‘FEEL FREE TO CALL ME DOC’
Coates receives degree
Love and tolerance are critical characteristics for graduates to have in the world today, and an educated population is needed now more than ever, famed actor Kim Coates told a crowd in Saskatoon.
Known for his roles as a member of a notorious biker gang in the TV series Sons of Anarchy and a dedicated coach in the movie Goon, Coates returned to Saskatoon to accept an honorary doctor of letters from the University of Saskatchewan on Tuesday, taking a quick break from a project he’s working on in Vancouver.
Wearing a U of S green tie and joking to reporters that they should “Feel free to call me doc,” the actor said he was “thrilled” to be honoured by his alma mater, noting he’s a huge fan of the school’s president, Peter Stoicheff, and Stoicheff’s wife, Kathryn Warden. He also said it was good to come home to Saskatchewan, noting many of his friends and family members, including his mother, were at Tuesday’s ceremony.
“It was really special,” he said. Coates, who graduated from the U of S with a bachelor of arts in 1981, gave a speech at Tuesday’s convocation ceremony at TCU Place. Before speaking with reporters after the ceremony, he posed for photos with longtime friends, fans and various university officials, setting a mood that ranged from serious to silly.
“It’s a crazy world now right,” he said when asked what advice he has for students finishing their degrees. “It’s much different than when I graduated, and more now than ever before we need such brainiac, beautiful, loving tolerance. We need people to share their opinions and to not be afraid of anything, not be fearful of anything and spread their love and tolerance.”
Noting that he has reiterated the message “a million times,” in recent weeks, Coates said with threats to the environment and the issues facing Canada’s indigenous populations, there’s no better time to graduate.
“The world really needs these types of brains all over,” he said. Citing Joseph Campbell’s The Power of Myth, he said his mantra for students is to “follow your bliss,” adding the practice has worked for him over the years, paired with “a lot of work (and) a little bit of luck.”
Music education student Kaalyn Vanderauwera played in the band that provided music for the event. She said Coates’ speech was one of the more captivating she’s witnessed in recent days.
“He was really eccentric ... he had some personality as opposed to some other speakers we’ve had in the past. Because he’s from here, he’s relatable,” she said.
She felt his speech focused on the importance of education and protecting the fine arts. Having someone like Coates relay that message “speaks louder” than if an average citizen tried to do the same, she said.
“It makes people listen as opposed to just kind of glazing over and ignoring what people say.”
(M)ore now than ever before we need ... people to share their opinions and to not be afraid of anything...