In the TV series The Hardy Boys, Atticus Mitchell has played the regular role of JB Cox across all three series, and the show can be seen in the UK on Disney+. Atticus plays Griffin in feature film Fixation, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and his further screen projects have included joining Series 2 of Transplant as Jake Cooper, playing Pippin ‘Pip’ Foster in Canadian sci-fi series Killjoys, filming Radio Rebel as Gabe, and, in 2015, he played one of the main characters – Andrew Shinky – in TV sitcom Young Drunk Punk. Alongside his acting career, Atticus is a musician under his artist name Atticus Dean, and he has released three albums – Sonder, The Pantomime and Plot Armor, and he will be releasing a new EP soon called A Moment. Upcoming work for Atticus has seen him recently film for the new series of Slasher, which is due out this year on AMC, and further announced projects. Speaking with Atticus, we found out from him about his regular role of JB Cox in The Hardy Boys, filming as Andrew Shinky in TV sitcom Young Drunk Punk and being a musician under his artist name Atticus Dean.
Across all three series of The Hardy Boys, you played the regular role of JB Cox, was there anything that drew you to the series and had you read the books before booking the role?
I had read a couple of the books when I was a kid, and my older brother was obsessed with them so getting cast in that show was a real full circle moment. Getting cast was a pretty chance affair, JB Cox was initially planned to be a much older character but I read for it and was on set two days later. Life comes at you fast.
What was JB Cox like to play and what were your storylines like to film?
The team on that show was an absolute treat to work with, Jason Stone was able to tell a beautiful story about brotherhood and family and I was tickled to be a part of it. Playing a lovable rogue is always a blessing, and Rohan Campbell, Alex Elliot and the rest of the cast made going to work on that show every day a real pleasure.
Can you tell us about the feature film Fixation, in which you played Griffin, and how was it attending the premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival?
Fixation was a pretty wild head-trip of a thriller by Mercedes Bryce Morgan. I was cast as the sort of pretend-brother of Maddie Hasson’s main character, a pretty repulsive guy but one who firmly believes in what the organisation he’s a part of is doing. The TIFF premiere was a lot of fun, and kind of a mirror opposite of what the filming experience was like. Maddie is a very dedicated and wonderful actress, so our scenes were pretty intense and as a result we didn’t really get to know each other much on a personal level. When the festival rolled around, we both kind of re-discovered the real human being in each other and had a blast reminiscing about the chaos of the movie. Always a very nice opportunity to showcase a film in my hometown.
What was it like joining the cast of Transplant in Series 2 as Jake Cooper and what did you enjoy most about working on the series?
I was a big fan of the first season of Transplant so being cast as a love interest doctor was kind of a whirlwind. I’ll end up sounding like a broken record, but I usually come away from projects having the fondest memories of time spent and working with the cast and crew. Hamza (Haq), Laurence (Leboeuf), Jim (Watson), John (Hannah) and everybody else made what would’ve been a very tricky shoot (we filmed in the middle of COVID, and the rules and restrictions that were in place to keep the set a safe place to work were a bump in the road to say the least) an experience I’ll remember fondly for the rest of my career. Plus, the medical terms and jargon I learned as a result of being on the show was fascinating and really put into perspective just how stunningly gifted and imperative our healthcare workers are.
How was your time filming as Pippin ‘Pip’ Foster in the Canadian sci-fi series Killjoys?
Stop me if you’ve heard this one, but it was great! Another all-star cast that took me under their wing and made me feel like I belonged immediately. Sci-fi is a joy to play around in, and to play a character like Pippin with the arc and journey that he goes on was very special.
In 2015, you played Andrew Shinky – one of the main characters in the TV sitcom Young Drunk Punk, do you have any favourite highlights from being part of the cast that you can share?
Young Drunk Punk was hands down the funniest project I’ve ever been a part of, the freedom we were granted as actors to go off script and play around with the dialogue made every day a gut busting experience and is such a rarity on so many movies and TV shows. I’m heartbroken it only went for one season, I would’ve happily done that show until I died, but the fact that this little show that we shot in Calgary for only one season is still something that I get routinely recognised for on the street speaks volumes to its lasting impact and timelessness.
What do you remember most from filming Radio Rebel as Gabe and what was the film like to be part of?
I ended up meeting some actors who ended up being lifelong friends, notably Adam DiMarco, who I have remained a close collaborator with coming on 14 years now. I always find the best part of a project is the people you meet and form connections with, and how serendipitous something like that can be.
As a musician, under your artist name Atticus Dean, you have released three albums – Sonder, The Pantomime and Plot Armor, can you tell us about your music releases?
I make contemporary classical music, ranging from minimalist to cinematic and have been pursuing that as a side hustle for a while now. Each of those releases have had some sort of overarching theme that I try to convey through the music, of course as a listener it might be difficult to discern exactly what that is (given that all of it is entirely instrumental), but as long as the listener is taken on a journey that they enjoy and can return to again and again then that’s more than enough reward for me.
What is your process for composing songs and what do you enjoy about recording your own music?
I do a lot of noodling, just sitting down at a piano and keyboard and losing myself in whatever sounds they produce. I’ll usually find myself in creative “pockets”, extended periods of time where I like everything that I’m recording and I won’t stop until I lose that spark. Of course, there are times when I’ll just bang my head on the keys because I’m unable to play anything worth building on, going through writer’s block, but the inspiration always comes back eventually and it’s fun to just lose myself in that process.
Do you have any favourite films and TV shows to watch and music artists to listen to, and how do you like to spend your free time?
I watch a lot of movies in my free time, going to the cinema either solo or with friends is a frequent occurrence for me. Conclave, The Brutalist, Nickel Boys, Megalopolis, and No Other Land were all recent releases that I ended up finding very arresting in their own ways, just to name a few. When I’m home I like to just wind down with a movie, whether it’s something I’ve seen a million times already or something completely new to me (my current Mad Men rewatch is the gift that keeps on giving, I think this is my fourth run through of that show). I find the screen experience to be quite therapeutic.
What do you hope 2025 brings for you and do you have any acting projects or music plans coming up that you can share?
I hope 2025 is filled with love and laughter just like every other year. At the end of the day, I care most about my loved ones and spending quality time with them whenever I can. I recently shot the newest season of Slasher which is due to come out this year on AMC, along with some other projects that I’m not at liberty to talk about quite yet. Plus, a new EP coming out very shortly called A Moment. I hope y’all like it.
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