Armin Karame is known for his guest roles in “Debris,” “Heartland,” “Upload,” and “The Good Doctor.” Currently, he plays a tech on NBC’s hot new show “Debris.” His character helps out the two agents Bryan and Finola as they investigate the alien anomalies. His earliest childhood memory is watching Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Commando” and he was always interested in storytelling. The Vancouver actor studied pre-med at the University of Calgary and after working in a lab for a while, he decided to go back to school and study drama.
About the Show:
Created by J.H. Wyman the show has a “Fringe” and “X-Files” feel to it. It airs Monday nights on NBC at 10/9C.
When mysterious wreckage starts falling from the sky, a secretive international agency is tasked with figuring out what it is, where it came from, and most importantly… what it can do. British agent Finola Jones and American agent Bryan Beneventi are partners who have very different styles – she’s warm, intuitive, and detail-oriented, and he’s charming, confident, and guarded. But they have no choice but to trust each other as they track down the debris scattered across the Western Hemisphere. Each fragment has unpredictable, powerful, and sometimes dangerous effects on the everyday people who find it. Every discovery is also a race against time, because shadowy outside forces seek these objects for nefarious purposes.
Get to know the actor behind his tech role.
Colleen Bement: What was your reaction when you scored the role in “Debris?”
Armin Karame: So I actually auditioned for the role of Brandt in the Pilot episode, back in February of 2020. When I was told I got it, I was ecstatic. I’ve always loved Sci-Fi and it’s been a dream of mine to be in Sci-Fi production. I was overjoyed, and couldn’t wait to be part of this. I got the shooting schedule, and I was set to be on for one of the last days. I wouldn’t end up filming because everything would shut down with the first Covid lockdown back in March almost exactly a year ago. I was definitely heartbroken at the time because as it was a new show I had no idea if they would bring back my character or just cut out the scene entirely. But there was also the fact that the whole world was going through this pandemic which was unlike anything we’ve experienced before, so along with a lot of people, I didn’t know how the film and tv industry would react or adapt to this new world at the time. It wouldn’t be until September last year when I was told they wanted me back, and not just for one episode. I was basically crying tears of joy!
Check out the trailer for “Debris.”
CB: Do you have any other projects in the works that you are allowed to share with us? I saw your post about being on an animated series.
AK: I don’t have any confirmed projects as of right now, but honestly I’m just so happy to be consistently auditioning again! Vancouver BC has an amazing film and TV industry, and so many cool productions are made here. I can’t really ask for more than the opportunity to audition. I bring my best foot forward, and hopefully, something sticks.
And yes, I got to be part of two episodes of “16 Hudson.” An animated show on “TVO KIDS.” I got to play multiple members of an immigrant family that just moved to a new neighborhood. It was a lot of fun, and I got to work with veteran voice actors who have been in kids shows like “Ninjago” and “My Little Pony!”
CB: Tell us how you found yourself in show biz. What did you start out doing and how did you find the passion?
AK: Well I’ve always loved acting, film, tv, and storytelling. My earliest childhood memory is watching Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Commando.” My parents were new to Canada at the time and definitely didn’t know parental ratings or guidelines. From there, I was always part of plays throughout grade school all the way up through to my last year of high school. I definitely wanted to be an actor, but I didn’t pursue it immediately. I went to the University of Calgary for pre-med, and after graduating from the sciences I worked in a lab. It was honestly graduation day that I decided I wanted to go back to university and train in drama. It was my first performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, where I knew “Yeah this is what I need to do to be happy.” After finishing training at university I primarily did theatre, while trying to get into film and tv. After a couple of years, I knew I wanted to pursue film and tv full time, which is when I packed up and moved to Vancouver, and I’m always thankful to have made that leap.
CB: Do you believe in life outside our planet?
AK: Absolutely! The universe is just way too vast for us to be alone.
CB: Are you a fan of sci-fi and/or comics?
AK: Oh boy, to say I’m a fan is probably an understatement. I am a huge nerd. Sci-Fi and Fantasy are my go-to genres for things to watch, and I grew up on comics. I could talk about both for hours on end, so I’ll do my best to resist that temptation.
Written by Colleen Bement
Evan Conroy
Ron Peterson