You may know Michael Musi best as Terence on CBC’s beloved and surely to be missed, Kim’s Convenience. He has captured his fans’ hearts through his hilarious antics on camera and off (posing in denim cut-offs on Instagram – go there now), and won them over again with his genuine kindness in real life. I’m happy to say that it’s not a lie. Mike is truly the kindest person I know and can be found bending over backwards on a regular basis for any one of his giant list of friends. He is punctual to a fault (very irritating), incredibly thoughtful, and can entertain you all night long with his love of storytelling.
However! As his best friend and writing partner I alone have been privy to the true Michael Musi – and he’s a huge troll. His nauseating obsession with and pursuit of good food goes unrivaled. Pre-lockdown you could catch Mike most nights of the week supporting a local restaurant and charmingly pressing the waitstaff about their favourite dishes due to a very real fear of ordering wrong. When he’s not acting and writing, he’s sending me pictures of Sugo’s newest burrata and pesto bucatini or Bar Raval’s Basque cake. This all makes sense once you consider that he was born and raised in arguably the best food town in Canada – Montreal – to a half Greek, half Middle-Eastern family. He knows his stuff. To not mention food when one speaks of Mike is to disregard his soul.
I met Mike while we both studied acting in another food mecca, NYC, but it wasn’t until we reunited in Toronto that I became his good friend and co-creator. As an artist, Mike is always working. He’s written and produced three of his own plays, created and shot two web series, co-produced a SXSW feature film, and acted in an impressive list of local TV, Film, and Theatre productions. He recently won a role opposite Alison Pill in the highly-anticipated, All My Puny Sorrows, and on March 26th is releasing Something Undone, a digital miniseries for CBC Gem that together we created, wrote and starred in.
Three pieces of excellent Michael Musi advice to send you on your way: make your own work because there’s no sense in waiting around for life to just hand it to you, always be a kind, pleasant, and easy person to work with, and there is always room for fries.
-Written by Madison Walsh (Best friend)
What hood are you in?
I live in The Annex. I love it. I’m so close to everything but I’m on a quiet street so I can pretend I’m out of the city when things get overwhelming. Also, Jerk King is really close by so that’s a big win. And Rasa. And Akai Sushi. I like food a lot.
What do you do?
I’m an actor, writer and producer. Most people think of me as an actor, but I’ve been slowly shifting into writer/producer mode for a few years now and I finally feel confident saying that I’m all three.
What are you currently working on?
I’m doing a lot of writing and developing these days. I’m writing a really dark comedy based heavily on past traumas (lol) and a thriller feature film. I’ve also started working on a film about my father’s life. He immigrated to Canada from the Middle East and his stories are absolutely wild. I have a writing partner/best friend Madison Walsh who I’m always collaborating with. We’re constantly creating and pitching ideas to each other.
Where can we find your work?
My latest series Something Undone is available exclusively on CBC Gem as of March 26th. It’s a psychological thriller that I co-created with Madison at the start of the pandemic. We’re really lucky to have been chosen as one of the recipients of the CBC Creative Relief Fund. I’m extremely proud of this show and it shows a much different side to me, both as a writer and actor. Also, you catch me playing Terence on all five seasons of Kim’s Convenience on CBC and Netflix!
