I spent about 2 months in Toronto while filming the first season of The Strain. It was the dead of winter, during one of those polar vortex years. I was there alone, living in a generic corporate apartment in the city.

I was a block or two away from the TIFF Bell Lightbox.
When I don& #39;t know anyone, when I& #39;m in a strange or new place, the one thing I always feel happy or comfortable doing is going to the movies.

It& #39;s the perfect solo activity. It doesn& #39;t even matter what movie it is, the experience is the point.
I went to the TIFF every weekend to see whatever little indie they had on offer. They had a huge Cronenberg exhibit at the time, which I got to privately tour with Peter Weller, who directed my episode of The Strain. That was one of the coolest, most surreal mornings of my life.
I loved working on The Strain. I loved the cast and crew, and Peter and I got along really well. He& #39;s a story machine, and I& #39;d just sit during set ups and ask "then what happened?".

But after wrap, the TIFF is what got me through the isolation of those weeks. It felt like home.
I will always remember that time and that place, and I hope I get to go again some day.

I love going to movie theaters. I know I& #39;m not alone. This time right now is hard, but I have to believe we& #39;ll get to sit together again in the dark and watch new stories told with light.
As a bonus, here is a photo of me on that set, the coldest I have ever been in my life.
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