ACTRA AWARDS IN TORONTO 2007
ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS
For Immediate Release: Toronto, February 23, 2007 – Karl Pruner, President of ACTRA Toronto Performers, is pleased to announce the winners of the 2007 ACTRA Awards in Toronto.
ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance – voice
Len Carlson (posthumous award), Atomic Betty
ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance – female
Maria Del Mar, TerminalCity
ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance – male
Gordon Pinsent, Away From Her
Shirley Douglas presented Wendy Crewson with ACTRA Toronto’s Award of Excellence.
The awards were presented by ACTRA Toronto at The Carlu on February 23, 2007.
LEN CARLSON – ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance - Voice
Len Carlson’s long acting career for film, TV and stage started in Seattle, Washington, and included principal acting roles ranging from The Verdict, Race ForThe Bomb, The Henry Ford Story and The Deejay, for which Mr. Carlson received an Emmy nomination. He appeared in more than 2,000 animated cartoon episodes juggling as many as eight different characters per show. His vast body of work also included directing andvoicing shows for CBS-TV’s Captain Kangaroo, The Undersea Adventures of Captain Nemoand several episodes of Disney Channel’s The Raccoons. Voice animation credits include Beetlejuice, Carebears, Racoons, Roboroach, Beyblade and Berenstain Bears. Mr. Carlson passed away in 2006.
MARIA DEL MAR – ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance - Female
In TerminalCity, a 10-part TV series, Maria Del Mar plays Katie Sampson, a woman with breast cancer who becomes host of a reality TV series while she’s undergoing cancer treatment. It’s a tough role, and she’s earned accolades for her performance. Next, Ms. Del Mar will be off to Uruguay for the premiere of a Bill Marks comedy, 14 Days in Paradise. Maria is known for her roles in JAG, 24, Monk, The Practice, Frasier, Blue Murder and Street Legal.
GORDON PINSENT ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance - Male
Canadian icon Gordon Pinsent is well known and loved by Canadian audiences. Mr. Pinsent earned high praise for his recent made-for-TV movie Heyday!, which he wrote, directed and performed in. He played Billy Pretty in the critically-acclaimed feature The Shipping News, Morley Callaghan in the mini-series Hemingway vs. Callaghan and Al Purdy in Yours, Al. He starred in the ‘60s CBC television series Quentin Durgens, MP and wrote and starred in the 1972 film The Rowdyman. Mr. Pinsent’s many honours include ACTRA’s John Drainie Award, Genie and Gemini Awards. He is a Companion of the Order of Canada. He received ACTRA Toronto’s inaugural Award of Excellence in 2003.
WENDY CREWSON - ACTRA Toronto’s 2007 Award of Excellence
Ms. Crewson enjoys a successful career in both Canada and the U.S. She has eight Gemini nominations, four of them wins, and a Gemini Humanitarian Award in 2002 for her charitable work for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). She has portrayed multiple Canadian newsmakers including Sue Rodriguez (At The End of the Day: The Sue Rodriguez Story), Jane Doe (The Many Trials of One Jane Doe)and Louise Arbour (Hunt For Justice: The Louise Arbour Story). Her selected credits include Sarah Polley’s Away From Her, Sex Traffic, Air Force One and 24. Ms. Crewson recently joined the cast of ReGenesis.
A champion for Canadian culture, Ms. Crewson has been outspoken in calling for more homegrown dramas on television and increased exposure for Canadian films. She is a key player in ACTRA’s efforts to demand action from politicians and the CRTC to fix the Canadian television drama crisis.
The Awards Gala evening was hosted by Patrick McKenna. Paul O’Sullivan was the scriptwriter. The awards show featured a performance by ACTRA member and singer Amanda Martinez. The ACTRA Awards statuette is by sculptor Adrienne Alison. The annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto recognize outstanding performances by ACTRA Toronto members and celebrate accomplishment and excellence in our industry. The ACTRA Awards were re-instituted in 2003 as part of ACTRA’s 60th Anniversary.
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Many thanks to the generous sponsors of The ACTRA Awards in Toronto 2007
Platinum
ACTRA National
Gold Sponsors
Actra Fraternal Benefit Society, CTVglobemedia, Deluxe, Metropolitan Hotel,
Shaftesbury Films, United Steelworkers
Silver Sponsors
Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA), Don Carmody Productions,
Goodmans LLP, Rent-A-Goalie by Georgian Entertainment, Serendipity Point Films
Bronze Sponsors
ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society, Barna-Alper Productions,
Cavalluzzo Hayes Shilton McIntyre & Cornish LLP, City of Toronto Film & Television Office,
Dufferin Gate Productions, Grant Thornton LLP, Rhombus International, Unionville Insurance
Supporters
JAM Talent Management, Manulife Financial, Ooh La La Couture, Thistle Printing, Oscars Abrams Zimel (OAZ) and Associates, PLAYBACK, Ricochet Water, Toronto Film Studios, Writers Guild of Canada
Friends
AMI Artist Management, Fountainhead Talent, Gary Goddard Agency, The New Leaf Flowers & Gifts
ACTRA Toronto Performers is the largest organization within ACTRA, representing more than 13,000 of Canada’s 21,000 professional performers working in the English-language recorded media in Canada. As an advocate for Canadian culture since 1943, ACTRA is a member-driven organization that continues to secure the rights and respect for the work of professional performers.
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For media inquiries please contact:
Carol Taverner, Public Relations Officer, ACTRA
Dir: (416) 644-1519, ctaverner@actra.ca
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