‘We all need comedy right now’: Sask. actor Kim Coates laughs it up in new rom-com
The many faces of Kim Coates as Julian in new rom-com “Solo Mio.” (Kim Coates/X)
By CKOM News
Feb 9, 2026 | 4:24 PM
Saskatchewan actor Kim Coates has been a staple on entertainment screens for many years. Many recognize him from his roles including Tig on Sons of Anarchy, Brigham Young on American Primeval, and Bruegel on The Walking Dead: Dead City.
Coates was born in 1958 in Saskatoon, and attributes his love of acting to a play he saw at the University of Saskatchewan that led him to enroll in a drama class, kickstarting his acting career.
Coates just recently joined The Evan Bray show to discuss the new rom-com Solo Mio about a man who decides to go on his honeymoon alone when he is left at the altar in Rome, where he stars in with comedian Kevin James, as well as his love and connection to Saskatchewan.
This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Evan Bray: What is Solo Mio about?
Kim Coates: A couple of years ago, my boy, Kevin James — we’ve done four or five things together, three movies and some sitcoms and he’s a really good friend of mine — said to me “Kimbo, I’m writing a romantic comedy for you and me.”
And I went, “Yeah, sure you are.” He says, “No, I’m writing one for you to star in with me.” I said, “Yeah, sure you are.” Well, he did, it’s called Solo Mio.
We filmed it in Rome last year for two months. We were in Rome for seven weeks and then Tuscany for a week. It opened Friday and was the second biggest grossing film of the weekend, and it’s a pretty rough weekend with the Super Bowl and the Olympics and stuff.
With what the world’s going through, they need a romantic comedy, and it’s so funny and so heartfelt. I still tear up. I’ve seen it six times now. I laugh my head off. And yes, I know I’m in it for crying out loud, but I’m almost as funny as you in this movie. I’m not kidding.
