Ontario-native Viggo Hanvelt is a rising young actor with a slew of impressive credits to his name already! Landing his first role at just five years old in the holiday film Turkey Drop (Prime Video), Viggo went on to appear in Hallmark’s Our Christmas Mural, Nickelodeon’s Snow Day, Netflix’s Single All The Way, and CBC’s Plan B. This month, Viggo can be seen in his most challenging role yet in MGM+’s thriller series, The Institute. Outside of acting, Viggo is also a competitive figure skater and soccer player. He also loves rock music and spending time with his siblings, who are also actors. Find out more about Viggo below!
Let’s jump right into talking about The Institute, which premieres July 13th on MGM+. What can you tell us about the series?
The Institute is about a group of kids with supernatural powers who get taken to this place called “The Institute,” where they are put through lots of awful tests. That is why they are trying to escape. It is a really exciting, dark, and thrilling series.
Describe Avery and how you got into character for the role.
Avery is the youngest, most innocent character in the Institute with the strongest supernatural powers. I read the book and thought it was such an amazing story, so I was really excited to play him. For getting into character, I just focused on learning the most I could about Avery and to think like Avery. When I was on set, I also made sure that I listened to what the directors told me.
Are you a fan of Stephen King and/or the horror genre?
Yes! The Institute was the first Stephen King novel I ever read. But I really loved it so much, and now I am a fan, and I want to read a lot more. I just started watching scary shows like The X-Files and Jaws, and so far, I’ve loved the horror genre.
With such dark material, how did the cast and crew keep things light on the set?
Oh, we had a lot of fun! I know some of the difficult scenes look like they wouldn’t be fun, but they were. There were lots of cool special effects like fake blood, and in some scenes I really got to scream and yell. And as soon as the director said cut, we were all laughing and high-fiving. I even played thumb wars with the director. I had so much fun on set.
Your siblings are also actors. Is there any sibling rivalry over roles?
Not really! We are all of different ages. My older brother, Gryffin, is 5 years older than me, so we can’t really go for the same roles. But we’ve had the chance to play brothers three times (Single All the Way, Christmas Checklist, Brotherly). My sister, Acacia, is 3 years older than me, but doesn’t look like me or my brother, so we’ve never played siblings on camera. We’ve been in two shows together, but we didn’t play family members. We really encourage each other and it is fun to support one another and see the different parts we all get to play.
What was it like getting to work with your siblings on Netlix’s Single All The Way?
That was a really fun film to be a part of. Gryffin and I played brothers. And my sister played a kid in the theatre show we put on. It was during COVID so filming was super weird – everyone had masks and visors on, and we had to do COVID tests every day. But it was great because it was a happy Christmas movie, so even though COVID was stressful, we got to spend every day having fun and pretending we were enjoying Christmas – drinking hot chocolate, eating cookies, and opening presents! We really had a great time filming that movie.
Are there any other upcoming films or television projects you’ll be in that we should keep an eye out for?
A short film I did called Brotherly will be at the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal in July. Gryffin and I play brothers in that, too. It’s a serious drama about mental illness, so it’s very different from other things I’ve done.
I heard you’re also a competitive figure skater and soccer player. How do you have time juggling it all?
Actually, when I moved to Halifax for The Institute, I joined a figure skating club there, so I got to do some figure skating on my days off. But I wasn’t allowed to do any jumps because insurance wouldn’t cover me! So I had to just practice spins and other moves, but no jumps! It was fun to meet up with other figure skaters in a different city and make friends that way. Now that I’m back home, I train 5 days a week – unless I’m filming! It’s a huge challenge, but I love it.
Back to The Institute, can you give your best elevator pitch on why all of our readers should watch the series?
The Institute is about kids with superpowers who are kidnapped and tested on in the Institute. But even though the situation is really bad, they find a way to make friends and work together to try to escape. It’s a dark, creepy thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to find out what happens next.
Anything else you want to share with our readers?
I am not on social media, but my agent is here: @elmntartist. They post about everything I am in. Please follow me there!
What message do you have for your fans and future fans out there?
I would like to say thanks for watching. I hope you love The Institute as much as I do, and I hope to see you soon!
This article was published in our July 2025 issue.
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Sandy Lo is an author, blogger, journalist, and digital strategist. Her personal story is inspiring. Sandy started StarShine Magazine, an online publication in 2001, at the age of 18. She wrote her first novel in 2009, “Lost In You,” followed by the “Dream Catchers” Series. She was the first person ever to professionally interview Taylor Swift and has received personal endorsements for her books from members of boy bands Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees.
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