Actor Ryan Rosery stars in Netflix’s latest horror installment Fear Street: Prom Queen, now streaming and in the tradition of the previous trilogy, it is brutal and bloodier than ever. In an interview with Actors With Issues, the rising actor’s journey to the spotlight has been far from traditional, opening up about his upbringing, how heartbreak led him back to acting, and why consistency and community are the keys to longevity in the industry. Watch and read more below or listen on your favorite podcast platform.
From Scarborough to the Screen
“I grew up in a single mother household,” Rosery shared. “Something a lot of people don’t know about me is I’m kind of like pseudo-adopted. The woman who raised me—my mom—she was married to my father. He had an affair, and I came into the world. My dad got deported when I was two, and the woman who gave birth to me chose not to keep me. So it was just me, my mom, and my sister.”
Rosery’s artistic spark came early, inspired by a beloved sitcom. “In fourth grade, I was watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air… and I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God! That is amazing!’ I turned to my mom and said, ‘I want to do this for a living.’” But, he said, “Being an immigrant from the Caribbean, my mom didn’t see acting as a real job. You had to be a doctor or a lawyer.”
Despite the discouragement, he never lost that desire. “I was always the class clown. I always wanted to make people laugh and smile.”
Acting After Heartbreak and Lessons from Loss
It wasn’t until high school that Ryan Rosery recommitted to acting, thanks to a teenage heartbreak. “There was this girl I’d fallen in love with… she broke my heart. I was like, ‘I’m gonna get revenge by becoming the biggest celebrity in the world.’ That’s when I remembered what I said in fourth grade: I wanted to act.”
His journey wasn’t without struggle. “I haven’t yet had a role where I needed to channel that heartbreak,” he said, “but I did work on a Canadian indie called Morningside where I had to dive deep into grief and loss. I used the trauma of losing my mother in 2021 to tell the truth of what my character was going through.”
Fear Street and Owning the Moment
Rosery was fully prepared for the emotional intensity of Fear Street: Prom Queen. “My imagination is constantly on go. I really do believe I was designed and destined to be an artist and a creative—to tell stories through the instrument of my body,” he said.
While the role didn’t demand endless night shoots like some horror projects, the emotional work was real. “We were mostly shooting indoors, so we didn’t have too many overnights. But when it came to the acting—I didn’t find it too challenging. I was prepared.”
Rosery brought reverence and ownership to the role. “People care about this universe—from the creatives to the fans. I felt like I was holding something sacred. But I also wanted to make sure I didn’t just copy what the previous films did. I needed to bring what Ryan does.”
Building His Own Path and Advice to Aspiring Actors
Ryan Rosery is also a co-founder of BDB Productions, which began out of necessity and community. “There’s seven of us. We all met through the industry, and we weren’t getting the roles we wanted. So we said, let’s create them.”
His advice to aspiring actors is rooted in that same sense of camaraderie and perseverance. “Build with your community. Everyone wants to work with Jordan Peele or Christopher Nolan, but you have to build with those around you.”
And above all: consistency. “The role you think is going to change your life is never the one. It takes time. I didn’t book anything for four years. But I kept going.”
That persistence paid off. Rosery’s role in Fear Street came through a casting director who had seen his work at the Canadian Film Centre. “All I knew was the project was called Prom Queen. I didn’t even know it was Fear Street. But I was ready.”
Stay connected with Ryan Rosery on social media @RyanRosery, and stream Fear Street: Prom Queen now on Netflix.
