Dean, a graduate of Queen's University with degrees in Education and the Performing Arts in 1997, made his way to New York City in 2000 to join the Broadway Company of Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical RENT. This marked the beginning of his five-season stint on Showtime's QUEER AS FOLK, which ran from 2000 to 2005.
Following his two-year run on Broadway, Dean returned to Toronto for his final theatrical engagement in the title role of Jonathan Larson in the Canadian premiere of TICK, TICK, BOOM!
As a founder of Armstrong Acting Studios in 1997, Dean has become one of North America's most respected pre-production and on-set coaches, working with some of today's most notable film and television stars. His impressive client list includes Miley Cyrus, Nina Dobrev, Kevin O'Leary, Devon Bostick, Joceyln Hudon, Jake Manley, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, Brittany Allen, Riele Downs, Saara Chaudry, Sean Fox, and his own daughter, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, to name a few.
As an actor, Dean continues to work in leading and recurring roles in film and television, earning a fan base in the horror genre through his appearances in cult franchises such as WRONG TURN, JOY RIDE, SAW, SUPERNATURAL, and Stephen King's limited series CHAPELWAITE, alongside Adrien Brody.
In 2020, Dean formed 16/11 Films, partnering with Red Hill Entertainment to co-produce his first full-length feature horror film, SHE CAME BACK, starring Amybeth McNulty and directed by Megan Follows.
Dean currently resides in Los Angeles and can be seen on The CW in SULLIVAN'S CROSSING, opposite Scott Patterson and Chad Michael Murray.
