If you grew up in the 905, you know Coliseum 10. It’s the former Famous Players cinema across from Square One, which is now a Cineplex. The legendary theatre where many dreams were born, popcorn was oversalted, and if you’re Paulo Costanzo (Designated Survivor, Royal Pains), it’s where you once stood at the front of a theatre after the screening of your first film, Road Trip and accidentally swore in a room full of teenagers.
“I thought it was an R-rated movie!” Costanzo laughs over our recent call from his home in New York. “I got up, and I had them going, but then a staff member ran up and told me I had to stop swearing because it was rated AA.”
But in a parallel universe, Costanzo wouldn’t have been the star on the screen; he would have been the one tearing your ticket at the door. During his teenage years in Brampton, the actor faced a career crossroads – “I applied to work at Coliseum 10 in Mississauga and I applied to work at Red Lobster in Brampton,” he reveals. “I got both of them, and it’s one of my biggest regrets: I took Red Lobster because it was closer to my house.”
He lasted only three weeks. “I couldn’t stand the smell. It was just so bad. I always wish that I would have worked at Coliseum 10 instead.”
It’s a full-circle moment for the Canadian actor, who is currently trading the suburban sprawl of Peel Region for the high-stakes (and high-absurdity) world of international soccer in the new BBC series Twenty Twenty Six.
The Art of the Scripted “Uhm”
A sequel to W1A and Twenty Twelve, the series sees Hugh Bonneville’s (Downton Abbey; Paddington) Ian Fletcher heading to Miami to help organize the 2026 FIFA World Cup – a tournament the show hilariously can’t name for legal reasons. Costanzo stars as Nick, the VP of Business and Legal Affairs, an American lawyer who serves as the show’s foul-mouthed reality check.
Nick is essentially the human embodiment of the “Are you seeing this?” face. In fact, during the show’s press junket in London, when the cast was asked which character they would play if they weren’t their own, the answer was unanimous: everyone wanted to be Nick.
“There’s something fun about being the person who’s just always calling out… what the fuck are you talking [about],” Costanzo says. I had a lot of fun playing that role. I know people like this, so it was easy.”
For those worried about jumping into the third installment of a franchise, Costanzo insists that newcomers shouldn’t be intimidated. You don’t need to have binged the previous series to appreciate the chaos – but do try to check it out after!
“It’s not like other shows,” he explains. “Once you understand the wavelength of the show, you’ll be like, ‘Wait a minute. This is different, and this is special.’ It’s crafted by someone who is a genius.”
While the show is a mockumentary, don’t expect the loose, improvisational feel of The Office. Working with writer/director John Morton is more like performing a symphony than a sitcom.
“There was no latitude for improvisation or even changing a period,” Costanzo explains. It’s written like music. If your line was ‘Yeah, well,’ you had to say ‘Yeah, well.’ If you just say ‘Yeah,’ everyone would stop and go, ‘What, where was the well?’”
The “Josie” Renaissance
For a generation, Costanzo is synonymous with the Y2K heyday of teen cinema. Between Road Trip and 30 Days and 40 Nights, he was a staple in the era – but it’s his role in 2001’s Josie and the Pussycats that is currently seeing a cult-classic resurgence. Costanzo himself rewatched it on the free streaming app Tubi.
While it starred Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, and Rosario Dawson, “it was like the biggest bomb of the year,” he says frankly.
Despite the film’s now-celebrated satire of consumerism, Costanzo admits that at the time, he “never really appreciated Josie and the Pussycats” when the film was released. “My part was heavily cut out of it,” he says, noting that many of his scenes with on-screen sister Missy Pyle didn’t make the theatrical runtime. “I think for an actor, that’s kind of tough.”
However, a recent rewatch with a first-time viewer changed his perspective. “I truly appreciated it for the first time. It’s so prevalent now. It’s crazy actually how much it [holds up].” Reflecting on the ensemble, he adds, “Parker Posey, Alan Cumming… the cast was insane. Like, stacked. I’m really happy that I rewatched it.”
The Coolidge Connection
Costanzo’s career has often put him in the orbit of comedic titans, including a two-season stint on the Friends spin-off Joey. While history (and many Friends fans) might have looked past the series, it paired Costanzo with a pre-Renaissance Jennifer Coolidge.
“She’s able to conjure comedy out of knighting,” he says of the White Lotus star. “As a person, she was the opposite [of her character] – so sweet, so genuine. She’d turn it on and make you laugh for a second, and then she’d be like, ‘Anyway, I did this thing with my dry cleaner…’”
Coming Home
While Twenty Twenty Six was filmed in Wembley, the Canadian connection remains strong. Costanzo’s co-star Stephen Culkin plays the representative from Canada, occasionally leaning on Costanzo for guidance on the accent – though Paulo was more than happy to play the American making fun of the Canadian for once. “That was a funny role reversal,” he notes. “That was pleasant.”
As for a return to the 905? Costanzo hasn’t decided if he’ll be back for the actual World Cup games yet, but we’re putting the call out to Cineplex: get this man back to the Coliseum 10 for a screening – maybe for the 25th anniversary of Josie and the Pussycats? Just keep the mic away from him if there are any kids in the front row.
Twenty Twenty Six premieres Friday, May 1st at 9 p.m. ET/PT on BBC First in Canada.
