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Born in Vancouver, B.C., Sawa caught the acting bug when he starred in a school play in kindergarten. Sawa started acting in local stage plays, where he quickly came to the
attention of a casting agent who saw the potential of the aspiring young actor. He landed a commercial spot as the sportskid for Nerf toys, which led him to Canadian television work.
His work on
the show Kid Zone led to an appearance as Yudo on another Canadian show entitled "The Odyssey".
He was soon to appear in his first big screen role, that of a misfit quarterback in the formula
kids film Little Giants (1994). More importantly Sawa next appeared briefly on film in Casper (1995), as the real-boy incarnation of the title character. Casper made Sawa immensely popular with any
number of teenage girls and his popularity received an additional boost that same year thanks to his role as the neighborhood bully who gets to kiss Christina Ricci in Now and Then (1995). Devon
soon landed a cover shot on hundreds of teen magazines.
In 1997, Devon starred opposite Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Scott Bairstow in the film "Wild America". This elevated him to even higher fame
and adoration. Feeling overwhelmed by the almost over-night success, Devon decided he needed a much needed break. He was virtually unseen for a year and a half before filming Around the Fire, Idle Hands,
and The Guilty. With all three movies, Devon gave jaw-dropping performances proving once and for all he was more than a cute teen idol. With the 1999 Idle Hands, Sawa got his first real chance to lead in
a mainstream movie - a teen horror-comedy that took advantage of the genre craze originally inspired by the Scream series. Unfortunately, the film was released just before the Columbine High School
tragedy and audiences generally avoided the film which mirrored the recent events. The following year, Sawa was given another crack at film stardom with Final Destination (2000), a psychological thriller
that featured him as a high school student who discovers the difficulties in cheating death.
On television, Sawa starred as the legendary Robin Hood in Showtime's "Robin of Locksley."
His starring role in the Family Channel's "Night of the Twister" earned that channel's highest rating to date. He also co-starred in the highly praised mini-series, "Lonesome Dove."
His personal interests include soccer, baseball, skiing, boogie boarding, horseback riding and rap music, as well as cinematography.
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