VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Trevor Wilson Reflects On The ‘Unapologetically Canadian’ Final Season Of ‘Letterkenny’

After 74 episodes, with seven specials, five live tours and branded merchandise and beverages, the final six-pack of episodes for the Canadian TV show Letterkenny aired on the Canadian streaming service Crave on December 25 and Hulu on December 26.

One of the most remarkable achievements of Letterkenny is how it managed to transcend into mainstream pop culture, with a dedicated fanbase across the United States.

In conversation with uInterview founder Erik Meers, actor Trevor Wilson reflected on the years on set and the lessons he learned and felt he had promoted through his role as Squirrely Dan.

Creator Jared Keeso had initially written Squirrely Dan’s role for his 19-2 co-star Dan Petronijevic, but due to Petronijevic’s commitment to Suicide Squad at the time, Wilson stepped in. His fresh take on the character soon became a fan favorite.

Beyond the on-set camaraderie, Wilson shared that the cast would often hang out together off-camera, and had a genuine bond that was essential to the show’s success. Wilson reminisced about some of his favorite moments with the cast and recalled, “I don’t know if we’ve ever laughed so hard as when we were doing the ‘yes yes yes’s.”

In a memorable off-screen moment, Wilson shared, “There was one year where all our department heads for our crew recreated the produce stand for their end-of-year photo, each of them dressing in our wardrobe and taking our spots in front of the produce stand…our lead camera operator, Billy Buttery, actually fit into Michelle’s wardrobe to recreate [the character] Katie… It happened to be the exact same day we had the E! Talk Entertainment News come by to shoot some stuff on set and do some interviews… we were heading off to take the big casting crew photo afterward and much to the chagrin of our producers, Jared grabbed Billy Buttery… who was still in Katie’s denim cut-offs… and dragged him on camera to do his on-air interview.”

Before the show’s first season became a reality, Keeso had already gained a small following for his award-winning work on 19-2 and his portrayal of a young Don Cherry in two biopics for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Following these projects, Keeso invested $6,000 into the web series Letterkenny Problems. These shorts featured Keeso and co-star Nathan Dales as hicks who engage in comedic banter at the produce stand as they tackle their everyday problems through quick jump cuts. The show was commended for its lightning-fast dialogue and authentic portrayal of Canadian culture.

Wilson emphasized that the show should prove that people can disagree and co-exist simultaneously, so long as everyone wants to keep moving forward together. He also felt his character’s self-love promoted acceptance across the fanbase. Wilson acknowledged what he had learned from the show and his character, and what he hoped the audience would remember.

“We were a show created in Canada for a Canadian-only streaming service that was unapologetically as Canadian as you can be, and we ended up with audiences all over the world really enjoying us. So stay true, don’t change who you are because you think it will make someone else like you; be what you are, and you’ll find your people.”

The show’s success was further cemented by its Canadian Screen Awards victories and the creation of a spinoff called Shoresy, which is currently wrapping up filming for its third season in Sudbury, Ontario.