Toronto–born and raised actor Jaime Callica is experiencing a career highlight few aspiring entertainers ever accomplish in a lifetime. It’s that convergence between the “Big Dream” and opportunity: the blissful moment when the stars align.

With over 30 screen credits in just three years, Callica has caught the attention of American film magnate Tyler Perry who recently opened one of the largest film studios in North America (Tyler Perry Studios) in Atlanta, Georgia. Parts of the blockbuster film, Black Panther and the television series, The Walking Dead have filmed there.

In Callica’s new role, Hollywood’s rising star plays Agent Brian Rollins in the original drama TV series, Ruthless, which debuted last spring. The show, which delves deep into a cult underworld following a woman named Ruth Truesdale (Melissa L. Williams), is a spin-off of the Black Entertainment Television (BET+) fan favourite The Oval.

“It’s amazing. Everything you need, you can get at Tyler Perry Studios,” says Callica, on working with Perry, whose humble roots (Perry was once homeless) is a true inspiration. “You’re with this person who started with nothing. He has worked hard and he is a fantastic success story.”

Callica, who has worked with the entertainment visionary, observes that Perry’s tireless drive writing and directing each episode forces “you to elevate your game.” He admits it’s a crazy feeling. “You feel like you have to be better because you’re in the presence of greatness, if you will.”

Raised by a single Trinidadian mother of mixed Chinese, Indian and Spanish descent, acting for Callica has been part of a wider picture that only recently started to take shape.

At the age of 18, Callica, who was studying criminology in Vancouver as he deejayed by night, was spotted by a local night club manager who introduced him to stock investments and foreign currencies. “Six months later, at the age of 19 I started buying real estate. I read books and went to all the conferences,” he says, explaining that during this period he purchased about eight properties within five years.

Meanwhile the acting bug bit him one morning as Callica was working on his first business, which was a collection of convenience stores he operated with his mom. “One day I just woke up and said, today’s the day, you’re going to act. I called my realtor and said hey, we’ve got to list it all. We’re selling it all—I want to act. And that was the beginning.”

Besides last spring’s premiere of Ruthless, Callica stars as Augustus in the Disney Channel movie, Upside-Down Magic, based on the fantasy fiction children’s books series. In the RomCom film, Merry Liddle Christmas released last year, the hard-working actor stars alongside actress/singer Kelly Rowland, who was a member of the popular girl band, Destiny’s Child with Beyoncé. Other TV and film credits include UnREAL, Lucifer, and Wayward Pines.

When not on the film stage, Callica embraces a world of possibilities and destinations beyond the grind of daily film shoots. “I love Italy. I feel like if I’d lived a past life I for sure was Italian. Since I was small, all my closest friends were Italian, and they call me the honorary Italian. I love the food, the culture.”

The other destination that tugs at his travel heartstring is walking in the shadows of King Tut. “I’ve been dying to get to Egypt. I love ancient civilizations. I want to see the pyramids and the tombs and the rich history that dates back thousands of years before Christ. I’m not a morning person, but I see me waking up at 6 a.m. every day so I could have full days, exploring Egypt.”

For this up-and-coming Canadian actor anything seems possible.

Bill King is a musician, celebrity writer, radio veteran, photo journalist and author. Coming Through the ’60s: An American Rock ‘n’ Road Story by William M. King is his latest book available on Amazon.ca.