KOLTON'S STORY
At 18-years-old, Kolton Stewart is already an accomplished actor, singer, musician, and dancer. He is passionate about his artistry as a performer and has been that way since a very early age.
Born into a musical family, Kolton’s first memory of music was conducting along to The Lawrence Welk Show. Around the same time, he began drumming and was competing in a pipe band by age four. While most kids were playing with toys or at the park, Kolton spent three or more hours a day “doing music,” as he called it, whether it was drumming along with The Monkees or playing a toy guitar to The Wiggles. When Kolton was five-years-old, he won the Ontario All-Star Talent Show by performing a drum solo he had composed. By the time he was seven, he advanced to international competitions with an adult pipe band and had joined the local high school band as a percussionist. It wasn’t always easy for Kolton to be the young one in a talented pool but his enthusiasm and love for music helped him overcome the challenges he encountered.
As gifted athletically as he is musically, Kolton played many sports, including football. A broken leg on the field when he was eight not only ended his season but also changed the course of his life; not one to sit still, yet sidelined from sports, Kolton auditioned for The Stratford Festival Theatre’s production of Music Man in a full leg cast. Finding his voice in that show, he was next cast in West Side Story and Macbeth before being seen by a talent scout who encouraged him to audition for The Lion King, where he became the first Canadian child to be cast in the Broadway musical, joining the North American Tour as Young Simba.
Kolton was inspired by the multi-talented actors he met through the theater, particularly the Jets and the Sharks in West Side Story, and decided to add dance to his performance repertoire. He now has an extensive background in tap, jazz, contemporary, ballet, and hip hop, including five years of competition experience, which also enables him to move naturally and rhythmically around any stage he encounters.
After his run with The Lion King, Kolton began to audition for film and TV roles and has worked steadily in both mediums since. He currently stars as Jarvis in the YTV series Some Assembly Required, which can also be seen outside of Canada on Netflix. The show gives Kolton the best of both worlds in that it is filmed both on a closed set and in front of a live studio audience once a week as well. Kolton also sings the show's opening theme, "Here We Go," which he recorded in LA at the same studio used by Michael Jackson.
Inspired in his youngest years by artists like Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, The Monkees and Elton John, Kolton now also looks to more recent musical influences such as Justin Timberlake - for his versatility and seamless transitions between music and acting - as well as Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, and John Mayer.
In addition to singing and percussion,Kolton also plays guitar, bass, and keyboards; his original music reflects his eclectic taste and is a mix of various styles and rhythms ranging from pop to soul. Kolton's YouTube page includes cover versions of many of his favorite artists' music, including Jason Mraz's "I Won't Give Up," which led to a performance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Kolton continues to hone his songwriting skills and is currently working on his debut album.
When he is not performing, Kolton is as typical a teen as possible; he enjoys playing video games with his friends, sports, and working out as well as writing scripts and making movies. When he is not on-set, he lives in Lynedoch, Ontario, Canada.