Archive for the ‘Top 10 Canadian Actors’ tag
Canadian Actor Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer
London Academy of Media Film TV
Born Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer in Toronto on December 13, 1929, he is the only child of Isabella and John. Unfortunately, his parents divorced soon after his birth and he spent his childhood growing up in Senneville, Quebec. His great-grandfather, Isabella’s grandfather, was the Canadian Prime Minster John Abbott.
THE INSPIRATION
Interestingly, Christopher spent most of his childhood training to be a professional concert pianist. It was only after seeing the Laurence Oliver-directed movie Henry V (1944) that Christopher began a love for theater and acting. Subsequently, he started to act while he was still in high school. He was so dedicated to developing his acting skills that he regularly travelled to Ottawa to train with the Canadian Repertory Theatre.
THE BEGINNING OF AN AMAZING CAREER
THEATER: In 1953, Christopher began his illustrious theatre career. He has appeared in several classic productions such as The Dark is Light Enough (1953), Amphitryon 28 (1971), Cyrano (1973), Cyrano de Bergerac (1987), Barrymore (1997), King Lear (2002), Inherit the Wind (2007), Caesar and Cleopatra (2008) and most recently The Tempest (2010). For his theatre work, he was nominated 7 times for Tony Awards and won 2 from his work in Cyrano and Barrymore.
FILM: He made his film debut in 1958 in the movie Stage Struck. Since then, he has appeared in over 140 different movies. They include one of his most popular roles in The Sound of Music (1965), Waterloo (1970), The Pyx (1973), The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), The Day That Shook the World (1975), The Shadow Box (1980), The Amateur (1981), Lily in Love (1984), Shadow Dancing (1988), Star Trek VI (1991), Malcolm X (1992), Wolf (1994), The Arrow (1997), The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow (1998), The Insider (1999), American Tragedy (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Ararat (2002), National Treasure (2004), Alexander (2004), Inside Man (2006), Emotional Arithmetic (2007), Up (2009), The Last Station (2009) and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009). He is currently filming the highly anticipated American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), as well as Priest (2011) and The Beginners (2011).
Christopher Plummer as Captain Von Trapp
AWARDS AND WORLDWIDE RECOGNITION
Christopher’s outstanding talent as an actor has not gone unrecognized. In addition to his Tony Awards, he has won a Genie Award (and 3 Genie nominations) and 2 Emmy Awards (and 6 nominations). In 1968, he was inducted into the Order of Canada and in 2001, he received a Governor General’s award. In 1986, he was also inducted into the American Theatre’s Hall of Fame and received a star in Canada’s Walk of Fame in 1997. He also holds countless honorary doctorates from several universities around the world. Interestingly, Christopher’s first Academy Award nomination came in 2010 when he was 80 years old (from his work in The Last Station). Unfortunately, he lost out to Christoph Waltz who appeared in Inglorious Basterds (2009).
PERSONAL LIFE
Christopher has been married 3 times. His first marriage was to fellow Tony Award winning actress Tammy Grimes in 1956 and lasted for 4 years. In 1962, he married journalist Patricia Lewis but they divorced in 1967. In 1970, he married his current wife, actress Elaine Regina Taylor. He has one daughter, Amanda Plummer, from his first marriage.
He currently lives on a farm in Connecticut with Elaine.
Actors are needed at every age – try acting today at London Academy
Canadian Actress Mary Pickford
London Academy of Media Film TV
Mary Pickford
A STAR IS BORN
Born Gladys Marie Smith, iconic Canadian actress Mary Pickford was born on April 8, 1892 in Toronto, Ontario. Her mother’s name was Charlotte and her father’s name was John. She was the oldest of three children; interestingly, her two younger siblings, Jack and Lottie, would also become successful actors in their own right. In 1895, John abandoned the family and died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1898.
HER ICONIC CAREER
Mary’s acting career came early as she landed a major role in a theatre production of The Silver King (1899) when she was just 7 years old. She would continue to perform in several theatre productions, even appearing in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a theatre production that was named the most popular play of the 19th century.
Not content with merely appearing in theatre productions, Mary had dreams of starring on Broadway. Along with Jack and Lottie, Mary toured around the United States appearing in several small theatre productions. After 6 years of this, she finally landed a supporting role in the Broadway play, The Warrens of Virginia (1907).
In 1909, she auditioned for a role in the D.W Griffith directed movie Pippa Passes. Although she lost the role in the Nickelodeon produced movie, she gained a major fan in D.W. He immediately signed her to his company, The Biograph Company and paid her $10/day – a major increase from the other Biograph actors who were only earning $5/day. That same year (1909), Mary would appear in over 51 films with Biograph. These included Sweet and Twenty (1909) and They Would Elope (1909). She played everything from cleaning women to secretaries to prostitutes. Although Biograph movies did not contain credits, audiences soon began recognizing Mary and she quickly became a fan favourite.
She briefly left D.W’s company, Biograph to work with Carl Laemmle and his company, Independent Movie Pictures Company, but returned to D.W in 1912. That year, she would appear in Friends, The Mender of Nets, The Female of the Species and The New York Hat. The next few years saw Mary appear in Caprice (1913) and Hearts Adrift (1914). She also starred in Tess of the Storm Country (1914) which solidified her status as one of Hollywood’s greatest actors ever.
Not content with merely acting, she formed the film production company, United Artists, along with D.W Griffith, Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks in 1919. Her next film, Pollyanna (1920) made over $1 million. Her movie Rosita (1923) also grossed well over $1 million at the box office. In 1926 and 1927, Mary stared in the iconic silent films, Sparrows and My Best Girl. In 1929, she appeared in the movie Coquette which won her an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Unfortunately, the arrival of talking movies signalled the end of Mary’s career as she wasn’t able to successfully make the transition. She officially retired in 1933 but continued producing movies with the Marx Brothers.
Mary Pickford
PERSONAL LIFE
Mary was married 3 times. Her first marriage was to Owen Moore in 1911. They separated and she began a relationship with Douglas Fairbanks in 1918. She officially divorced Owen in 1920 and married Douglas that same year. In the early 1930s, they separated after Douglas began having affairs and the divorce was finalized in 1936. In 1937, she married Charles Roger and remained married until her death.
DEATH OF A STAR
In 1979, Mary died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 87 years old. She has been honoured several times since her death including receiving a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 1999.
Mary was certainly loved throughout her career. Many believe that she was the most popular woman in the entire world during the 1910s and 1920s.
Actors are needed at every age – try acting today at London Academy
Canadian Actor Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen
GROWING UP
Hollywood star and screenwriter Seth Rogen is best known for his comedic acting skills. He was born on April 15, 1982 in Vancouver, British Columbia. His mother, Sandy, was a social worker while his father, Mark, a worker in various not-for-profit organizations. He also has an older sister, Danya, who followed in their mother’s footsteps and became a social worker.
HOLLYWOOD CAREER
Seth’s career began when he was 13 as he performed different stand-up comedy routines in classes and at camps. He moved to Los Angeles when he was 16 (1998). Seth made his TV debut in the Judd Apatow TV series Freaks and Geeks with co-star James Franco (1999). Although the show was canceled halfway through its first season, Judd would later cast Seth in his next TV series, Undeclared (2001). Seth even wrote some of the episodes. In the same year, Seth would appear in the cult phenomena Donnie Darko. He then took a little bit of a break until 2003 when he appeared in an episode of Dawson’s Creek. In the next year, he appeared in Judd’s hilarious movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy with co-stars Will Ferrell and Steve Carell. The Seth-Judd partnership continued to flourish as Judd cast Seth in the 2005 The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Seth was also a co-producer of this movie). This movie was a reunion of sorts as it also brought back together Seth and Steve Carell. In 2007, Judd cast Seth in two box office hits. The first was in Knocked Up. The second brought to life a screenplay that Seth wrote when he was 14 with friend Evan Goldberg, Superbad. Despite his hectic schedule, Seth would continue to star in various movies such as Kung Fu Panda (2008), Step Brothers (2008), Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008), Fanboys (2009), and Observe and Report (2009). In 2010, he co-produced and appeared in Live With It alongside Inception star Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
2011 will be a busy year for Seth as he is set to star in 3 movies: Paul, Kung Fu Panda 2 and comic The Green Hornet.
Seth Rogen
PERSONAL LIFE
Seth currently lives in Los Angeles with his fiancée, Lauren Miller. He met Lauren in 2004 and became engaged in late 2010.
AWARDS
Seth has been recognized a number of times over his career. In 2000, he was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Freaks and Geeks. In 2005, he was nominated for an Emmy Writing Award for Da Ali G Show. 2006 saw Seth being nominated for a MTV Movie Award for The 40-Year-Old Virgin. In 2008, Seth won a Canadian Comedy Award for Superbad. He was subsequently nominated for his roles in Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, Observe and Report and Monsters vs. Aliens.
Canadian Actor Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
HIS CHILDHOOD
Acclaimed Canadian actor Michael J. Fox was born Michael Andrew Fox on June 9, 1961 in Edmonton, Alberta. His father, William, was a police officer and his mother, Phyllis, an aspiring actress and payroll clerk. Because of William’s career, they moved around Canada a lot until they settled in Burnaby, British Columbia.
HOLLYWOOD FAME
Michael began acting at the tender age of 15 when he appeared in the TV series, Leo and Me. When he was 18, he decided to move to Los Angeles to make it as a successful actor. He was soon discovered by producer Ronald Shedlo who quickly had Michael star in his first TV movie, Letters from Frank. Shortly after, he starred in his first feature film, Midnight Madness, in 1980.
Just 2 years later, Michael would land a role that would catapult his boyish looks and charm to stratospheric heights. He joined the TV show Family Ties in 1982 (until 1989) and the show became an instant hit. He subsequently won Emmys in 3 consecutive years and a Golden Globe for his work on this show. He should perhaps thank Matthew Broderick for those coveted awards since Michael only got the role after Matthew turned it down!
Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly
Later that same year, Michael would go on to star in perhaps his most recognized role ever, Marty McFly in Back to the Future. Again, the role was initially offered to Eric Stoltz who even started filming scenes for it. However, director Robert Zemeckis decided that Eric wasn’t right for the part after all and replaced him with Michael. A worldwide box office hit, Michael would go on to star in Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to the Future Part III (1990).
Despite the rave reviews and commercial success of the Back to the Future trilogy, Michael did not slow down. He would go on to star in various movies such a Teen Wolf, Bright Lights, Big City and Casualties of War, Life with Mikey, The American president and the Frighteners (his last major movie role). He also provided his voice for a few animated films such as Stuart Little and Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
In 1996, Michael began work on the TV series Spin City. He appeared on the show until 2000. His work earned him an Emmy, 3 Golden Globes and 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Michael has appeared as guest stars in a few TV shows since then. They include Scrubs, Boston Legal (for which he won an Emmy), Rescue Me and the Good Wife.
A SUCCESSFUL LOVE LIFE
Unlike many Hollywood stars, Michael has only been married once to actress Tracy Pollan. He met her during his time on Family Ties where she played his girlfriend. They have 4 children together: Sam, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, and Esme.
PERSONAL STRUGGLES
It was during the third season of Spin City that Michael revealed he was struggling with Parkinson’s Disease. Subsequently, he left the show in 2000 to spend more time with his family and loved ones. Despite that, he did make 3 guest appearances during the final season to give audience members some closure.
Because of his illness, Michael has become a strong advocate for Parkinson’s disease research. He even created his own foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, in order to serve as another research center to discovering a cure. Because of his work, Time Magazine named him as one of the top 100 people in the world in 2007.
A dual Canadian-American citizen, Michael currently lives in New York.
Canadian Actress Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh
GROWING UP
Canadian actress Sandra Oh was born on July 20, 1971 in Nepean, Ontario. Of Korean descent, her father Joon-Soo, was a businessman and her mother, Young-Nam, a biochemist. Sandra also has a brother, Ray, and a sister, Grace. It seemed that she was destined to perform as she began acting, dancing and ballet at a very young age. By the time Sandra was 10, she had already appeared on stage in a school musical. Eventually giving up her ballet training, focusing solely on developing her acting skills. Sandra joined various drama classes and appeared in school plays. She even joined Skit Row High, a comedy group during high school. Sandra eventually continued her acting studies at the National Theatre School of Canada where she appeared in her first made-for-TV movie, School’s Out. After graduation from National Theatre School, Sandra starred in the theatre play Oleanna and 2 biographical TV movies: The Diary of Evelyn Lau and Adrienne Clarkson.
HOLLYWOOD SUCCESS
Sandra’s breakout role was in the hit movie Double Happiness in 1994. She would then go on to appear in various movies such as Bean, Long Life, Last Night, Under the Tuscan Sun, and Sideways. She also appeared in the HBO series Arli$$ for 6 season. However, it wasn’t until she appeared in the TV series Grey’s Anatomy in 2005 as neurotic Dr. Cristina Yang, did Sandra truly become a house-hold name. She is currently still working on the series and remains one of its principal stars.
PERSONAL LIFE
Sandra was married once before to Sideways producer Alexander Payne. They were married on Jan 1, 2003 and divorced in late 2006. After a short hiatus from dating, she met drummer Andrew Featherston and began a relationship with him in 2007. They are still currently dating.
Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Although Sandra’s career has been relatively short compared to some other Canadian actors, she has been nominated and won numerous awards for her work. She was nominated for a Gemini Award in 1993 for The Diary of Evelyn Lau and for a NAACP Image Award for Arli$$ in 1996. She won two Genie Awards for Double Happiness in 1994 and Last Night in 1998. Her work as Cristina Yang on Grey’s Anatomy has garnered a Golden Globe, 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards and a nomination for an Emmy 4 years in a row.
She currently lives in Los Angeles close to the daily filming of Grey’s Anatomy. Sandra Oh can be seen in the major motion movie, Ramona and Beezus, with co-star Selena Gomez in late 2010.
Canadian Actor John Candy
John Candy
GROWING UP
John Franklin Candy was born on Oct 31, 1950 in Newmarket, Ontario. His parents were Sidney and Evangeline. One of John’s childhood passions was football. He even played on his high school team in Toronto.
HOLLYWOOD CAREER
John’s acting career started relatively small. He made an unaccredited appearance in Class of ’44 in 1973. For the next few years, he would appear in other small roles in films such as Ninety Minutes Live. His career didn’t really take off until he became a cast member on the hilarious variety show Second City Television in 1981. That show transformed him from a struggling actor to a national fan favorite. It was during this show that John’s incredible talent for mimicry was really highlighted. Audiences fell in love with the multitude of characters that John either created or impersonated.
John made a smooth transition to the big screen. He appeared in several successful movies such as Steven Spielberg’s 1941, The Blues Brothers, and Going Berserk. However, it was his role in the 1984 movie Splash that really solidified his on-screen charisma. Many consider it to be his breakout role. For the rest of the 1980s, John would appear in many films such as Summer Rental and Uncle Buck.
However, despite having found success a few years earlier, John’s career started to decline in the 1990s. He still appeared in a couple of box office hits like Cool Runnings and Home Alone but John struggled to find roles that were commercial successes.
In an attempt to jump-start his career, John began taking on more dramatic roles in the mid 1990s. As such, he appeared in Oliver Stone’s JFK to much critical acclaim.
He was working on the much anticipated Wagon’s East alongside Richard Lewis and Robert Picardo when he passed away in 1994.
John Candy
PERSONAL LIFE:
John married his high school sweetheart, Rosemary, on April 28, 1979. They had 2 children together, John and Jennifer. They lived on a 20 acre farm near Newmarket where they raised a few animals. Not much is known about his personal life as he was fiercely protective of his family and did not allow anyone to encroach on his or their privacy.
STRUGGLES
John’s struggles with a healthy lifestyle were readily apparent throughout most of his life. He spent the majority of his adult years overweight. Despite a dramatic effort to increase his health, he succumbed to a heart attack and died in his sleep on March 4, 1994. He was only 43 years old.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
John’s talents in the hit TV show Second City Television were recognized and it earned him 2 Emmy Awards. In addition, he was awarded a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. He was also featured post-humously on a Canadian postage stamp in 2006.
Canadian Actress Kim Cattrall
Kim Cattrall
Although Sex and the City actress Kim Victoria Cattrall was born in Liverpool, England, she is considered one of Canada’s most recognizable actresses. Born on August 21, 1956 to Dennis, a construction engineer, and Shane, a secretary, she moved to Courtenay, British Columbia when she was just three months old. Kim’s childhood was spent traveling between England and Canada as she trained at the London Academy of Dramatic Art but finished high school in Canada.
HOLLYWOOD CAREER:
Kim moved to New York City after her high school graduation in 1972 to continue her acting (stage and theater) training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. When she finished, director Otto Preminger signed her to a 5 year movie deal. In 1975, Kim made her movie debut in Rosebud.
From Rosebud, Kim would continue to appear in numerous TV shows and movies. These included Quincy, M.E, Columbo, The Incredible Hulk (1979), Tribute, Mannequin, and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. She also appeared in various plays such as A View from the Bridge and Three Sisters.
However, it wasn’t until she was cast as Samantha Jones in the HBO series Sex in the City in 1997, did Kim become a house-hold name. The successful and iconic series ended in 2004 to much critical acclaim. Kim would later go on to star in Sex and the City and Sex and the City 2 movies (2008 and 2010 respectively).
While she may forever be recognized as the sexually free Samantha Jones, Kim has continued to appear in various roles; both on film and on the stage. She appeared in Disney’s Ice Princess, The Cryptogram, and My Boy Jack with Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe.
She is currently playing Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra as well as waiting for the release of her upcoming movie, Meet Monica Velour.
PERSONAL LIFE:
Kim Cattrall
Like many Hollywood actresses, Kim’s personal life has been tabloid fodder. She’s been married three times and has been linked to many iconic and powerful men. Her first marriage was in 1977 to Larry Davis. That was subsequently annulled in 1979. In 1982, she married Andre Lyson and moved to Frankfurt with him until the end of their marriage in 1989. Her last marriage was to audio designer Mark Levinson in 1998. In 2004, her marriage to Mark ended. Other former flames include Pierre Trudeau and Alexander Siddig.
RECOGNITION AND AWARDS:
Kim has won three awards during her acting career. The first was the Women in Film Lucy Awards in 1999. The second was a Golden Globe for playing Samantha Jones in 2003. In 2008, she won the NBC Universal Award of Distinction. In addition, she was nominated for a Gemini Award in 2006.
In 2009, Kim received a star on Canada’s walk of fame. In 2010, Liverpool John Moores University named her as an Honorary Fellow for her work in the dramatic arts.
In addition to being a British and Canadian citizen, she also became a U.S citizen in 2008. Kim lives in New York City – home of her alter ego Samantha Jones.
Canadian Actor William Shatner
CHILDHOOD:
William Shatner
William Shatner was born on March 22, 1931 in Côte Saint-Luc, Quebec to Anne and Joseph (a clothing manufacturer). He has two sisters, Joy and Farla. Even from a young age, William seemed destined for a life as a performer. In addition to being part of Montreal’s Children Theatre, he regularly performed in radio programs for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
LEAVING HOME:
William continued to pursue acting as a career as he grew older. He attended McGill University to hone his craft and skills. As a trained classical Shakespearean actor, William performed with the Royal Mount Theatre Company during his summers off from school. After his graduation in 1952, he joined the National Repertory Theatre of Ottawa and performed in the Stratford Shakespearean Festival in Ontario.
William Shatner as James T. Kirk
ACTING CAREER:
In 1956, William made his Broadway debut in Tamburlaine the Great (directed by Sir Tyrone Guthrie whom he worked with at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival). He also began the transition to television by appearing on various shows such as the Goodyear Television Playhouse. In 1958, William co-starred with Yul Brynner in The Brothers Karamazov. Although his official movie debut was in 1951 in The Butler’s Night Off, The Brothers Karamazov gave him his first feature role. For the next eight years, he appeared in various television series, movies and Broadway plays. However, it wasn’t until 1966 when William landed the role that would make him a worldwide household name. His portrayal of James T. Kirk, captain of the USS Enterprise from the television series Star Trek solidified his status as a pop icon. He would continue to portray James Kirk in the various Star Trek movies – only ending when his character died in the 1994 Star Trek Generations.
William’s career continued after Star Trek. He landed various guest roles and appeared in many commercials and music videos. However, it wasn’t until 2004 when he joined the final season of the television series of The Practice did William once again became a household name. Following his work on The Practice, he went on to play the same character in the spin-off Boston Legal until the series ended in 2008.
Despite his age, he shows no signs of slowing down. He currently stars in $#*! My Dad Says, a CBS television sitcom and hosts Weird or What?
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
William has been married four times. He first married Gloria Rand in 1956. Their marriage lasted thirteen years and was officially dissolved in 1969. His second marriage to Marcy Lafferty in 1973 was his longest so far. It lasted twenty one years and ended in divorce in 1994. His third marriage to Nerine Kidd-Shatner in 1997 was relatively short in comparison as she passed away in 1999. Her death devastated William who called Nerine ‘his beautiful soul mate’. In 2001, William married his current wife, Elizabeth Martin, whom he met through their common interest of horses. He has three daughters from his first marriage to Gloria Rand: Leslie Carol, Lisabeth Mary and Melanie.
Although he has been performing for well over half a century, it was his later television career that garnered some big recognition from Hollywood. In 2004, he won his first of two Emmys’ for his work in The Practice. His work in Boston Legal landed him a Golden Globe and his second Emmy. He also won a Theatre World Award for his performance in the Broadway play The Secret Life of Suzie Wong in 1959. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Canadian Walk of Fame.
Along with his extensive acting career, William has become the spokesman for many products and companies, the most notable being Priceline. He has also become a best-selling author and successful recording artist.
