Lyriq Bent Urges Discipline and Support as Jamaican Cinema Gains Momentum

Jamaican-born Canadian actor Lyriq Bent has returned to the island following the successful premiere of Stew Peas, a project he helped produce, and says the moment marks a turning point for local cinema.

Bent, who left Jamaica at age six and went on to build a Hollywood career with roles including Officer Daniel Rigg in the Saw franchise, Staff Sergeant Frank Best in Rookie Blue, The Book of Negroes, and She's Gotta Have It, told interviewers that seeing Stew Peas come to life confirmed what he already believed about Jamaican talent.

"I feel like I was right about how I feel about the talent here," he said. "I want people to know Jamaica for its films the way they know it for music, because the talent is here. We just need the support, the nurturing, and the know-how."

Bent grew up in rural Clarendon before his parents relocated him to Canada. He recalled playing in the dirt after rainfall and never imagining a career in film. After studying computer graphics at Seneca College, he entered acting by chance while selling long-distance phone service door to door following Canada's telecom deregulation. Strangers repeatedly asked whether he was a model or actor, and a coworker eventually introduced him to an acting coach after winning a daily sales wager.

He stressed that discipline and punctuality are non-negotiable in an industry where every second costs money. "Fashionably late is what's going to make you not be working in this business," he said, urging young actors to treat time management as central to professionalism.

Bent also spoke about navigating typecasting, noting that he refused early offers to play drug dealers and rapists to avoid being boxed into negative roles. He said he remains selective about characters even as audiences often respond warmly to the parts he accepts.

Looking ahead, Bent said he is working closely with Icon Media and Cecia Nixon Kelly on additional projects, using Stew Peas as the standard they aim to meet. He described Kelly as a gifted writer, director, and producer, and said the goal is not self-promotion but setting an expectation the wider industry can follow.

Bent is scheduled to depart Jamaica next week.