John Henry Canavan was born in Toronto, raised in Scarborough by his Irish/Scottish parents and his four siblings. By 15 he was accepted to and studied at the very prestigious Etobicoke School of the Arts, graduating with honors and winning the William H Williams scholarship for actor of the year for pulling off five major lead roles in five separate productions in one year.
He went on to the University of Windsor where, before he could complete his first year, The Amercian Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York announced he had become the first Canadian to win their Full Scholarship Award. He accepted and found himself living on Broadway.
He traveled the USA and Canada doing theater. His break in film and television came after a successful production of Judith Thompson's "The Crackwalker" garnered the cast a Jessie Award Nomination in Vancouver, Canada.
He married his acting academy sweetheart Yael Schuster and they moved back to New York in 2002. They have since made the move to Los Angeles.
