Canadian country music star Dallas Smith is trading the stage for the screen with his first acting role as the lead in the new movie “Soul’s Road.” Smith admits he was caught off guard when he learned just how big the role would be. “At the callback, I got news that it was for the lead of the movie, and I’d be in almost every scene,” Smith said in an interview with CTV News Atlantic’s Katie Kelly. “At that point, my heart sunk in my stomach and I was like, ‘Oh, no, what did I get myself into?’” While the idea of acting had crossed his mind before, Smith says he only imagined smaller projects. “Voice acting and a small part on something was something I thought would be very, very cool to do,” said Smith. “Something that would challenge me.” In “Soul’s Road,” he plays Ronan Garrett, a musician forced to face the mistakes of his past. “It’s a story about redemption,” said Smith. “A guy who is a musician in a town, got a record deal, and followed the label’s advice and ditched all the people that helped him get there.” The film also stars Atlantic Canadians Allan Hawco, Josh Collins and Charlie Gillespie. “We had a blast,” said Smith. “It was five weeks of spending a lot of time together, so I made a lot of lifelong friends.” Smith says the movie carries a powerful message. “It’s just human ability to forgive and forget and move on and repair,” he said. “That’s really the main takeaway from this movie.” The movie is playing in select theatres across Canada this month.
