Aaron Ashmore
Aaron Ashmore | |
|---|---|
 Ashmore in 2015 | |
| Born | Aaron Richard Ashmore[1] October 7, 1979 Richmond, British Columbia, Canada |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Spouse |
Zoë Kate
(m. 2014, divorced) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Shawn Ashmore (twin brother) |
Aaron Richard Ashmore (born October 7, 1979[3]) is a Canadian actor. He is the identical twin brother of actor Shawn Ashmore.
He is known for portraying Jimmy Olsen on Smallville (2006–2011), Steve Jinks on Warehouse 13 (2011–2014), and Johnny Jaqobis on Killjoys (2015–2019), the latter of which earned him a Canadian Screen Award nomination. He also portrayed Duncan Locke in Locke & Key (2020–2022) and has appeared in Veronica Mars, In Plain Sight, Ginny & Georgia (2023–present), and SkyMed (2022–present). In film, he starred in the thriller The Thaw (2009), earning a Leo Award nomination for Best Lead Performance.
Early life
[edit]Aaron Richard Ashmore was born in Richmond, British Columbia,[3] to Linda (née Davis), a homemaker, and Rick Ashmore,[4] a manufacturing engineer. He was raised in Brampton, Ontario, where he attended Earnscliffe Senior Public School and Turner Fenton Secondary School.
Aaron and his identical twin brother, Shawn Ashmore, began appearing in television commercials while still in elementary school.[5] Ashmore has said he is often cast as "the tough guy, the bully," a dynamic he enjoys because he finds those roles more complex than playing "the happy hero."[6]
Career
[edit]
Early work
[edit]Aaron Ashmore made his first notable screen appearance in 2004, starring as Canadian teenager Marc Hall in the TV movie Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story. Around the same time, he appeared in Canadian TV films such as Safe and A Bear Named Winnie, and had guest spots on series like The Eleventh Hour, The West Wing, and 1-800-Missing. From 2004 to 2005, he had a recurring role on Veronica Mars, portraying Troy Vandegraff. These early roles established Ashmore in Canadian TV and genre dramas.
Breakthrough and television roles (2007–2014)
[edit]Ashmore broke through in the U.S. with a major role on Smallville. He was cast as photographer Jimmy Olsen beginning in the sixth season and continued to play him into its eighth season.[7] He returned, portraying the younger brother of Jimmy Olsen, in the 2011 series finale, following his first character's earlier departure. In 2009, Ashmore headlined the eco-horror thriller The Thaw[8]. His performance earned him a Leo Award nomination for Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama the following year.[9]
From 2010 to 2012, Ashmore had a six-episode recurring arc on series In Plain Sight as Scott Griffin, Mary Shannon's newly discovered half-brother.[10] In 2011, Ashmore joined Syfy's Warehouse 13 as ATF agent Steve Jinks, a recurring character with the ability to detect lies introduced in the third season who appeared through the show's fifth and final season in 2014.[11] He also made guest appearances on series like Lost Girl and Private Practice during this period.[12]
Recent work (2014–present)
[edit]From 2015 to 2019, Ashmore co-starred as John Jaqobis on Syfy's space drama Killjoys.[13] He was one of the three leads in the series, portraying a bounty hunter. Killjoys ran for five seasons, ending in 2019. That same year, Ashmore received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his work on the show.[14]
In film, Ashmore had a supporting role in Regression (2015) and appeared in TV movies such as Lifetime's Swept Under (2015)[15] and Wish Upon a Christmas (2015).[16] He later starred as Sean, a morally ambiguous tow-truck driver, in the Toronto-set crime thriller 22 Chaser (2018).[17]
In 2020, Ashmore appeared as Duncan Locke in the fantasy television series Locke & Key, first in a recurring role during the first season and later as part of the main cast in the second season.[18] He went on to appear in the second season of Ginny & Georgia (2023) as Gil Timmins, Georgia's ex-boyfriend and the father of her son, Austin. Since 2022, Ashmore has co-starred as Captain William "Wheezer" Heaseman in the Canadian medical drama series SkyMed, which follows the lives of air ambulance crews in remote Northern Canada. The series was renewed for a third season in 2024, when he was promoted to series regular.[19]
Ashmore also co-stars in the Great American Media's mystery franchise The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries. He plays Jake Trenton, the love interest of Ainsley McGregor, in A Case for the Winemaker (2024)[20] and A Case for the Yarn Maker (2025).[21]
Personal life
[edit]Ashmore and his twin brother Shawn have matching tattoos on their wrists reading "GMA," which stands for "Good Man Ashmore." Aaron has said the tattoo is a tribute to their step-grandfather Gangu Jagtiani, who married their grandmother before the twins were born and was always regarded as their grandfather.[22]
On June 20, 2014, Ashmore married Zoë Kate.[23] The couple's first daughter was born in 2016.[24] Their second daughter was born in 2019.[25]
In March 2025, Ashmore revealed on the Inside of You podcast that he and Kate had quietly separated and finalized their divorce during the COVID‑19 pandemic.[26]
A longtime science fiction fan, Ashmore has cited Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and The X-Files among his favorite shows.[27]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Married to It | Student in pageant | |
| 2001 | The Safety of Objects | Bobby Christianson | |
| Treed Murray | Dwayne | ||
| 2002 | The Skulls II | Matt "Hutch" Hutchinson | |
| 2004 | My Brother's Keeper | Eric / Lou Woods | |
| Safe (short) | Bobby | [28] | |
| 2007 | Palo Alto | Alec | |
| The Stone Angel | Matt Currie | ||
| 2008 | Christmas Cottage | Pat Kinkade | |
| 2009 | The Thaw | Atom Galen | |
| Fear Island | Mark | ||
| 2010 | Privileged | Blake Webber | |
| The Shrine | Marcus | ||
| 2011 | Conception | Eric | |
| Servitude | Chase Vanhaver | ||
| 2014 | I Put a Hit on You | Ray | |
| Big News from Grand Rock | Video store manager | ||
| 2015 | Regression | George Nesbitt | |
| 2018 | 22 Chaser | Sean | |
| 2019 | Tammy's Always Dying | Reggie Seamus | |
| 2020 | Sugar Daddy | Angus | |
| 2021 | The Retreat | James | |
| 2023 | Suze | Rick |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Gross Misconduct: The Life of Brian Spencer | Young Byron Spencer | Television film |
| Are You Afraid of the Dark? | Billy | Episode: "The Tale of the Thirteenth Floor" | |
| 1999 | Crime in Connecticut: The Story of Alex Kelly | Luke Lawson | Television film |
| Love Letters | Bob Bertram | Television film | |
| Emily of New Moon | Harrison Bowles | Episode: "A Fall from Grace" | |
| 2000 | Run the Wild Fields | Charlie Upshall | Television film |
| The Famous Jett Jackson | Robert | Episode: "Something to Prove" | |
| Are You Afraid of the Dark? | Jake | Episode: "The Tale of the Lunar Locusts" | |
| La Femme Nikita | Neil Hudson | Episode: "Time to Be Heroes" | |
| Twice in a Lifetime | Paul Harper | Episode: "Grandma's Shoes" | |
| 2001 | Le porte-bonheur | Jean Philippe | Television film |
| Blackout | Second Son | Television film | |
| Haven | Myles Billingsley Jr. | Television film | |
| The Familiar Stranger | Chris Welsh | Television film | |
| Dying to Dance | Jason | Television film | |
| Blue Murder | Episode: "Baby Point" | ||
| 2002 | Charms for the Easy Life | Ted | Television film |
| Conviction | Whiff | Television film | |
| A Christmas Visitor | John Boyajian | Television film | |
| The Eleventh Hour | Trevor Gordon | Episode: "Tree Hugger" | |
| 2003 | The Pentagon Papers | Randy Kehler | Television film |
| 2004 | Brave New Girl | Tyler | Television film |
| Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story | Marc Hall | Television film | |
| A Separate Peace | Chad | Television film | |
| A Bear Named Winnie | Randy Taylor | Television film | |
| 2004–2006 | Veronica Mars | Troy Vandegraff | 4 episodes, including "The Rapes of Graff" |
| 2005 | The Eleventh Hour | Taz Thomas | Episode: "Kettle Black" |
| The West Wing | Trevor | Episodes: "365 Days", "King Corn" | |
| 2005–2006 | Missing | Colin McNeil | Recurring role (season 3) |
| 2006–2009, 2011 | Smallville | Jimmy Olsen | Recurring role (season 6); main role (seasons 7–8); guest role (season 10) |
| 2010 | CSI: NY | Cam Vandemann | Episode: "Pot of Gold" |
| The Bridge | Ben | Episode: "God Bless the Child" | |
| Private Practice | Carl | Episode: "Second Choices" | |
| Fringe | Matthew Rose | Episode: "Amber 31422" | |
| 2010–2012 | In Plain Sight | Scott Griffin | Recurring role (season 3); guest role (season 5) |
| 2011 | The Listener | Peter Duquette | Episode: "Jericho" |
| XIII: The Series | Dylan Masters | 4 episodes | |
| Fanboy Confessional | Narrator | 6 episodes | |
| 2011–2012 | Lost Girl | Nate | Recurring role (season 2) |
| 2011–2014 | Warehouse 13 | Steve Jinks | Recurring role (season 3); main role (seasons 4–5) |
| 2012 | Murdoch Mysteries | Jack London | Episode: "Murdoch of the Klondike" |
| 2015–2019 | Killjoys | John Jaqobis | Main role |
| 2015 | Swept Under | Nick Hopewell | Television film |
| Wish Upon a Christmas | Jesse | Television film | |
| 2017 | Ransom | Sydney Graves | Episode: "The Artist" |
| 2019 | Cardinal | Randall Wishart | 4 episodes |
| Designated Survivor | Phil Brunton | 4 episodes | |
| Hudson & Rex | Galen Wheatcroft | Episode: "The French Connection" | |
| 2020 | The Santa Squad | Gordon Church | Television film |
| Pretty Cheaters, Deadly Lies | Counselor Parker | Television film | |
| Private Eyes | Larry Bateman | Episode: "The Proof is Out There" | |
| 2020–2022 | Locke & Key | Duncan Locke | Recurring role (seasons 1 & 3); main role (season 2) |
| 2022 | Cider and Sunsets | Curtis | Television film[29] |
| 2022–present | SkyMed | William "Wheezer" Heaseman | Main cast |
| 2023 | Accused | Max | Episode: "Ava's Story" |
| 2023–present | Ginny & Georgia | Gil Timmins | Recurring role (season 2–present) |
| 2024 | Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker | Jake Trenton | Television film |
| 2025 | Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Yarn Maker | Jake Trenton | Television film |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Leo Awards | Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama | The Thaw | Nominated | [9] |
| 2019 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Lead Actor, Drama Series | Killjoys | Nominated | [14] |
References
[edit]- ^ Ashmore, Aaron [@AaronRAshmore] (January 29, 2013). "@GACbalehead @ShawnRAshmore Not true actually. My middle name is Richard and Shawns is Robert. After my father and grandfather" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Grebenyuk, Yana (March 25, 2025). "Aaron Ashmore Breaks Silence About Secret Divorce From Wife Zoe Kate". Us Weekly. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
- ^ a b "Aaron Ashmore". TV Guide. Archived from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ "Richard Ashmore Obituary (1949 - 2021) - St. Catharines, ON - St. Catharines Standard". www.legacy.com.
- ^ "Shawn Ashmore – Biography". Tribute.ca. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
- ^ Bull, Ron (September 5, 2001). "The Famous Aaron Ashmore Closes in on Stardom". Toronto Star. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
- ^ Maloney, Michael (August 10, 2006). "Smallville: The Scoop on Jimmy Olsen!". TV Guide. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Foywonder, Scott (October 6, 2009). "The Thaw (Blu-ray / DVD)". Dread Central. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ a b "2010 LEO AWARDS NOMINEES & WINNERS" (PDF). Leo Awards. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Wightman, Catriona (April 19, 2010). "Aaron Ashmore joins 'In Plain Sight'". Digital Spy. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ "'Warehouse 13' Brings Aaron Ashmore Onboard For Season 3". Screen Rant. February 20, 2011. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ "Aaron Ashmore". Syfy. NBCUniversal. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ "'Brothers & Sisters' Alum Luke MacFarlane, Hannah John-Kamen and Aaron Ashmore Join Syfy's 'Killjoys'". July 22, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ a b "Aaron Ashmore – 2019 Canadian Screen Awards Nominee". Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ "The Movie Network - Movies - Swept Under". The Movie Network. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ "Wish Upon a Christmas". Lifetime. Archived from the original on March 30, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Lacey, Liam (July 6, 2018). "22 Chaser: Realist drama about a Toronto tow-truck driver could use a jump-start". Original Cin. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Petski, Denise (January 28, 2022). "'Ginny & Georgia': Aaron Ashmore To Recur As Georgia's Ex In Netflix Series". Deadline. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Petski, Denise (March 20, 2024). "'SkyMed' Renewed For Season 3 By Paramount+; Cast Set". Deadline. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ "The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker". Great American Family. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ "Candace Cameron Bure Stars in Second Installment of The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries, 'A Case for the Yarn Maker,' World Premiere Streaming Exclusive Only on Pure Flix, May 22" (Press release). PR Newswire. April 30, 2025. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Mahadevan, Tina (February 8, 2024). "Ginny & Georgia's Aaron Ashmore reveals he and wife Zoë Kate quietly separated during the pandemic". Soap Central. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
- ^ "I'm getting married today!!!!! I love you Zoe Kate!". X (formerly Twitter). June 20, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ @AaronRAshmore (June 5, 2016). "I'm a father! After a very scary birth, Zoë and our baby girl are recovering well" (Tweet). Retrieved May 21, 2025 – via Twitter.
- ^ @AaronRAshmore (April 16, 2019). "My second amazing daughter has arrived safe and sound" (Tweet). Retrieved May 21, 2025 – via Twitter.
- ^ Richards, Bailey (March 25, 2025). "'Smallville' Star Aaron Ashmore Reveals He and Wife Zoë Kate Split Years Ago". People. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ^ Serrao, Nivea (July 14, 2017). "Killjoys' Aaron Ashmore reflects on past Smallville, Veronica Mars roles". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
- ^ "Safe (Short 2004)". IMDb. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ "Cider and Sunsets". Great American Family. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Aaron Ashmore at Wikimedia Commons
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