Victoria actor heads to New York for big break in major movie

A young man who seemed destined for sports fame, is finding himself in a different kind of spotlight after life provided him some twists, turns and decisions to make.

Born and raised in Brentwood Bay, 22-year-old Daniel Diemer grew up playing sports, with a promising international soccer career beckoning as early as age 12.

“Then I grew like crazy. I was six-foot-four by 16,” said Diemer. “I grew so fast I lost all my speed. It was brutal.”

Still wanting to be involved in sports, Diemer turned to tennis, a natural choice since his dad Greg Diemer coached competitive tennis.

The switch proved fruitful, with Diemer playing at the provincial level, and looking at scholarship options for university.

“Then I blew out my back. I lost all hope of an athletic career,” said Diemer.

While that second blow could have been too much for some, Diemer took the determination, talent and grit that got him that far, and funneled it into other pursuits.

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With a 4.0 GPA, he had no trouble getting into college for pre-med, but after a semester he took time off to pursue creative work.

In 2016, he graduated from the Victoria Academy for Dramatic Arts with a diploma in film and TV acting, and landed acting jobs around Vancouver.

Since appearing in his best-known role as Cole in the Facebook series Sacred Lies, doors have been opening for the hard-working and endearingly humble man.

He will be appearing on the next season of Amazon Prime’s Man in the High Castle.

“That was an incredible creative team. They are stunningly nuanced in how they approach the period piece,” said Diemer. “The entire team cared tremendously about the work.”

This month Diemer received the most exciting news yet. He has been cast in a lead role in a major movie with internationally acclaimed producers.

While the details are still hush-hush, Diemer heads to New York shortly to start filming.

“It is insane for it to come together in the way that it has been,” he said. “Every moment has been an adventure.”

While Diemer hopes to make a move to Los Angeles sometime in the future, he is thrilled to see the film industry expanding in his home province of B.C.

“Especially the Island. There are so many lovely and passionate actors on the Island but it is hard to make a living,” said Diemer. “I’m really excited about it becoming more accessible so young actors can develop without having to travel.”

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When asked what advice he would give to actors just starting out, Diemer said to treat it like you would any other profession – work your butt off, believe and surround yourself with people who support you and your dreams.

“Support has been the biggest factor,” he said. “Insecurities are such a big part of human nature, having people on your team to support you is so important.”

The silver screen and having his own TV show are longer term goals for the up-and-coming star.

“Really I’d love to get established in the U.S. and do international projects with creatives at the highest level,” said Diemer. “That and spread love and compassion.”