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Filmmaker Andrew Strickland didn’t let a life-changing workplace accident stop him from pursuing his dreams.
Now, he’s in the director’s chair for an upcoming episode of Hudson & Rex.
‘[It] feels pretty incredible. It’s like a dream. It’s something I’ve wanted my whole life,” Strickland told CBC News on Sunday.
Strickland also co-wrote the episode alongside his good friend Andrea Dunne.
In July, 2025 Strickland fell 10 feet from a catwalk while on the set of Hudson & Rex, fracturing his neck, which resulted in a complete spinal cord injury. The accident left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Strickland would spend six months in the hospital, and even more building his upper body strength and learning how to use a wheelchair.
But, he said, having his three children at his side motivated him to keep going.
“Them coming to see me all the time in the hospital really helped me, kind of motivated me, to want to be better and do better,” he said.
But besides his children, Strickland said his knack for music, writing, and all things creative, helped him navigate the difficult time.
“I could write songs about it. I could write stories about it, you know.… It’s definitely helped my journey a lot,” he said.
“Otherwise I’d kind of just be sitting around doing nothing all the time, you know? But instead, I’m writing music. I’m finishing an album.”
‘Incredible’ first day on set
Strickland has been working on the set of Hudson & Rex since its first season, but last week was his as a director.
“It was just incredible. I felt completely weirdly at ease. Just kind of feeling like this is where I belong,” he said
Diesel vom Burgimwald played “Rex” on the Canadian show Hudson & Rex. (Courtesy of Shaftesbury)
Strickland said the crew has been very supportive.
“Everyone’s just a big family,” he said. “Even if they didn’t really know me prior to the accident, you know, they’re here for me.”
Besides Hudson & Rex, Strickland has kept busy in the film industry.
His short film Oliver, starring Percy Hynes White, just completed its 15-festival run, complete with 19 screenings and securing some awards, including best short at FogFest 2025.
Strickland also produced the short film Doggy-Dog World alongside Dunne, which is premiering at the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival next month.
As for his upcoming episode of Hudson & Rex, Strickland said he can’t give away any details yet — just that “there’s a murder.”
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