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Taylor Olson (he/they) is a queer former athlete turned actor and filmmaker living with invisible disability. Based in Kjipuktuk/Halifax, N.S., Taylor is a multiple Canadian Screen Award nominee and ACTRA Award winner, known for bold, emotionally grounded storytelling across film and television.
As an actor, Olson has appeared in acclaimed feature films including Look At Me (CSA nomination), Black Cop, Hopeless Romantic (Outstanding Performance – Atlantic Film Festival 2018), Halloween Party, Dawn, Her Dad & the Tractor, and Bone Cage—his directorial debut, which also earned him multiple Best Actor awards and his first ACTRA win. Olson received a second ACTRA Award for his performance in Bystanders, a feature he co-wrote with creative partner Koumbie.
On television, Olson has held recurring roles in Sex & Violence, Diggstown, Pure, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, King & Pawn, Revival, and Trailer Park Boys: Jail, where he plays Larry.
Behind the camera, Olson’s debut feature Bone Cage premiered to critical acclaim, sweeping awards at the FIN Atlantic International Film Festival and collecting over 30 accolades globally. It screened in competition at Camerimage, the Forward Future section of the Beijing International Film Festival, and numerous U.S. festivals, culminating in two Canadian Screen Award nominations for Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actress.
His sophomore feature Look At Me premiered at Slamdance, where it launched a festival run that included Best Performance at the Canadian Film Fest and another CSA nomination for Lead Actor. His third feature film What We Dreamed of Then won Best Dramatic Feature at Cinequest Film Festival, Olson won acting awards at festivals including Fargo Film Festival, and the had a successful theatrical release through Vortex before landing on Crave.
For television, Olson was nominated for two Canadian Screen Awards for their show Hey Halifax, Hello! Today! for Best Sketch Show & Ensemble Performance, as well as Best Direction, Variety or Sketch Comedy. As a director for television, Olson has helmed episodes of This Hour Has 22 Minutes (CBC), three seasons of the AMI docuseries Disrupt, and screened his AR project Alone Together at the Reykjavik International Film Festival and IDFA. He created the comedy series King & Pawn and 2GETHER 4EVER for Bell Fibe TV1; King & Pawn recently completed its third season in a 6 x 22-minute format for Swearnet, the Trailer Park Boys' streaming platform.
With a diverse slate of projects in development—ranging from absurd workplace comedies to poignant, character-driven dramas—Taylor is deeply committed to telling stories that are honest, inclusive, and uncompromisingly human. Through Afro Viking Pictures, the company he co-founded with Koumbie, Taylor is building a culture of kindness, courage, and creative experimentation in Canadian film and TV—driven by joy, collaboration, and the desire to make art that matters.
AfroViking Pictures
Afro Viking Pictures Inc. is a Halifax-based production company led by Taylor Olson and Koumbie, dedicated to championing stories rooted in kindness, courage, and inclusion. Since its founding in 2016, the company has produced and co-produced award-winning short films, feature films, and original series, including the short-form projects 2GETHER 4EVER, Hey Halifax, Hello! Today! and King & Pawn, as well as television and documentary work across multiple formats.
Olson’s feature directorial debut Bone Cage premiered to critical acclaim at the Atlantic International Film Festival, where it won multiple major awards, and went on to earn over thirty international accolades. The film received two Canadian Screen Awards nominations, including Best Adapted Screenplay. His sophomore feature Look At Me premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival and earned Olson a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Performance in a Leading Role (Comedy), further establishing him as a distinctive voice in Canadian independent cinema.
Koumbie recently directed her debut feature Bystanders, co-written with Olson and produced by Terry Greenlaw. The film premiered at the Atlantic International Film Festival, where it won Best Screenplay, and contributed to Olson receiving the ACTRA Maritimes Award for Outstanding Performance.
Expanding into series work, Afro Viking Pictures co-created and produced Hey Halifax Hello! Today!, a Bell Fibe TV comedy series blending talk, sketch, and local satire, starring Olson alongside Bob Mann, with guest appearances from Robb Wells and Jonathan Torrens. The series was nominated for two CSA's in Sketch Comedy. The company continues to develop original television and documentary projects rooted in Atlantic Canadian voices and perspectives.
Across its body of work, Afro Viking Pictures has built a reputation for bold, performance-driven storytelling, with projects recognized at major festivals and by national awards bodies, including multiple Canadian Screen Award nominations and ACTRA honours.
A list of films produced/co-produced by Afro Viking Pictures:
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