Born in Miramichi on October 9, 1957, John Ralston is the youngest of four children to Mary and James (Bill) Ralston. His father, a decorated pilot during the Second World War and the Korean War, was held in a German PoW camp from April 1942 to April 1945. Upon his father’s retirement from the Air Force, the family settled in Fredericton and spent summers in St. Andrews By-the-Sea. John attended the University of New Brunswick, earning a Bachelor of Education degree in Literature and Anthropology.
After teaching at a First Nations Mi’kmaq reserve in Nova Scotia, John pursued his interest in music by enrolling in a Jazz Studies diploma program at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. There, he discovered a thriving theatre scene and quickly found himself on stage, gaining attention in productions of Godspell and Othello. Director Maxim Mazumdar invited John to Newfoundland, where he honed his skills in repertory and regional theatre before working across Canada and internationally in various stage genres, such as classical, modern, and contemporary drama and comedy. Highlights include “The Plough and the Stars,” “The School for Scandal,” “Twelfth Night,” and the award-winning “Suburban Motel” series of plays.
Having settled in Toronto, John shifted his focus to film and television acting, landing the lead role of Jack Berg in CTV’s drama series “The City” (1999). He has since worked consistently in film and television, amassing an extensive and diverse list of credits, including “Bomb Girls,” “Played,” “The Informant,” “Flashpoint,” “The Listener,” “Nikita,” “This Is Wonderland,” “Jeremiah,” “Beauty and Power” (as Frank Sinatra), “Demons From Her Past,” “Turn It Up,” and “The Cradle Will Fall.”
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Ralston is best known for his roles in HBO Canada’s “Living in Your Car” (2010) as corporate huckster Steve Unger; “Good God” (2012) as the foul-mouthed, right-wing news hatchet man Danny McClure; and as George Venturi in the popular “Life with Derek” (2005).
John starred in the indie feature “South of the Moon” (2008), portrayed iconic villain Ming the Merciless in “Flash Gordon” (2007), and appeared in “Degrassi: The Next Generation” (2001) as Miles Hollingsworth II.
In the world of narration and documentaries, John is sought after for projects such as “Canadian Geographic,” “Dogs With Jobs,” “Beyond The Red Wall: The Persecution Of Falun Gong,” and “Raw Opium.”
John is married to actress Karen Waddell, with whom he has two children, and resides in Toronto.
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