With your athletic skills as an amateur boxing champion, it’s very likely that you would be on your way to a career in sports. What made you transition into acting?

It’s true, I would have. Baseball and boxing were my things, but it was boxing that shaped me. My father, grandfather and uncle, were all champion boxers in the old Yugoslavia, so naturally, I had to grow up with it. It was always a part of my life. Even as a teenager, playing in my band, I would sneak off and go spar at boxing gyms. The guys didn’t like it too much, because if I hurt my hand, they were out of a job. So, I did it for fun mostly. Then, after the band broke up, I decided to go for it and have my Pop as my coach. I really enjoyed our time, but then, I got injured at the Pre Pan Am games in a boxing match, and that recovery period, in part, led to me really re-thinking my journey. I always knew I wanted to tell stories. I feel like sports is mental, physical, and shapes character with so much humility wrapped up in confidence. I found it compelling, and acting is in the same world. I wanted to recreate those emotions and feelings in people, by telling stories.

Aleks Paunovic was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba June 29, 1969 to a Croatian mother and Serbian father. The result of this remarkable blend of bloodlines is the 6'5" ruggedly handsome actor appearing on screens around the world at a rapidly escalating rate.

Acting came to Aleks while he was onstage in his hometown playing in a heavy metal band, his livelihood since he was 16. Remarkably the role offered was one completely against type as it was that of Roddy McDowall's butler in the 1994 TV movie 'Heads'. Now bitten with the acting bug, Aleks combined his athleticism from his lifetime of boxing - he claims that he started boxing in the womb as all of the men in his family are boxers - and turned it into a very busy career as a stunt actor.

In 2001 Aleks stopped in Vancouver on his way to Los Angeles with an impressive resume and ready to take on Hollywood when the most horrible event in America's recent history struck. 911 changed the way anyone could enter the states and so Aleks found himself a new home and career in busy Vancouver.

Since coming to Vancouver Aleks has built an amazing resume with over 100 credits, most of which are lead and recurring roles like the one that he has on this hugely anticipated 4th season of 'Continuum'.

Aleks credits three occurrences as the game-changers in his rocketing career: One was when the venerable acting coach Larry Moss called him out in front of 300 actors, telling him that he had massive talent and demanding to see his full range; another was when he respectfully declined an offer for a 4-episode-arc on a highly-rated TV series so that he could finish his run as 'Danny' in the play "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea" in a shaky old theatre to sold-out crowds.

But the biggest catalyst in Aleks's career was when he fought three rounds of casting throughout all of Los Angeles and Vancouver to win the role of 'Tom', a developmentally disabled man accused of murder in 'Personal Effects' starring Ashton Kutcher, Michelle Pfieffer, and Kathy Bates. Aleks put on 65 pounds to perform the role, which was one of the most challenging and rewarding roles of his career so far.

When you meet Aleks, or you watch him perform these difficult roles, you just know that with all of that leading man charisma there's star power in this man, and that you will be seeing a lot more of Aleks Paunovic.

Ruggedly handsome, and standing at a mere 6’5” it’s no surprise that VAN HELSING star Aleks Paunovic is breaking hearts across screens both big and small.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to a Croatian mother and Serbian father, Aleks knew from an early age that he was destined to tell stories. A skilled athlete with a championship amateur boxing title under his belt, his thirst for living on the edge led him to a career as a stunt actor. In addition to his strength and athletic accolades, Aleks is a musician at heart and was part of a rock band in his youth. In fact, it was during a performance when he was asked to audition for the HBO movie “Heads,” and as fate would have it he landed his first acting role and set forth to take Hollywood by storm.

Aleks’ recent credits include WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, SIBERIA with Keanu Reeves, COLD PURSUIT with Liam Neeson, and indie feature NUMB. Additional credits include “Battlestar Gallactica,” “This Means War” opposite Tom Hardy, “Motive,” “Supernatural,” “Continuum,” “iZombie,” “The 100,” “Once Upon a Time,” and “Smallville,” among many others. Next up for Aleks is the feature FREAKS which opposite Emile Hirsch and Bruce Dern which made its debut at TIFF.

Aleks is currently starring in Apple TV+ SEE and SYFY’s Van Helsing.