Originally Published: 2007-03-18

Hugh Dillon is now leading a double life creatively, and doing just fine at it. Not many platinum-selling Canadian rockers have then become Genie-nominated actors. In fact, that is likely a select group of one. Hugh managed that feat last month when his sterling work in Trailer Park Boys- The Movie notched him a nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category.
Dillon remains best-known as the former frontman of popular punk-edged hard rockers the Headstones. As one of the most intense and charismatic figures in Canrock, Hugh led the Toronto-based band through a career that spanned 12 years, five albums (gold and platinum for a couple), and a well-deserved rep as one of our best live bands.
He looks back on that phase without regret, despite the self-destructive period of substance abuse (now forsaken) it included. "I laughed my ass off for 12 years in Headstones. That was dangerous but fun," he reminisced to Tandem over coffees in his east End 'hood. "I was glad to come out at the end of a long cycle of that being my gig and still love music, not be f***in bitter. You see so many people burned by the machine. Being in the arts takes its toll. You've got to be tough and you've got to be able to laugh."
Dillon now works with real commitment at sharpening his thespian skills, and his talent as an actor is now being recognized beyond Canada. He's no novice, having first made a real impact as the key character (Joe Dick) in Bruce MacDonald's 1996 film version of punk rock saga Hardcore Logo. Fellow renegade MacDonald has been a mentor for Dillon, placing him in Dance Me Outside and even a few episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation. Hugh's lead role in American indie film, 2004's Down To The Bone, alongside Vera Famiglia (The Departed), drew very positive reviews in the highly-praised drama. "That film got me to Sundance and into the States," Dillon explains.
Next up is a major role in TV series Durham County, in which Hugh plays a cop (and father of two) in a small Ontario town. "It's a really smart, well-written kind of nightmarish cop show that's gritty, like Cracker," he explains. Helmed by acclaimed Canadian director Adrienne Mitchell, it's set for an early summer premiere on The Movie Network then Global here. It has sold to Grenada in the U.K.. and is attracting Stateside interest.

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