Sheila McCarthy

Sheila McCarthy

McCarthy at the 2012 Genie Awards
Born (1956-01-01) January 1, 1956
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation Actress
Years active 1982–present

Sheila McCarthy (born January 1, 1956) is a Canadian film, stage, television actress, and singer. McCarthy is one of Canada's most honoured actors, having won two Genie Awards (film), two Gemini Awards (television), and two Dora Awards (theatre) along with multiple nominations.[1][2]

Early life

McCarthy attended the Thornhill Free School in her youth. Her first appearance on stage was at Toronto's Elgin Theatre in Peter Pan at 6 years old.[3]

She later attended the University of Victoria and spent a year studying with the influential acting teacher Uta Hagen at her HB Studio in New York City, and also workshopped with the Second City troupe in Toronto.

Career

After several years of television work under her belt, McCarthy secured a role in the made-for-television movie A Nest of Singing Birds (1987), receiving early recognition for her talent with a Gemini Award nomination for Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Dramatic Program. That year, she made her first notable impression on the Canadian movie scene as Polly, the quirky, "organizationally challenged girl" in Patricia Rozema's I've Heard the Mermaids Singing. For this role, McCarthy won the Genie Award for Best Actress. The film went on to become wildly popular in Canada, earning many international and domestic awards and critical acclaim, with some critics dubbing it an instant Canadian classic.[4][5][6]

McCarthy has since become one of Canada's most honoured actors, having won two Genie Awards (film), two Gemini Awards (television), and two Dora Awards (theatre) along with multiple nominations.[7][8]


As of 2007, she can be seen on the Canadian television series Little Mosque on the Prairie, a role for which she has been nominated for yet another Gemini award. One of her most recognized big-screen roles is as Samantha, the news reporter in the movie Die Hard 2 with Bruce Willis. Her most recent role is as Connie Hendrix, mother of the clone Alison in the critically acclaimed BBC America series Orphan Black.

She is also an accomplished voice-over actress, having performed characters voices in Free Willy, Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend, The Busy World of Richard Scarry, The Neverending Story, Rolie Polie Olie, Bad Dog and Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse.

On stage, McCarthy has appeared in Little Shop of Horrors, Hamlet, Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, Anything Goes and Love Letters among other shows.[9]

Personal Life

McCarthy was born in Toronto, Ontario. She was married to actor Peter Donaldson, who died January 8, 2011 two years after being diagnosed with cancer.[10] Together they had two children, including Mackenzie Donaldson, who is also in show business (producer of Whatever, Linda and Orphan Black).[11]


Sheila McCarthy is active as a spokesperson for The Quilt Project, a support group for families affected by breast cancer, and Canadian Feed the Children.[12]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1987 Nest of Singing Birds, AA Nest of Singing Birds Anna
1987 I've Heard the Mermaids Singing Polly Vandersma Won the Genie Award for Best Actress
1988 Gandahar Council Spokeswoman (voice)
1989 Friends, Lovers, & Lunatics Kathy
1989 George's Island Miss Birdwood
1990 Beautiful Dreamers Molly Jessop
1990 Die Hard 2 Samantha 'Sam' Coleman
1990 Pacific Heights Liz Hamilton
1990 Bright Angel Nina
1991 White Room Zelda
1991 Paradise Sally Pike
1991 Stepping Out Andy
1991 Montréal vu par... Ann Stuart Segment: "Desperanto"
1993 Journey to the Planets Oracle (voice) Short film
1993 Lotus Eaters, TheThe Lotus Eaters Diane Kingswood Won the Genie Award for Best Actress
1996 House Arrest Gwenna Krupp
1997 Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework Mrs. Hackett
2001 Rare Birds Claire
2002 Duct Tape Forever Easterbrook (uncredited)
2004 Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen Mrs. Gerard
2004 Day After Tomorrow, TheThe Day After Tomorrow Judith
2004 Being Julia Grace Dexter
2004 Geraldine's Fortune Tina Larose
2005 Bailey's Billion$ Peggy Delaney
2005 Multiple Selves of Hannah Maynard, TheThe Multiple Selves of Hannah Maynard Hannah Maynard Short film
2006 Small Avalanches Nancy's Mother Short film
2007 Breakfast with Scot Miss Patterson
2007 Stone Angel, TheThe Stone Angel Doris Shipley
2009 Year of the Carnivore Mrs. Smalls
2014 A Fighting Man Rose
2016 Brace For Impact
2016 Milton's Secret
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1982 Hangin' In Episode: "The Princess and the Pea"
1983 Today's Special Sourpuss Sal Episode: "Smiles"
1984 Littlest Hobo, TheThe Littlest Hobo Murielle Episode: "Three Monkeys of Bah Roghar: Part 1"
Episode: "Three Monkeys of Bah Roghar: Part 2"
1985 Love & Larceny Mary Bigley TV movie
1985 Tucker and the Horse Thief TV movie
1986 9B Heather TV movie
1986 Marriage Bed, TheThe Marriage Bed Lynn Reailly TV movie
1986 Hot Shots Jenny Episode: "Cut Off in His Prime"
1987 Much Ado About Nothing Margaret TV movie
1987 Really Weird Tales Ellie Hutchins Episode: "Cursed with Charisma"
1988 Mount Royal Luise Blaikie Episode: "Still Life"
1989 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Sarah Hollister Episode: "For Art's Sake"
1989 Trying Times Jenny Amber Episode: "A Good Life"
1990 Labour of Love TV movie
1990 E.N.G. Carol Barton Episode: "Till Death Us Do Part"
1990 Back to the Beanstalk Garbanza TV movie
1990 Steel Magnolias Annelle Dupuy-Desoto TV pilot (unsold)
1990 Street Legal Stephanie Coleman Episode: "The Psychic"
1991 Soulmates: The Gift of Light, TheThe Soulmates: The Gift of Light (voice) TV movie
1991 Rupert Additional Voices 13 episodes
1991 Hidden Room, TheThe Hidden Room Episode: "Rogue in the Bathroom"
1992 Beethoven Lives Upstairs Sophie TV movie
1992 Private Matter, AA Private Matter Diane Callaghan TV movie
1992 Ray Bradbury Theater, TheThe Ray Bradbury Theater Francine Episode: "The Lonely One"
1994 Free Willy Annie TV series
1994 Dan Redican Comedy Hour Various TV movie
1994 Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills Jill Lansing TV movie
1995 Woman of Independent Means, AA Woman of Independent Means Totsie TV movie
1995 Awakening, TheThe Awakening Nancy TV movie
1995–1996 Picket Fences Sue Walsh 4 episodes
1996 Road to Avonlea Betty Blaine Episode: "King of the Great White Way"
1996 Care and Handling of Roses, TheThe Care and Handling of Roses Carol Doster TV movie
1998 Bad Dog (voice) TV series
1998 More Tales of the City Mildred TV miniseries
1998 Dead Husbands Jane Armitage TV movie
1998–2000 Emily of New Moon Laura Murray 46 episodes
1999 You Know My Name Mrs. Lynn TV movie
1999 Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke Tammy TV movie
1999 Mythic Warriors Clotho (voice) Episode: "Damon and Pythias"
2000 Virtual Mom Holly TV movie, also writer
2000 Super Rupert Aunt Rhonda TV series
2000 Marvin The Tap-Dancing Horse Elizabeth the Emotional Pig (voice)
2001 Haven Eva TV movie
2001 Royal Canadian Air Farce Anne Robinson / Dr. Joy Thomas Episode: "9.2"
2001 I Was a Rat Mrs. Tapscrew TV movie
2001 Endless Grind, TheThe Endless Grind Various TV series
2002 Lathe of Heaven Penny TV movie
2002 Rats, TheThe Rats Miss Paige TV movie
2003 Custody of the Heart Alice TV movie
2003 Full-Court Miracle Mrs. Klein TV movie
2004 The Shields Stories Hazel Episode: "Hazel"
2005 Puppets Who Kill Miss Wickham Episode: "Cuddles the Artist"
2005 Missing Dr. Eleanor Reese Episode: "Analysis"
2006 Roxana Amy TV movie
2006 Cow Belles Fran Walker TV movie
2007–2012 Little Mosque on the Prairie Sarah Hamoudi 80+ episodes
2009 Ron James Show, TheThe Ron James Show Episode: "1.5"
2010 Love Letters Melissa TV movie
2013 Murdoch Mysteries Felicity Dawes Episode: "Lovers in a Murderous Time"
2014 Saving Hope Violet Episode: "Breathless"
2014 Dear Viola Peggy TV movie[13]
2015 Orphan Black Connie Hendrix Episode: "Community of Dreadful Fear and Hate"
2016 Ice Girls Auntie Ginger TV movie

Discography

2006: All Good Now – From The Movie Cow Belles

Awards and nominations

This section needs to be expanded to include further awards and nominations.
Year Nominated Work Organization Award Result
1999 Emily of New Moon 14th Gemini Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role Nominated[14]
2000 Sesame Park 15th Gemini Awards Best Performance in a Pre-School Program or Series Won[15]
2000 The City 15th Gemini Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role Dramatic Series Nominated[15]

References

  1. http://www.cbc.ca/littlemosque/cast.php?sid=6&cid=3. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. Ben Kaplanr (31 January 2013). "Sheila McCarthy: the star on collaborating with Liza Minnelli and why she loves life at Yonge & St. Clair". POST CITY TORONTO. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  3. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sheila-mccarthy/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sheila-mccarthy/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ive-heard-the-mermaids-singing-1988. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. http://tiff.net/spring2015-cinematheque/canadian-open-vault-spring-2015/ive-heard-the-mermaids-singing. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. http://www.cbc.ca/littlemosque/cast.php?sid=6&cid=3. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. Ben Kaplanr (31 January 2013). "Sheila McCarthy: the star on collaborating with Liza Minnelli and why she loves life at Yonge & St. Clair". POST CITY TORONTO. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  9. http://postcity.com/Thornhill-Post/November-2013/Cover-Story-A-profile-of-Sheila-McCarthy/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. "Peter Donaldson was 'finest actor's actor'". MSN CA. CBC News. January 9, 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  11. "Actress finds inspiration even in sadness of death". Herald Arts&Life. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  12. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sheila-mccarthy/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. "Dear Viola". Dear Viola Cast. UPtv.com. February 19, 2014. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
  14. "Gemini Awards – 1999". Winners & Nominees. awardsandwinners.com. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
  15. 1 2 "Sheila McCarthy". Awards & Nominations. awardsandwinners.com. Retrieved June 22, 2014.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/4/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.