Episode 157: Praneet Akilla

Praneet Akilla walked away from an engineering career in Alberta in order to make it as an actor. Since arriving in Vancouver in 2018, he’s lit up the screen in numerous projects, including FREYA, Rhona Rees’ award-winning sci-fi short about the dangers of AI technology; Netflix’s October Faction, where he played closeted jock Phillip Mishra; and CW’s Nancy Drew, where he plays Gil Bobbsey, one half of the iconic Bobbsey Twins (the half that went all the way with Nancy Drew in a recent episode). He’s also a producer on, and an actor in, Mom vs. Machine, in which a mother must compete for her son’s affection with a sentient food-making machine. That particular film will have its world premiere at the Crazy8s Gala on May 1. In this fascinating and entertaining episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Praneet talks about his journey from a career in engineering to playing Gil Bobbsey on Nancy Drew, and the community he’s found along the way. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA