TORONTO, ON (January 29, 2024) – Award-winning performer Maria del Mar will be presented with ACTRA Toronto’s 2024 Award of Excellence at the 22nd ACTRA Awards in Toronto, which will take place this spring.
With close to 100 film and television credits, Maria has made an indelible mark in the screen-based production industry both in Canada and south of the border. Notable credits include Murdoch Mysteries, 24, Frasier, Blue Murder, Street Legal, E.N.G., Hannibal, Slasher and Star Trek: Discovery. Maria’s repertoire has expanded to include voice work, namely the animated Rosie’s Rules and LEGO® DreamZzz – Trials of the Dream Chasers, and she has been directed on Tarragon Theatre’s stage by acclaimed Canadian directors Richard Rose and Jackie Maxwell. Maria is currently exploring exciting new frontiers in writing and directing.
Throughout her career, Maria has been recognized for her work, winning both the Outstanding Performance – Female ACTRA Award for her lead role in the Canadian television mini-series Terminal City and the Canadian Comedy Award for her lead role in the Canadian feature film, A Touch of Grey. She also received a Gemini Award nomination for her role in Blue Murder (Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role) and has been an ensemble member of several Gemini Award-winning series.
An ACTRA Member for almost 30 years, Maria was elected to ACTRA Toronto Council four times, chaired the ACTRA Toronto Awards Committee for five years, and served on ACTRA National Council. Maria was also a proud supporter of ACTRA Toronto’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
“Being presented with this award after our industry and community have been through such hardship over the past few years represents a ray of hope to me,” says Maria del Mar. “The fact that this comes from my peers makes it that much more personal and meaningful. I’m honoured to be in the company of the previous winners and am proud to be the first Latina-Canadian to receive this award!”
“I am absolutely thrilled to see my dear friend and colleague Maria del Mar be recognized for her enormous contribution to our union and industry,” says ACTRA Toronto President David Gale. “An enormous talent through both her voice work and on-screen performances, Maria has also made her mark on our union. I have been proud to sit beside her on ACTRA Toronto Council, and thank her for her dedication, leadership and endless creativity as past chair of our union’s Awards Committee.”
ACTRA Toronto’s Award of Excellence recognizes a distinguished ACTRA Toronto performer whose outstanding career achievements as a performer are matched by a significant volunteer contribution to the industry and the ongoing work of ACTRA Toronto to improve the lives of its members.
ACTRA Toronto is the largest organization within ACTRA, representing over 15,000 of Canada’s 28,000 professional performers working in recorded media in Canada. An advocate for Canadian culture since 1943, ACTRA is a member-driven union that continues to secure rights and respect for the work of professional performers.
-30-
Media kit is available on Dropbox.
Watch the Sizzle Reel.
Media Contact: Jennifer McGibbon, Public Relations Officer, 416-642-6710, jmcgibbon@actratoronto.com