Jeff Todd, left, and Razar, Todd’s character on Cartoon Network’s Legends of Chima.

No one ever told Jeff Todd he was too old for Lego.

Todd, an actor who grew up in Saskatoon, recently landed a role on the new Cartoon Network series Legends of Chima. Based on the Lego toy line of the same name, the show follows several factions of animal tribes as they fight to restore balance to their homeland through a mystical energy source known as Chi.

Todd moved to the West Coast in March of 2011 to attend Vancouver Acting School. There he learned the ropes in film, stage and voice-over work and was introduced to a representative who in turn helped Todd land his current role on Chima, produced locally in Vancouver.

Todd was hired to voice Razar, a raven that toes the line between good and evil and rarely lets allegiances get in the way of his greed.

While only two episodes of the show have been released so far, Todd’s role on the show has already expanded to include a wide array of supporting parts.

“I’ve got about 11 primary recurring characters, and then a handful of one-offs,” Todd said. “I’m really good at the bad guys.”

Todd describes his time behind the mic with enthusiasm.

“When you’re there in the room and you see your character coming up, you get so excited,” Todd said. “I feel like I’m going to Disneyland every time I go into work.”

His experience working on Chima has helped Todd to hone his method as an actor, particularly since the show is being pushed for an international audience.

“This is a show that’s being broadcast across America,” Todd said. “We’re Canadian up here. There’s small subtleties — like ‘about’ and ‘sorry’ — that you need to watch out for in your voice.”

With all the success the West Coast entertainment scene has brought him, Todd hopes to one day bring some of it back to the town that raised him.

“I would love to go back to Saskatoon and film there,” Todd said. “The landscape is gorgeous.”

Outside of the studio, Todd spends the bulk of his time auditioning for roles in film and television productions. Currently he can be seen getting body-checked by Edmonton Oilers right-winger Jordan Eberle in a commercial for ATB Financial.

Todd eventually hopes to mount a stage production of Dog Sees God, a re-imagining of the Peanuts gang as high school students, in which he’ll play Charlie Brown.

But these projects are just stepping stones for Todd. “To date my most fulfilling role in this industry has been Chima,” Todd said, “but I’m going to continue full steam ahead in my pursuit of a film career.

“I want to be a movie star.”

Audiences looking to catch up on Legends of Chima can get their popcorn ready for Feb. 3, when the pilot episode will be re-airing on Teletoon.

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Image: Supplied