She’s breaking barriers, building her career and being a role model to others with cognitive or physical disabilities
Age: 22
Even as a kid, Jenny Angus always wanted to be in the limelight.
“I dreamed of performing for people,” says Angus, who was memorizing lines and performing dances for her family as a five-year-old.
That drive led her to the set of Reminders of Him, a star-studded 2026 film based on a Colleen Hoover novel. Her role was a background actor, but it led to everything that came next, including a spot at the performing arts academy Act With Purpose International, where she worked with coach John Stevens.
After the final showcase of her acting classes, in which Angus performed over Zoom for multiple agents and industry professionals, she landed representation with All Heart Talent and Kello Inclusive. She has since appeared in rom-coms like the Netflix series My Life With the Walter Boys, upcoming film Guarding Stars, and she earned her first speaking role on the long-running TV show, Heartland.
The latter casting had nothing to do with her Down Syndrome.
“The casting call was for a female, any ethnicity, between the ages of 20 and 34, and it wasn’t disability-specific at all,” says her mother, Mary Angus. “They chose Jenny out of all of them.”
Aside from pursuing big-screen dreams, Angus also competed in the Special Olympics, in swimming, gymnastics and track. Her experience led her to become an ambassador, speaking publicly — from fundraising golf tournaments all the way to the Alberta Legislature — about the event’s impact and advocating for people with Down Syndrome.
“I talk to people about competing and the experience,” she adds.
As her acting career ramps up, Angus is winding down her education as a fourth-year student in the University of Alberta’s On Campus program, an inclusive adult continuing education program.
“It’s bittersweet to be finishing, but I’ve loved it,” she says. “It’s been a good experience.”
This article appears in the November-December 2026 issue of Edify
