Archive for the ‘Top 100 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.
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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.
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Canadian Actress Anna Paquin
Anna Paquin
FROM THE BEGINNING
Anna Helene Paquin was born on July 24, 1982 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is the youngest of three children born to Mary, an English teacher, and Brian, a P.E teacher. Anna actually spent most of her childhood growing up in New Zealand as her family moved back to her mother’s home country when she was just 4 years old. Although she did not express any interest in acting when she was a child, she had numerous other hobbies such as playing the cello and piano and doing gymnastics, ballet and skiing. Unfortunately, her parents divorced in 1995 and she moved, with her mother, to Los Angeles where she graduated from high school.
A LUCKY BREAK
Anna’s career began by chance. In 1991, an open audition was held in New Zealand looking for a girl to play a pivotal role in the film The Piano (1993). Anna’s sister, Katya, went to try out and 9 year old Anna tagged along. It was lucky that she did because director Jane Campion chose her over 5000 other candidates. The Piano (1993) would be a critical and commercial success winning a number of prizes. The film also gave Anna an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the tender age of 11 years old – the second youngest Oscar winner ever. Despite the win, she did not want to continue acting and would refuse roles for the next 3 years (except for 3 short commercial appearances).
Anna Paquin
THE START OF AN AMAZING CAREER
In 1996, Anna returned to the big screen by appearing in Jane Eyre (1996) and Fly Away Home (1996). For the next 4 years, she would appear in numerous films including The Member of the Wedding (1997), Amistad (1997), Hurlyburly (1998), It’s the Rage (1999), She’s All That (1999), A Walk on the Moon (1999) and Almost Famous (2000) which won her an Actors Screen Guild Award. The same year, Anna would appear in X-Men (2000), which quickly propelled her to world-wide fame. She would reprise her role as Rogue in the subsequent sequels X2 (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). During this time, Anna also appeared in Finding Forrester (2000), Darkness (2002), 25th Hour (2002), Steamboy (2004), The Squid and the Whale (2005), and Joan of Arc (2005). She also appeared on stage during the production of The Glory of Living (2001-2002) which won her a Theater World Award. 2007 saw her star in Blue State, Mosaic and the successful Bury My Heart at the Wounded Knee. That film garnered an Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Anna. In 2008, she was cast as Sookie Stackhouse in the hit TV series True Blood (2008 – present). That role won her a Golden Globe (2008), a Satellite Award (2008) and another Golden Globe nomination in 2009. Even though True Blood is wildly successful, a hit with critics and fans alike, Anna did not slow down. She appeared in The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler (2009) where she received yet another Golden Globe nomination. In 2010, she appeared in Open House, The Romantics and Margaret. In 2011, she will appear in the highly anticipated movie Scream 4.
PERSONAL LIFE
In 2009, Anna became engaged to her True Blood co-star, Stephen Moyer. The two, whom have been dating since 2007, married in 2010. She is now the step-mother to Billy and Lilac. Interestingly, Anna came out as a bisexual in 2010 in support for LGBT equality. She currently resides in Venice, California with Stephen and their children.
Canadian Actor Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling
CHILDHOOD
Canadian heartthrob Ryan Thomas Gosling was born on November 12, 1980 in London, Ontario. His mother, Donna, is a secretary and his father, Thomas, a mill worker. Unfortunately, his parents ended up divorcing when Ryan was still a child. Adding to that traumatic event, Ryan was also frequently bullied in school – to the point where he was pulled out of elementary school and home schooled.
HOLLYWOOD FAME
Ryan’s acting career began when he was just 12 years old. He was cast on the hit TV variety show, The Mickey Mouse Club (1993-1995). The show was a starting point for many celebrities including his co-stars Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez and Keri Russell. He followed that up with appearances in various TV shows such as Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1995), Road to Avonlea (1996), Goosebumps (1996) and Flash Forward (1996). He made his film debut in Frankenstein and Me (1996) but he started to gain a legion of loyal followers when he was cast in the teen movie Breaker High (1997) and the subsequent TV show Breaker High (1997-1998).
When Ryan was 17 years old, he dropped out of high school and moved to New Zealand to begin working on the TV series Young Hercules (1998-1999). The next year saw Ryan cast in his breakthrough role as Alan Bosley in Remember the Titans (2000). This role was big for him since it exposed him to Hollywood’s heavyweight actors such as his co-star Denzel Washington and opened the door to many more film opportunities. In 2001, Ryan appeared in The Believer and followed that up by starring in Murder by Numbers (2002), The Slaughter Rule (2002), and The United States of Leland (2003). In 2004, he landed the role that made millions of girls (and women) around the world fall heads over heels in love with him. He played Noah Calhoun opposite Canadian beauty Rachel McAdams in the hit romantic movie The Notebook (2004). That movie easily made both of them household names.
After The Notebook, Ryan appeared in Stay (2005), Half Nelson (2006), Fracture (2007), and Lars and the Real Girl (2007) before taking a break to focus on his music career with the band Dead Man’s Bones. He came back with a vengeance in 2010 by starring in All Good Things (2010), and Blue Valentine (2010). 2011 will see Ryan appear in Crazy, Stupid, Love, Drive and The Ides of March.
Ryan Gosling
WELL-DESERVED AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
Ryan has been recognized a number of times during his acting career. He received nominations from Russian Guild of Film Critics and Independent Spirit for his work in The Believer. He was nominated for a Chicago Film Critics award for Murder by Numbers. His hit movie, The Notebook, garnered an MTV Award and 2 Teen Choice Awards. His role in Half Nelson nabbed Ryan an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and a Screen Actors Guild nomination. He won a Satellite Award and received numerous nominations (including a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild) for Lars and the Real Girl. And his latest film, Blue Valentine, garnered Golden Globe and Satellite nominations.
PERSONAL LIFE
To the approval of The Notebook fans, Ryan began dating co-star Rachel McAdams in 2004. Then, to the dismay of millions, the relationship ended in 2007 although they reconciled (briefly) in 2008. Ryan has stated that Rachel is “one of the great loves of my life”.
He continues to make music with Dead Man’s Bones and divides his time living between Toronto and Los Angeles.
It is quite clear that Ryan is exceptionally talented. With no formal training as an actor, and so many projects coming up, there will be no shortage of opportunities to watch him do what comes so naturally to him.
Canadian Actor Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Hayden Christensen was born on April 19, 1981 in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is one of 4 children born to Alie, a speechwriter, and David, a computer programmer. Hayden spent the majority of his childhood in Thornhill, Ontario. He enjoyed playing sports and even played hockey and tennis on a provincial level. During high school, he enrolled in the Arts York Drama program. He also made a trip to New York to attend the Actors Studio.
STAR WARS AND MORE
Hayden’s acting career began in 1993 when he was just 12 years old. He made his TV debut in the series Family Passions. Then, in 1995, Hayden made his film debut in John’s Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness. During the next few years, he would make appearances in various films such as The Hairy Bird (1998), The Virgin Suicides (1999), and Free Fall (1999). His portrayal of Sam Monroe in Life as a House (2001) garnered him a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Actor. He also appeared in various TV series such as No Greater Love (1996), Forever Knight (1996), Goosebumps (1997), Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1999), The Famous Jett Jackson (1999) and Higher Ground (2000).
Despite appearing in these films and TV series, Hayden didn’t gain world-wide fame until he was cast as Anakin Skywalker in 2 Star Wars prequels: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005). He was chosen over 1500 other candidates including Hollywood heavyweights Leonardo DiCaprio and Ryan Philippe. The films would go on to be huge commercial successes. Hayden himself would receive Saturn Award and Teen Choice Award nominations for his role as Anakin.
Hayden Christensen and Rachel Bilson
Between the Star Wars films, Hayden also starred in the film Shattered Glass (2003) which won him a Las Palmas Award and a Satellite Award nomination for Best Actor. After Star Wars, he appeared in Factory Girl (2006) where he also played on the soundtrack. In 2007, he co-starred with Jessica Alba in the horror film Awake (2007) and also appeared in Virgin Territory (2007). In 2008, he was cast in Jumper alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell and Rachel Bilson. The next year, he appeared alongside Rachel Bilson again in New York, I love You (2009). In 2010, Hayden appeared in Takers and Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey. In 2011, you’ll be able to see Hayden in Vanishing on 7th Street when it is released (currently in post-production) and The Genesis Code (2011).
PERSONAL LIFE
Hayden has been linked to a few big name actresses including Sienna Miller (whom he co-starred with in Factory Girl) and Natalie Portman (his Star Wars co-star). In 2007, he began dating his Jumper co-star Rachel Bilson. The next year, they became engaged. However, in 2010, they ended their relationship amicably. In late 2010, reports began to surface that the 2 had reconciled and it remains seen if they are officially dating again.
In addition to acting, he is also a Louis Vuitton model and the face of the newest fragrance from Lacoste, Lacoste Challenge.
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Canadian Actress Neve Campbell
Neve Campbell
DESTINED TO PERFORM
Neve Adrianne Campbell was born on October 3, 1973 in Guelph, Ontario. Her mother, Marnie, is a psychologist and her father, Gerry, a high school drama teacher. When she was 2 years old, her parents divorced and she moved with her brother, Christian, to live with her father.
It seems that Neve was always destined to perform. In addition to her father, both her maternal and paternal grandparents performed on stage. Her performing career started off by appearing in performances of The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty productions with the National Ballet School of Canada when she was just 9 years old. She was so dedicated to ballet dancing that she ended up moving into residence at the National Ballet School of Canada so that she could pursue her passion whole-heartedly. However, it seemed becoming a prima ballerina wasn’t on the cards for Neve as she gave up dancing and made the transition over to acting when she appeared in a production of The Phantom of the Opera at the age of 15.
HOLLYWOOD CAREER
Neve made her TV debut in Catwalk (1992-1994). After Catwalk, she landed the role that made her an instant star: Julia Salinger in the TV series Party of Five. She stayed with the hit TV series for 6 years (1994-2000). 1994 also saw Neve make her film debut in The Dark and The Passion of John Ruskin. In 1996, she starred in the films The Craft and Scream, both which were box office hits. For her portrayal of Sidney Prescott in Scream, Neve received a Saturn Award for Best Actress and an MTV nomination for Best Actress. That year was a busy one for Neve as she returned to her theater roots by appearing in productions of Resurrection Blues and Love Song. However, both productions received mixed reviews. She then appeared in the sequel Scream 2 (1997) in which she received an MTV Award and a Saturn Award nomination. For the next few years, she was cast in 54 (1998), Hairshirt (1998), Wild Things (1998), Three to Tango (1999), and Drowning Mona (2000). She reprised her role as Sidney Prescott in Scream 3 (2000) and starred alongside fellow Canadian actor Donald Sutherland in Panic (2000).
Neve Campbell
Neve has remained busy by appearing in various films such as Investigating Sex (2001), Last Call (2002), Lost Junction (2003), When Will I Be Loved (2004), Reefer Madness (2005), Relative Strangers (2006), I Really hate My Job (2007), Agent Crush (2008), and Vivaldi (2009). She also made guest appearances in the TV series Medium (2007), Burn Up (2008) and The Philanthropist (2009). 2011 will be a busy year for Neve as she will again reprise her role as Sidney Prescott in the highly anticipated Scream 4 and appear in film The Glass Man.
PERSONAL LIFE
Neve has been married twice. The first time was to Canadian actor Jeff Colt in 1995. they would end up divorcing 3 years later in 1998. In 2005, she began dating English actor John Light (her Investigating Sex co-star). The couple became engaged the same year (2005) and were married in 2007. However, it was announced in late 2010 that marriage had broken down and Neve subsequently filed for divorce.
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Canadian Actress Evangeline Lilly
Evangeline Lilly
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Nicole Evangeline Lilly was born on August 3rd, 1979 in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. She is one of three girls in her family. Surprisingly, Evangeline describes her youngest sister, Andrea, as the actress in the family. Her mother is a beauty consultant and her father taught economics. She spent some of her childhood in Fort Saskatchewan before moving to Abbotsford, British Columbia. There, she graduated from high school and studied at the University of British Columbia. She did take a break however, before starting university, and spent that time traveling. She has estimated during an interview that she moved to a new town every six months. Also during this time, she lived briefly in the Philippines, serving as a missionary (her background is Protestant). When she was subsequently offered a permanent position serving as a missionary, she declined due to her family’s wishes.
PAYING HER DUES
Before her breakout role in the hit TV series Lost (2004), Evangeline worked in many different fields. She spent time at the Green Bay Bible Camp, worked as a waitress at Earls Restaurant, worked as a flight attendant and even spent time working on oil rigs. She began modeling to help pay for her university career and appeared as the spokes person for the phone chat line Livelinks as a result. She began studying acting at The Yaletown Actors Lab where she was discovered by agent Jeff Palffy. With his help, she began appearing in minor roles in a few different movies and TV shows. She was cast in The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003) and Freddy vs. Jason (2003). She also appeared as an extra on the TV series Smallville and Kingdom Hospital (2004).
INSTANT STAR
In 2004, Evangeline was cast in the role that would make her an instant star: Kate Austen on the TV series Lost. The role won her a spot on the Breakout Stars of 2004 list created by Entertainment Weekly, a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress, a Satellite Award nomination, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Lost ended in 2010 to much critical and commercial success.
During her time on Lost, she appeared in The Long Weekend (2005), Afterwards (2008), and Academy Award winner The Hurt Locker (2009). Following Lost, she decided to focus more on her family. However, she can be seen in the film Real Steel when it is released in 2011.
Evangeline Lilly
PERSONAL LIFE
Evangeline guards her personal life fiercely. She was once married to hockey player Murray Hone. She has been dating her Lost co-star Dominic Monaghan (of The Lord of the Rings fame) since 2006. During filming of Lost, Evangeline bought a house in Kailua, Hawaii. It was subsequently completely destroyed in an electricial fire. Fortunately, neither Evangeline nor her roommates were home at the time.
Evangeline is also in the process of writing a series of children’s books called The Squickerwonkers.
It is clear that although her acting career has been brief compared to many other Canadian actors and actresses, Evangline’s acting skills are a force to be recokened with. It will be interesting to see where she appears next.
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Canadian Actor Jason Priestley
Jason Priestley
GROWING UP
Jason Bradford Priestley was born on august 28, 1969 in Victoria, British Columbia. He soon moved to North Vancouver where he graduated high school. His twin sister, Justine, is also an actress although she is not as well known as Jason. In addition to Justine, he also has two step-sisters, Karin and Kristi.
HOLLYWOOD HEARTTHROB
Jason made his TV debut in the TV series Airwolf (1987) when he was just 18 years old. He also appeared in the TV series Sister Kate (1989) but the show was canceled due to poor ratings. In 1990, Jason would be cast in the role that made him the object of desire for millions of teenage girls. He starred in the hit TV series Beverly Hills, 90210 as Brandon Walsh. He remained on the show until 1998 when his character moved away. However, Jason (who directed nineteen of Beverly Hills, 90210 episodes) remained as executive producer until the show ended in 2000. During this time, he cashed in his fame by appearing in movies such as Calendar Girl (1993), Tombstone (1993), Cold Blooded (1995), Love and Death on Long Island (1997), Hacks (1997), The Thin Pick Line (1998), Dill Scallion (1999), Eye of the Beholder (1999) and Lion of Oz (2000).
After the demise of Beverly Hills, 90210, Jason decided to take a break from the hectic scheduling of acting by appearing in fewer movies and TV shows. However, he can still be seen in The Fourth Angel (2001), Cherish (2002), Time of the Wolf (2002), and Going the Distance (2004). He also had guest appearances on hit TV shows Spin City (2001), Without a Trace (2006), Medium (2007), My Name is Earl (2008) and Call Me Fitz (2010). Interestingly, when his Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star, Tori Spelling, appeared in the remake TV series 90210, Jason directed the episode (2010).
Jason has been recognized a few times for his acting work. In 1990, he was nominated for a Young Artist Award. In 1993 and 1995, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Best Actor Award although he lost both times. In 2003, he was also nominated for a Gemini Award for his work on The True Meaning of Christmas Specials.
Jason Priestley as Brandon Walsh
PERSONAL LIFE
As one of the 1990s’ Hollywood heartthrobs, Jason’s love life has been closely scrutinized. He dated Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star Shannon Doherty from 1990-1991. In 1992, he began dating (and living) with Christine Elise who appeared on Beverly Hills, 90210 a number of times. In 1999, he married Ashlee Petersen whom he met on the set of Beverly Hills, 90210 when she was the make-up artist. Sadly, they divorced in 2000. After a hiatus from the tabloid spotlight, Jason again broke hearts when he married in 2005 to another make-up artist Naomi Lowde. The two have a daughter, Ava, and a son, Dashielle, together.
In addition to acting, one of Jason’s passions is race car driving. He spent much of the 1990s and early 2000s racing for various teams although he never seriously pursued a car racing career. He also owns several teams including FAZZT Race Team.
Jason is currently a dual Canadian and American citizen and spends his time living between both countries.
Canadian Actor Victor Garber
Victor Garber
GROWING UP
Victor Joseph Garber was born on March 16th, 1949 in London, Ontario. He is one of three children born to Joe and Hope. It seems that his passion to act is a family trait since Hope is also an accomplished actress and singer with her own TV show. Victor also has a brother, Nathan, and a sister, Alisa.
When he was just 9 years old, he decided to follow his mother’s footsteps and become an actor. He started performing at children theater groups. He also enrolled in the theater training program at the University of Toronto when he was 16 to further develop his skills. In 1967, Victor spent some time as part of a folk band called The Sugar Shoppe. They even appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson before the group broke apart.
HOLLYWOOD CAREER
Victor made his film debut in Godspell (1973) where he played the part of Jesus. He then took some time off before returning in 1985 in the film Tales from the Darkside and the TV show I Had Three Wives. He had a recurring role on The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (1987-1988) and E.N.G (1991-1993). The mid 1990s saw Victor appear in many films including Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Life with Mikey (1993), Exotica (1994), Jeffrey (1995), The First Wives Club (1996) and James Cameron’s blockbuster hit Titanic (1997).
After Titanic, Victor took another break before being cast in the hit TV series, Alias (2001). The show co-starred actress Jennifer Garner and ran until 2006. During this time, he appeared in the film Legally Blonde (2001), Tuck Everlasting (2002), The Music Man (2003) and even made a guest appearance on the TV series Will & Grace (2004).
Post-Alias, Victor appeared in many films and TV shows. Films include Milk (2008), Green Lantern: First Flight (2009), and You Again (2010). TV shows include ReGenesis (2007-2008), Ugly Betty (2007), Eli Stone (2008-2009), The Last Templar (2009), Glee (2009) and Republic of Doyle (2010). He can be seen in Stargate Universe when it is released in 2011 and Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom (2011).
Victor Garber and Jennifer Garner
AWARDS
Victor has been recognized a few times over his acting career. He has a Gemini Award nomination for Dieppe (1993), a NBR Award for The First Wives Club (1996), a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Titanic (1997), an Emmy nomination for Frasier (2000) and Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001), a Golden Satellite Award and Emmy nomination for Alias (2001-2006), an Emmy nomination for Will & Grace (2004), a Critics Choice Award for Milk (2008).
PERSONAL LIFE
Not much is known about Victor’s personal life as he prefers to keep that part private. However, he remains close with Alias co-star Jennifer Garner (and her daughters) and even unwittingly ousted her pregnancy to the tabloids.
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Canadian Actor Eric McCormack
Eric McCormack
FROM THE BEGINNING
Eric James McCormack was born on April 18, 1963 in Toronto, Ontario. He is the oldest of three children to Doris, a homemaker, and Keith, a financial analyst. As a child, Eric was very shy and as a result, did not participate in any team activities or sports. In high school, he began taking acting classes and appeared in a few school productions such as Godspell and Pippin. It was after performing in Godspell, that Eric decided to seriously pursue a career in acting. After his high school graduation in 1982, he enrolled at Ryerson University to further develop his acting skills. However, he left before graduating in at 1985 to perform at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. He would spend 5 seasons performing with them.
JUST ANOTHER ACTOR IN HOLLYWOOD
In 1986, Eric made his TV debut in The Boys from Syracuse. He then appeared in Hangin’ In (1987) and Katts and Dog (1990). During this time, he also moved to Los Angeles to further his career. In 1991, Eric appeared in Top Cops and made his film debut in The Lost World (1992) and Return to the Lost World (1992). In 1993, he was cast in the TV series Street Justice and appeared in the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movie Double, Double, Toil and Trouble. In 1994, he appeared in the TV series Lonesome Dove. During this time, he also auditioned for the character of Ross Geller in the TV series Friends; of course that role eventually went to David Schwimmer.
HOLLYWOOD FAME
Eric’s official breakthrough role came in 1998 when he was cast in the hit TV series Will & Grace. The show quickly gained a devoted audience and Eric was soon a household name. He was recognized with several Emmy, Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe Awards nominations and an Emmy and Screen Actor Awards for his portrayal of Will Truman. While the series was running, Eric continued to expand his portfolio by appearing in a few movies and Broadway shows. Will & Grace ended in 2006 to much critical and commercial acclaim. Afterward, Eric starred in the play Some Girl(s). In 2008, he returned to TV by starring in The Andromeda Strain. However, the show and Eric’s performance received mixed reviews. In 2009, he appeared in the short-lived TV series Trust Me (was canceled after 1 season due to poor ratings). In the same year, he starred in Alien Trespass which also got panned by critics and audiences alike. Eric will try to reclaim the critical and commercial success that Will & Grace enjoyed with his new TV project, Perception (premieres in 2011).
Eric McCormack
PERSONAL LIFE
Unlike many of his co-horts, Eric has only been married once. He met his wife, Janet, during his time on Lonesome Dove and the two married in 1997. They have one son together, Finnigan.
In 2010, Eric received an Award of Distinction from NBC Canada and a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.
A dual Canadian and American citizen, Eric divides his time between living in Los Angeles and Vancouver.
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