'It's nice to show another side of me': Retired Sask. hockey player turned actor ready for season two of sitcom
A former professional hockey player well-known for dropping the gloves is trying his hand at acting and will star in another season of the Canadian sitcom Shoresy.
Jon Mirasty was an enforcer in the American, Kontinental, and Western hockey leagues before his time on the Letterkenny spin-off.
"A lot of people know me for my hockey career and fighting, so it's nice to show another side of me,” Jon told CTV News.
He said knowing the cues and memorizing the lines was the biggest learning curve.
"I've been hit in the head a lot, so my memory is not the greatest,” he said with a smile.
Jon said with season one under his belt, he’s excited to use his experience in season two.
His character belongs to a trio, he plays Jim number one, and former hockey stars Brandon and Jordan Nolan play Jim number two and three.
While Jon said he can’t comment on the specifics of season two, he said fans might hear more from the Jims.
“Our lines were pretty simple in the first season. I think they're going to get a little more difficult in season two,” he said.
When Jon is not on set, he works with troubled youth on his ranch in the community of Flying Dust First Nation.
“I just want to give some opportunities back to the kids around here. I keep doing that and just setting an example for not only my kids, but all the kids on the reserve,” he said.
Jon said he wants to be a strong role model like his dad, Gary Mirasty, who supported him in his career. Gary would bike beside him and give him words of encouragement while he ran.
“He got so fast at running that I couldn't bike beside him and keep up with him anymore, so I had to use my quad and quad beside him,” Gary said.
Even though Jon is retired from hockey, he said filming often reminds him of playing sports again.
“It’s almost like playing hockey again because when you leave hockey, playing professional hockey, that's the stuff you miss. It’s not actually playing the game, but being able to hang out with the boys in the dressing room and kind of that team bonding,” Jon said.
Jon said he plans to do more team bonding by bringing the cast for a fishing trip in Northern Saskatchewan.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec Health Department reports 28 cases of eye damage linked to solar eclipse
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.