longer restrain his aspirations for the big screen.
Twenty-four years later, he is playing the lead character Wolfgang McGee, a professor who teaches about the opium trade while secretly infiltrating it.
(Photo courtesy of CBC)
