‘You are those people’: Edmonton-born Nathaniel Arcand on his roles in ‘Sinners,’ ‘Train Dreams,’ and the Oscars

Nathaniel Arcand in a photo posted Dec. 25, 2025. (Source: Facebook/Nathaniel Arcand)

Nathaniel Arcand, an Edmonton born-and-raised actor, likes to stay humble – despite two of his movies up for Academy Awards this weekend.

“It’s always just going to do my job as an actor. You get an audition and a call back, and then you’re flying somewhere and you’re up in a hotel … you put on your stuff, you go be a character for a minute, and then you go back to normal life,” he said in an interview Saturday.

“Then all of a sudden, wow, your show’s up for an Oscar.”

Arcand plays vampire hunter Chayton in “Sinners," which is nominated for 16 awards ahead of Sunday’s ceremony.

He also plays Ignatius Jack, best friend to protagonist Robert Grainier in “Train Dreams” – also up for Best Picture.

“If you look at all my stuff I’ve done, I’m always the best friend of the main guy in the show or the movie. Always the bridesmaid,” he joked.

And he has, in fact, done a lot of ‘stuff.’ Arcand got his first big break in CBC TV series “North of 60,” which would later land him guest appearances on shows like “Due South,” “Incredible Story Studio” and “Smallville.” He’s been in the business for 30 years.

He credits his beginnings to talent agent Darryl Mork, who scouted him seemingly randomly at a headshot event. Since then, he says his endeavour has always been to show up to a character with his own lived experiences, but not as himself.

He recalls a scene in “Train Dreams,” where he improvised Ignatius Jack’s stoic emotional response to guiding his friend through a major loss.

“I remember when I was a kid, that’s the same attitude my grandfathers had. It was like, cry, and then let’s go. Let’s get out of here. It was that kind of attitude,” he remarked.

“When you’re there in the moment, it hits you more. Any actor will tell you, when you just get lost in the moment, you are those people.”

Arcand is Plains Cree from the Alexander First Nation Reserve. He doesn’t hesitate to shout out his family and loved ones as he navigates the acting world and where his decades-long journey has landed him.

“You’ve got to be grateful for what you have in life, especially your family and friends,” he added.

And while he has fond memories of his upbringing in Edmonton, his normal life now includes his home on Vancouver Island with his wife and beloved black cat, Muskwa. That’s who will be by his side as he watches the Academy Awards on Sunday night as he roots for two of his projects.

“Very excited, for both of them. I’m sure something good will come out of it for them,” he said.

As for future projects, Arcand says he’s taken a liking to the horror genre – and he’s got boundless ideas.

“I have just a theory thing … Ignatius Jack is actually this mild-mannered store owner in this little town, but at night he becomes Chayton the vampire killer. Those both were set in the same era, same time … so if anybody is interested, contact my agent!”