When two major talents come together, conversations get real. Jenna Ortega and Scarborough-born global sensation The Weeknd recently sat down for Complex’s “The Best & Worst Things Ever (GOAT Talk)” segment and revealed their picks for the greatest Canadian of all time. Spoiler: it might not be who you’re expecting.
When it came time to name their GOAT Canadians, fans might have been expecting the usual suspects — hockey legends, music icons, or political figures. But The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, surprised everyone with a shout-out to a very different kind of Canadian icon.
“The Trailer Park Boys,” he said, referring to Canada’s most beloved fictional gang from a small town in Nova Scotia. “I like Bubbles,” he added, nodding to the character known for his thick-lensed glasses, played by Mike Smith.
Ortega responded that her GOAT Canadian is Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who hails from Montreal (he’s most known for directing the Dune flicks). Last year, Ortega revealed to BuzzFeed Celeb that she had auditioned for Dune when she was 15, but Zendaya ended up with the role.
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The two actors are promoting their musical drama, Hurry Up Tomorrow, about a musician plagued with insomnia (Tesfaye) and his encounter with a mysterious stranger (Ortega), and their fans were all here for the GOAT debate!
One commenter joked, “Wednesday interviewing the weeknd probably went over a lot of heads”, referencing Ortega’s role as Wednesday Adams on Netflix’s ultra-popular Addams Family spin-off, Wednesday.
Others were surprised that The Weeknd didn’t choose fellow Toronto musician Drake, who’s currently working on his next solo album. Back in the day, Tesfaye publicly thanked the rapper for helping to launch his career.
“I will always be thankful — if it wasn’t for the light he shined on me, who knows where I’d be. And everything happens for a reason,” The Weeknd told Rolling Stone in a 2015 interview. “You never know what I would say if this success wasn’t in front of me now.”
Others thought there were better GOAT options. “Céline Dion Wayne Gretzky Shania Twain all would’ve been super answers” one user said, while others thought that the Trailer Park Boys was the perfect response.
“The fact he said trailer park boys actually makes him real af hahah” another user said.
You can watch their full GOAT interview here.