Johnny Issaluk facts for kids

Johnny Issaluk is an actor, athlete, and cultural educator from Nunavut.

Johnny Nurraq Seotaituq Issaluk was born on August 1, 1973. He is an Inuk actor, athlete, and teacher of Inuit culture. Johnny comes from Nunavut, a large territory in northern Canada.

He is well-known for his roles in TV shows like The Terror (produced by Ridley Scott) and The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan. He also starred in the movie Indian Horse (produced by Clint Eastwood). In 2019, he was named an Explorer-in-Residence by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

Johnny's Early Life

Johnny Issaluk grew up in a community called Igluligaarjuk. This place is also known as Chesterfield Inlet. It is located in Nunavut, on the west coast of Hudson Bay.

Johnny's Career

Acting Roles

Johnny Issaluk's first acting job was in a short film. It was called Inuit High Kick. This film was shown at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010.

Later, he played the main character in the movie Kajutaijuq: The Spirit That Comes. This film was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014. It was one of the first films made by Inuit people to be shown at a big international film festival.

Since then, Johnny has appeared in many films and TV shows. He also acted in a play called The Breathing Hole at the Stratford Festival in 2017. This was important because it was the first time Inuit actors played Inuit roles at a major festival.

He played a character named Sam in the movie Indian Horse. This film was based on a popular book. In 2018, Johnny traveled to Indigenous communities to show the film.

In 2017, Johnny was cast in the TV show The Terror. He played the Netsilik Hunter. This show was praised for showing Inuit people in a more accurate way on TV.

More recently, Johnny appeared as himself in a BBC show. It was called The Christmas Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan. He guided British comedian Romesh Ranganathan through places like Pond Inlet in the Arctic. The show explored how Inuit traditions are changing and being kept alive.

Johnny has also had a role on the APTN comedy show Qanurli?. He played a funny character called "The Most Interesting Man in Nunavut."

Traditional Inuit Games and Community Work

Before becoming an actor, Johnny Issaluk was famous as an athlete. He competed in Traditional Inuit Games for 20 years. He won over 200 medals!

He is featured in the short film Inuit High Kick. This film was shown at the 2010 Winter Olympics and other festivals around the world.

Johnny no longer competes, but he visits about 100 schools each year. He teaches students across Canada about Inuit games and culture. He also wrote a book called Traditional Inuit Games for Elementary Students.

In 2013, Johnny received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal. He was one of the first 60 Canadians to get this award. He was recognized for supporting the people of Nunavut.

He was also part of the 2012 Arctic Jubilee Expedition. This group successfully climbed the highest point of the Queen Elizabeth Islands in Nunavut. They even sent a video message to Queen Elizabeth II from the top! This expedition helped about 17,400 students learn about Inuit culture.

Johnny has also been an ambassador for the #Canada150 celebrations. He showed Inuit Traditional Games at the Canadian Parliament. He has worked with many educational programs, including Students on Ice and the Sedna Epic Expedition.

In 2018, he became a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. This was for his acting in The Terror and his community work. In 2019, he was named the society's sixth Explorer-in-Residence.

Johnny's Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Theatre Productions