As he sat down with the Jamaica Observer to share stories of the little island that shaped his journey to Hollywood, it was clear that Lyriq Bent was not simply speaking as a seasoned actor with a long list of film and television credits but as a son of the soil.

The Jamaican-Canadian actor, who migrated at the age of six, reflected on the formative years he spent on the island, describing them as the foundation of the relentless drive that would later propel him through the competitive corridors of Hollywood.

According to Bent, the grit, resilience and unmistakable “go-getter” spirit he carries into every role were forged in the realities and cultural grounding of his Jamaican childhood, long before the cameras began rolling.

He shared that migration at a young age helped him to realise the adjustments he needed to make to facilitate growth in a new environment. Reflecting on the complicated challenges many Jamaican children experience when they leave the island for opportunities abroad, the actor shared that, coming from rural Jamaica, the cultural shift was significant.

“You learn to speak when you’re spoken to. You don’t ask a lot of questions because that can come across as feisty,” he explained. When he did ask questions, the reactions were sometimes discouraging, and he expressed that, over time, he internalised those experiences and began relying more heavily on himself for answers.

Unknowingly, that approach prepared him for the independence required in the entertainment industry.

“My memories of Jamaica are foundational, and that’s what helps me in my industry and my business to try and conquer the world. I stopped asking questions and started finding out for myself. It helped me put confidence and trust in myself because I had nowhere else to really find that. That ‘groundation’ is what I rely on in my field,” he said.

Even in the simplest ways, Bent says his identity follows him across geographic boundaries. He shared that while he has long been a pescatarian, the special island flavour only Jamaica brings has stayed with him.

“Jamaicans just know how to put spices together and make it our own. Water crackers taste good when you pair them with something cooked properly. Anything we come up with will be good,” charged Bent, however admitting that before changing his diet, oxtail held a permanent spot at the top of his list.

But culinary insight wasn’t the only perspective being served up by the Acrimony star, he also had some simple but firm advice for aspiring creatives.

With Jamaicans spread across the globe, he believes honest storytelling from the island has a natural global audience waiting to connect with it.

“Tell your story,” he urged. “Don’t try to dictate or curve or orchestrate someone else’s story. A good story is a good story, and your experience is yours. Stay true, stay honest to what you’re doing, it will resonate.”

Meanwhile, he stressed that if Jamaica truly hopes to position itself as a serious film-making destination, a shift in mindset is necessary. Outlining that the island is not short on talented individuals, the actor shared that understanding the mechanics of the industry is just as important as talent.

“If Jamaica wants to be the next Hollywood, understand how Hollywood works and how we can take from it and make it our own. I think learning the foundation of film-making and just the mechanics of it and understanding that it is a business will go a long way,” Bent explained, noting that professionalism and respect for the business side of film-making must become standard practice.

Film production, he noted, is an expensive and highly coordinated enterprise that requires discipline and punctuality.

“People can’t be showing up late to callbacks, and I don’t believe that, as a whole, Jamaica understands that yet. There is a certain standard that needs to be met for that machine to work properly,” he said. “The talent is here already, so it’s not like we’d have to teach anybody anything. I just don’t think the talent has been gathered collectively in the right way with the right understanding of the business across the board.”

Part of his long-term vision is to help bridge that gap. Bent revealed that he hopes to establish a film fund in Jamaica and connect with investors and industry players who can help strengthen the country’s production ecosystem.

He also believes that international stakeholders who profit from Jamaican stories and locations should reinvest in the island’s creative infrastructure.

“There are a lot of people extracting money from Jamaica,” he said. “Whatever you’re extracting, make sure to put it back into the country. Once people start to see that investment, they will buy into it.”

Visions for the local industry aside, Bent is also working on nurturing another aspect of his own career. He shared that in recent years he has begun expanding his role behind the camera amidst shifts brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said he is currently developing a project titled
Sagrin, a film that will explore the displacement of more than 2,000 people from the Chagos island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean — an island now used as a military base from which the United States launches operations in Africa and the Middle East. More than six decades later, those displaced residents still cannot return home.

For Bent, the story resonates deeply in a global moment defined by migration debates and forced displacement.

“It’s a very relevant story today because, in 2026, you have governments deporting people, and here you have a group of people who just want to go home and they won’t let them,” he said, highlighting that his approach to storytelling — whether as an actor or a producer — comes back to courage and conviction. “If you’re doing things only because they’re comfortable, why are you doing them?” Bent asked. “When you do things that everyone else is afraid to do, then it’s worth it.”