“No single thing is perfect by itself. That’s why we’re born to attract other things to make up for what we lack.”
– Masashi Kishimoto
Foster Jerrell Blake is my name and based on your role in my life, people call me by one of my three first names. Being bullied at a young age for a name like Foster “the foster child”, I decided that I wanted to go by Jerrell for the majority of my upbringing. Family, friends and the like grew and know me as my middle name Jerrell. Working multiple part time jobs while in high school, I had employers with English as a second language, so they would often struggle in pronouncing my name, or just mixing them up out right, so I happily took the stress off their shoulders gave them the permission of calling me “Blake” which had stuck for everyone in those work environments. Fast forward a few years later I sign with my modelling agent, and upon adding my profile to the site my agent had asked me “why don’t you go by your legal first name?” After explaining my story, he told me he liked my first name a lot. In retrospect I also liked my name a lot too. From 2016 on I had officially decided to go by my birth right name Foster Blake. I have professionally and personally introduced myself as Foster Blake since that day and I doubt I will be changing it again anytime soon.
I was born in a small town know as St. Catharines, Ontario. My father had passed when I was around three months old. Growing up I had my mother, my 3 aunts, and grandparents. I was a spoiled boy growing up as well. Some of my goals as a seven-year-old were to become a Pokemon Master and be the best like no one ever was, collect all of the most powerful and rare Yu-Gi-Oh cards, and resist the overwhelming excitement for every “Taco-Tuesday” my mom and I had a tradition for. In school-life growing up, most others were more concerned about doing well on tests and quizzes. I on the other hand was more concerned about the happiness of others and entertaining them on their academic journeys as a budding professional class clown. I progressed quickly, my methods were “ground-breaking” and “cutting-edge” always evolving over the years. The teachers would try to lay the law by moving my classroom estate (my desk) to the front of the class, next to the teacher’s desk, at the back, and even in the hallway they would try and exile me. My resume of the Class Clown position is long a substantial with enough teacher comments complimenting me on “He often distracts other classmates” or the classic “lacks focus” next my C’s and D’s. They clearly did not understand me. I was in fact focused; I was very calculated… My currency was the attention received, and my self-esteem was the checking account. How could I not be focused? I innovated constantly on new noises and faces to make when the teacher back was turned. But make no mistake I was not reckless. I had a brand. I was not the trouble-maker getting into fights or made others laugh at the expense of others, I was the entertainer. My report cards are my real resume. Yeah, I have taken some brilliant courses with Armstrong Acting Studios in 2018 & 19 for in front of camera work, and some really perspective changing improv classes at second city in 2017 & 18 but none the less I have been in this business since I could walk and talk.
To this day I still enjoy the thrills of having the spotlight on me. Growing up I was always made to feel loved, protected, seen, and acknowledged. As we grow up though, our needs expand, and sometimes change. I get lost for countless hours in worlds like Tolkien’s “The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings”, or George R.R Martin’s “World of Ice & Fire” (Game of thrones) and dozens of Japanese Animations. The emotions, messages, inspiration, the creative genius, and complexity of all the stories I grew to know and love, I desired to be apart of them. Diligently examining the psychology of the characters in these stories and the truth being brought to the screen is where I relish in my fixation. Feeling the rage, the sorrow, the happiness, the love. I knew I wanted to be the canvas of these expressions. So here I am now. I have showed up to my profession and craft, and I am in practice with a heart full of passion and dedication.