Archive for the ‘Top Canadian Actors’ tag
Canadian Actor Tom Green
London Academy of Media Film TV
Tom Green
GROWING UP
Michael Thomas Green was born on July 30, 1971 in Pembroke, Ontario. His mother is Mary Jane, a consultant for the communications industry, and his father is Richard, a retired Canadian army captain and a computer systems analyst. Because of his father’s military background, Tom spent most of his childhood growing up in Canadian army bases. When he was a teenager, his family moved to Gloucester (now part of Ottawa) where he graduated from Colonel By Secondary School.
BEGINNING OF HIS CAREER
It seems that Tom knew from an early age that he had an amazing talent for performance. When he was 15 years old, he began doing stand-up comedy and even performed on a regular basis at Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club. Upon graduating high school, he enrolled at Algonquin College and graduated with a degree in television broadcasting.
While at college, Tom began hosting a local university radio show. When he joined forces with another radio host, Glenn Humplik, to create The Midnight Caller Show, Tom quickly realized his raunchy sense of humour had a wide appeal to many listeners. The show was a success.
A HOLLYWOOD STAR
In 1994, Tom began filming and starring in the television variety show The Tom Green Show. The show often consisted of Tom playing cruel and humiliating jokes on unsuspecting audience members, guests or even his parents. It ran until 1996. In 1997, The Comedy Network picked up his show for 2 seasons.
In 1998, he made his film debut in The Chicken Tree (1998) and Clutch (1998). In both movies, Tom had a minor role. However, the next 5 years proved to be a pivotal point in Tom’s career.
Tom Green
In 1999, the popular MTV network picked up The Tom Green Show. It became an instant hit as millions of teenagers and young adults found Tom’s antics hilarious and entertaining. Even popular rapper Eminem frequently made Tom Green references in his rap songs. The show would run until mid-2000 when it was revealed that he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer (he is currently in remission). In addition to MTV picking up his show, he landed his third film appearance; a more substantial role in the comedy film Superstar (1999). In 2000, he appeared in the popular film Road Trip and the even more popular, blockbuster film Charlie’s Angels. His co-stars included Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu. The next year, he wrote, directed and starred in the infamous and controversial film, Freddy Got Fingered (2001). The next few years saw Tom appear in films such as Stealing Harvard (2002), Grind (2003), Bob The Butler (2005), Legacy (2008), Shred (2008), Freezer Burn: The Invasion of Laxdale (2008), Shred 2 (2009) and Sweet Baby Jesus (2009). You can currently find Tom in episodes of the Tomgreen.com: The Channel (2006 – present), various comedy shows and the movie Prankstar (2011).
PERSONAL LIFE
In 2000, Tom began a romantic relationship with his Charlie’s Angels co-star Drew Barrymore. The two eventually married in July of 2001. However, the marriage soon failed and Tom filed for divorce in December of the same year. He has not married since.
Tom currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
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Canadian Actor Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves
CHILDHOOD
Keanu Charles Reeves was born on September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon. He spent the majority of his childhood growing up in Toronto, Ontario and claims Canada as his home country. Keanu’s childhood was often tumultuous. His mother, Patricia, was a costume designer and his father, Samuel, a convicted drug dealer. After Samuel left his family when Keanu was just 3 years old, Patricia would end up marrying 3 more times. Each time she re-married, she would subsequently move the family to a new city until that marriage broke up. His grandparents often babysat him and his sisters during this time. It seems that Keanu manifested this instability in a negative way as he was eventually expelled from Etobicoke School of the Arts for being unruly and disruptive. He dreamed of becoming a Canadian Olympic hockey player (he was quite talented) but an injury ended his hockey career. Keanu would eventually drop out of high school and would never graduate.
HOLLYWOOD UPS AND DOWNS
Keanu knew from an early age that he wanted to act. When he was 9 years old, he first appeared on stage at a production of Damn Yankees. He continued his theater career by appearing in Romeo and Juliet when he was 15 years old. He made his TV debut in the series Hangin’ In and would continue to appear in various commercials, short films and theater plays throughout the first part of the 1980s. He made his film debut by combining his love of hockey and acting in the Rob Lowe film, Youngblood. In 1986, he appeared in River’s Edge. Following this, he spent the rest of the 1980s starring in movies such as Permanent Record and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
In 1992, he appeared in Point Break for which he won an MTV award. In 1994, Keanu became a house-hold name by starring in Speed alongside Sandra Bullock. It would turn both of them into sought-after A-list stars. Surprisingly, he refused to appear in Speed 2: Cruise Control and instead appeared in a theater production of Hamlet in 1995. After Speed, Keanu appeared in a few box office failures such as Johnny Mnemonic (1995) and Chain Reaction (1996). In 1997, he appeared in Devil’s Advocate alongside Al Pacino and Charlize Theron. Interestingly, he deferred his salary for this role so that Al Pacino could be cast. In 1999, Keanu would star in the 1st of 3 movies that would forever define his career – The Matrix. Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions would both come out in 2003. Following the Matrix trilogy, Keanu would appear in Constantine (2005), The Lake House (2006), and The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008). Upcoming projects include starring in Cowboy Bebop in 2011.
Keanu Reeves
PERSONAL LIFE AND TRAGEDY
In addition to his Canadian citizenship, Keanu also holds American and British citizenship through his parents. He has never married. In 1999, Keanu suffered a personal tragedy as his girlfriend Jennifer Syme gave birth to a stillborn daughter. In 2001, he suffered another tragic loss as Jennifer was killed in a car crash.
AWARDS
In addition to his award for Point Break, he has also received an MTV nomination for Best Actor and won a Saturn Award for his work in The Matrix. He also has a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.
He currenty alternates between living in Los Angeles and New York.
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Canadian Actor Michael Cera
Michael Cera
From the Beginning
Comedic actor Michael Austin Cera was born on June 7, 1988 in Brampton, Ontario. He is the second of three children born to Linda and Luigi. He has two sisters, Jordan (the eldest) and Molly (the youngest). Interestingly, Michael’s acting inspiration came from watching Ghostbusters on repeat when he was just three years old and sick with chicken pox. He cites Bill Murray as one of his idols. He soon enrolled in The Second City and began his acting education by taking improvisation classes. Michael would eventually finish high school by correspondence as he was never present in class due to his burgeoning acting career.
Hollywood Fame
Michael started his acting career by appearing in commercials. His first was an unpaid appearance for a Tim Horton’s summer camp commercial. That led to a role in a Pillsbury commercial – the first where he had lines. In 1999, he was cast in the TV series, I Was A Sixth Grade Alien. In 2002, he appeared in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. In 2003, he was cast in the hilarious TV series, Arrested Development. The show was on air until 2006 but it really cemented Michael’s abilities to play a comedic role. In 2005, He appeared in Darling Darling which won him Best Actor at the San Gio Festival in Italy. In 2006, he guest starred on an episode of Veronica Mars, alongside the beautiful Kristen Bell. 2007 proved to be a huge year for Michael. He starred in the hugely successful movie Superbad. He, along with co-stars Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill, capitulated to overnight fame and quickly became household names. He also starred in Juno alongside fellow Canadian Ellen Page. The next year, Michael starred in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. In 2009, he appeared in Paper Heart and Year One (also starring Jack Black). In 2010, Michael starred in Youth in Revolt and the box office smash movie Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Although his plans for 2011 are not yet known, it is quite probable that he will appear in the Arrested Development movie and will play Gilligan in the remake of Gilligan’s Island.
In addition to winning Best Actor at the San Gio Festival, he has also won Breakthrough Artist for his work in Superbad and Juno (2007). In 2010, he won the Satellite Award for Best Actor for his work in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
Michael Cera
Musically Inclined
Michael is also an accomplished musician. He is currently a member of the band The Long Goodbye. He also composed the soundtrack to Paper Heart and performed on the soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
It is clear that we have much to look forward to with the talented Michael Cera. Should be an exciting ride!
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Canadian Actress Elisha Cuthbert
Elisha Cuthbert
Canadian beauty Elisha Ann Cuthbert was born on November 30th, 1982 in Calgary, Alberta, She is the oldest of three children to Patricia, a homemaker, and Kevin, an automotive design engineer. She spent her childhood in Greenfield Park which is near Montreal.
HOLLYWOOD CAREER
Elisha’s started in showbiz at an early age. She began modeling children clothing at the age of 9. She also appeared on the TV series Are You Afraid of the Dark? In 1997, she began co-hosting Popular Mechanics for Kids (until 2000). She did such a good job that then-First Lady Hilary Clinton invited her to the White House. She also made her film debut in 1997 in the movie Dancing on the Moon. In 1998, she appeared in the film Airspeed. In 2000, at the age of 17, she moved to Los Angeles to further pursue her acting career. The move turned out to be a good one as she was soon cast as Jack Bauer’s daughter in the popular TV series 24.
In 2003, Elisha made her mark as Hollywood’s girl-next-door by appearing in two box office hits, Old School and Love Actually. The next year, she appeared as her character type in The Girl Next Door. She received rave reviews for her portrayal as the ex-porn star. In 2005, Elisa appeared opposite Paris Hilton in House of Wax. Although the movie was widely panned by critics, it was quite successful at the box office.
Doing a 180, her next appearance was in the indie film The Quiet (2006). Her portrayal of a sexually abused cheerleader won over many critics. However, she followed up this movie by appearing in Captivity (2007) which earned her a Razzie nomination for worst actress. That did not deter her as she then appeared in My Sassy Girl (2008), Guns (2008) and The Six Wives of Henry Lefay (2009).
In 2011, Elisha will be appearing in the TV series Happy Endings with co-stars Zachary Knighton and Damon Wayans Jr.
Elisha Cuthbert
A LITTLE CONTROVERSY
Despite valuing her privacy, Elisha has been embroiled in some tabloid controversy. A big hockey fan, she briefly dated NHL player Sean Avery. Following the end of their relationship, she began dating her current beau and fellow NHL player Dion Phaneuf. Sean publicly made disparaging remarks about Elisha and her new relationship and was lambasted by both the public and the media. His career also suffered as his NHL team, the Dallas Stars, refused to have him re-join their team. Elisha had to deal with both Sean’s comments and the subsequent media coverage for months.
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
Elisha has been recognized for her work a few times during her short Hollywood career. In 2001, she won a Gemini Award for her role in Lucky Girl. She was nominated for a Teen Choice Award in 2003, 2005 and 2007 for her work in 24, House of Wax and Captivity. She was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for her work in 24 in both 2003 and 2005. She also regularly appears on various ‘hottest women’ lists.
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Canadian Actress Rachel McAdams
Rachel McAdams
SMALL TOWN GIRL
Rachel McAdams was born in small town London, Ontario on November 17, 1978. She spent her childhood living in the nearby town of St. Thomas, Ontario. She is the oldest of three children, brother Daniel and sister Kayleen. Her father, Lance, is a truck driver and her mother, Sandra, a nurse. Rachel seemed destined for a life as a performer as she started figure skating at the young age of four. Eventually, she made the transition off the ice to the stage. She began auditioning for local plays and soon joined the Original Kids Theatre Company at the age of 12.
GROWING UP
Rachel continued her education and graduated from York University with a Theatre Arts degree. She appeared in several plays and even a few films. Most notable were My Name is Tanino and Perfect Pie in 2002. However, it wasn’t until she moved to Los Angeles, in late 2002, did her career really take off.
HOLLYWOOD SWEETHEART
Rachel’s first major role was in The Hot Chick whom she starred opposite funnyman Rob Schneider in 2002. However, it was her next movie that really capitulated Rachel as Hollywood’s breakout star. She played the lead antagonist character opposite Lindsay Lohan and Tina Fey in Mean Girls (2004) to much popular acclaim. Her next role in The Notebook was even a bigger critical and commercial success as it firmly landed Rachel as Hollywood’s sweetheart. Since then, she has gone on to star in box office hits like Wedding Crashers, Red Eye, The Time Traveler’s Wife, and Sherlock Holmes. She is currently working on the Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris.
PERSONAL LIFE
Rachel McAdams
Not much is known about Rachel McAdams’ personal life as she works very hard to maintain her privacy. However, she has had 3 well publicized relationships. The first relationship caused hearts to melt everywhere as she was linked to Ryan Gosling, her co-star in the romantic movie The Notebook in 2004. The relationship ended to the dismay of many in 2007 although they briefly reconciled (to the delight of many tabloids) in 2008. She later dated actor Josh Lucas in 2009 for four months before moving on to her current beau Michael Sheen, her co-star in Midnight in Paris in late 2010.
SUCCESS SO FAR
Rachel has received several awards for her work in various films including several MTV Movie Awards and a Teen’s Choice Award. She has been nominated for a Genie Award for her role in Perfect Pie and nominated for an Actress Sci-Fi Award for Time Traveler’s Wife. It is only a matter of time before she wins a coveted Academy Award. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
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.
