North of North series star Kelly William is riding a wave of success, rising up from major challenges, after experiencing both injury and addiction.

At just 19 years old, William was in a vehicle crash which left him largely broken from the ribs down.

"I died twice on the operating table," recalled William of the head-on collision which nearly ended his life.

"Both my hips, my pelvis was broken up so badly, my femur was shattered, I needed a metal rod from my knee to my hip, and my knee was completely busted," said William.

"I was very mangled."

As a result of these injuries, William said he heavily relies on his muscles to compensate for the issues he continues to have in his joints. 

"I feel it every day," he said.

"The stronger my muscles are, the less hard it will be on my joints."

Now, he goes to the gym every day, determined to stay strong.

He was a junior hockey player at the time of the car crash and his life changed completely. 

"In my darkest years, I was literally lost in alcoholism and drug abuse," he said, recounting a descent into deep depression. But during the pandemic, William found sobriety and began the road back to himself. He is now four and a half years sober.

Despite managing to quit "cold turkey," he credits his recovery to the support of close friends and family. Chief Willie Sellars, of Williams Lake First Nation, was a friend he said pushed him to get back out playing hockey, helping get him back on his feet.

"I started climbing out of my darkest years through hockey," said William, who then went on to host tournaments and provided leadership in finding sponsorships. Those networking skills have since helped him in his acting career.

William then returned to pursuing his long-held dream of becoming an actor.

"Without my sobriety, I would not be able to pursue this career," he said.

It was a dream which came after his first acting experience in 2009.

He had worked on a project at the time with Helen Haig-Brown, the Tsilhqot'in director, who is a cousin of his.

"Ever since I kind of had the thirst for blood," he said, of his desire to act.

William's acting journey has already included some interesting roles, and he is quick to credit his friend and mentor actor William Belleau with helping him believe a career in acting was even possible.

"Without his guidance, teachings and paving the way for me, to see that this career path was actually attainable, there would be no Kelly William the actor," he said. 

"He's just such an amazing person."

Thanks in part to this mentorship, he now finds himself in a lead role in the Netflix series North of North. The series was set and filmed in Iqaluit, Nunavut, in Canada's arctic.

William plays Ting, the town "golden boy" who he jokingly refers to as "King Ting."

While he initially auditioned for another role in the series, William is glad he landed the role of Ting instead.

"It's such a fun, complex character to play, there's lots of room to grow in it," he said.

Ting's wife Siaja is played by Anna Lambe, who was in True Detective: North Country. North By North focuses around Siaja, who is a young Inuk woman looking to redefine herself in her small arctic community. 

William's character Ting may not be very self-aware as the series begins, but William said viewers can look forward to some growth.

"You will see a character arc and he's got some incredible scenes in the episodes to come," teased William, holding back any spoilers. "I'm excited for the audience to see what he has in store, it's going to be a lot of fun."

"I grew up in town here in the hockey system," said William, who recognizes some of Ting as similar to himself at a younger age.

"I was a very confident and cocky hockey player," admitted William. "It was fun to lean into that."

He said he enjoyed returning to a younger version of himself, despite describing himself now as "the nicest guy in the world" and said he is now virtually nothing like the Ting he plays on screen.

The Netflix series, currently streaming on CBC Gem and APTN Lumi, heavily features the arctic landscape and Iqaluit community where it was filmed, Inuit culture, and Inuit designers, as integral aspects of the show. William is quick to promote the authenticity of the series for depicting the community. He said the homes and settings used in the show to create the first season were as you see them on screen.

William said the experience of working and staying in the arctic community was incredible and he can't wait to go back.

"I was so blown away that I could have the time of my life in such a small town," he said. 

While in the arctic, William enjoyed some unique experiences, including eating some traditional foods like salmon-baked bread, frozen caribou, and whale skin.

"Which is very hard to chew," he said.

He also was picked up for a date by snowmobile, which they parked outside the restaurant before going in for their dinner. 

"It was incredible all around," he said, noting he misses it and can't wait to go back.

So where does William aim to go from here?

After speaking to the Tribune in Williams Lake on a trip to visit family, he was headed back down to Vancouver for the North Hollywood International Film Festival. 

He hopes to hear North of North will be filming a second season soon and to be back at work in Iqualuit within a couple months. 

His longer-term goal is eventually to move down to Los Angeles, to continue to pursue his acting career. He was in Los Angeles in  November 2024 for LA Skins Fest, a Native American film festival event, for a film he was in called Shacktown. William stayed with another Williams Lake product Katauna Nowlan. 

William said Nowlan, who moved to L.A. after high school and has modelled, obtained a law degree and is a professional stylist, helped show him some of what the city has to offer.

"There's just so much to explore."