new law to protect child performers!

THE M AGA ZINE FROM AC TR A TORONTO
VOLUME 24 • ISSUE 2 • FALL 2015
NEW LAW TO PROTECT
CHILD PERFORMERS!
   

President’s Message:
Putting Solidarity into Action
by David Sparrow ...
New Law to Protect
Child Performers ...
How to Eat a Sandwich Like a Pro
by James Gangl
4
...
20
Equity and ACTRA talk of
Enhanced Relationship by David Sparrow...
6
11
... 12
... 17
Members News ...
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23
24
Welcome New Members ...
Actors in Between by David Gale
Show Up by Clara Pasieka
ACTRA Toronto Council /
ACTRA Toronto Staff ...
19
Your Council and Stunt Committee
Election Timeline ...
Highlights of Council Activity
2014 - 2016 ...
Lives Lived ...
27
28
30
(L. to R.) David Macniven, Jack Newman, Shereen Airth, Richard Hardacre, Randi Shelson, Stephen Waddell, Clara Pasieka, Grace Lynn Kung, Nicole St. Martin,
eresa Tova, Carole Paikin Miller, Don Lamoreux, MPP Paul Miller, David Sparrow (ACTRA Toronto President), Ferne Downey (ACTRA National President),
Heather Allin, Barbara Larose, Leah Pinsent, Sue Milling, Art Hindle, Angelica Lisk-Hann, Donal Hansman, Karen Woolridge. (photo: Jag Gundu)
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PUBLISHER
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EDITOR
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STAFF EDITOR
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DESIGN and LAYOUT
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ADVERTISING SALES
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NEXT COPY DEADLINE IS: December 1, 2015
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Performers 
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  www.actratoronto.com
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PUTTING
SOLIDARITY
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David Sparrow
As you might expect, concern over evolving technologies and
the internet are top of mind. How will we be compensated
when everything is made for digital exploitation? e value our
professional performers bring to a production doesn’t change
based on the medium in which the production is exploited.
Video on demand may replace conventional broadcasters but
the content remains the same and performers should be fairly
compensated and their residuals protected. As we said in 2007,
“e internet is not for free!”
HiStoRic Win
On the cover, some great news: Bill 17 – a law to protect child
performers in the province of Ontario – received Royal Assent
in May! the new law protects all child performers and
enshrines in law collectively bargained industry best practices.
It is a big deal, and our reputation as organized and tenacious
advocates was recognized by MPPs across all party lines.
Dear ACTRA Toronto
members,
It's been a busy year on set, in the halls of government and in
the offices of our industry partners, working to advance the
ACTRA Advantage and to celebrate the value our professional
performers bring to the economy and to productions large and
small. Your dedicated Council and staff are working on many
complex files, delivering on our Operating Plan of putting
Solidarity into Action. Let me highlight a few for you:
BARgAining
e IPA expires on December 31st of this year. Negotiations
with the CMPA and their partners, the major U.S. studios, will
take place in October and November. ACTRA Toronto has
held 15 focus groups with everyone from Background
Performers to Stunt Performers, Principal Performers to Voice
Performers, Diversity, Youth, Women and Senior Performers.
Members shared their concerns about our largest agreement.
(You can send your thoughts to [email protected].) Our
asks will be honed by our Bargaining Committee.
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cRiSiS AveRted
e Ontario Budget was presented on April 23rd. ankfully,
it maintained the domestic tax credit at current levels while
eliminating the “grind” between the provincial and federal
credits. at’s a good thing. However, it cut the foreign service
tax credit from 25 per cent to 21.5 per cent. at was bad. But
worse, the budget called for immediate implementation of
those cuts on the very day it was announced. Projects already
underway or substantively planned and budgeted were left
trying to decide whether to reduce the number of episodes or
seek a new location.
Speaking with one voice helped to avert the immediate crisis.
With our industry partners in FilmOntario, we made clear our
concerns to the Ministers of Finance, Labour and Culture.
Many meetings later and just hours before the budget was passed,
the government agreed to “grandfather” projects already
underway. it was an excellent outcome, conveying to foreign
and domestic producers the stability of our industry and
our region.
PuBLic PoLicy
e CRTC, a body whose mandate is to regulate Canadian
broadcasting and communications and protect Canadian
voices and culture, made some bizarre announcements which
INTO ACTION
e coming federal election
on october 19, 2015 will give
every ActRA member an opportunity to make to make
their views known on the
cRtc and on other arts
policy – at the ballot box.
are expected to make Canadian Content even more scarce on
our screens. Case in point: a new pilot project modifies the
Canadian Content points system drastically, so that the total
points for Canadian key creatives may be as low as 2 out of 10
so long as 75% of the budget is spent in Canada. In theory, one
Canadian actor could work on a Canadian-authored film, shot
in North Carolina with a U.S. cast, a U.S. director and a U.S.
crew and, as long as the post and some of the marketing was
done in Canada, they might qualify for Canadian Media Fund
financing, federal tax credits and count as Canadian programming
for a broadcaster. Many of the CRTC decisions do not take
effect until December 2016 so there is time to make our views
known. ACTRA took part in the CRTC Let’s Talk TV
consultations and will continue to make its objections known
at every opportunity.
AND, there is a federal election on October 19, 2015. e coming
federal election on october 19, 2015 will give every ActRA
member an opportunity to make to make their views known
on the cRtc and on other arts policy – at the ballot box.
counciL eLectionS
In October, we will be holding elections for your 24 ACTRA
Toronto Council seats.
Voting will be held online. Make sure you take time to review
the candidates. Decide who will best represent our collective
voice on issues large and small. en vote and encourage other
eligible members to vote too. To be eligible to vote, you must be
an ACTRA Toronto Full Member in good standing by October
9th, 2015.To be eligible to vote, you must be an ACTRA
Toronto Full Member in good standing by October 9th, 2015.
Trying to build a performance career in Canada can be daunting.
Training, networking, marketing, auditioning – committed,
modern actors work full days. Many of the variables that affect
our day-to-day business are outside of an actor’s control. at’s
why i’m an ActRA member. As actors, our individual
confidence may wobble occasionally but we’re all in this
together and the union makes us strong.
In solidarity,
David Sparrow
President, ACTRA Toronto
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New Law to Protect
Child Performers
Aer half a century of ACTRA’s
efforts on behalf of culture’s most
vulnerable contributors, Ontario
has a law. What a remarkable
historic achievement!
ACTRA’s history
protecting minors
Film, stage, TV and commercials have always employed child actors.
Jackie coogan, after whom California’s law to protect minors’
earnings is named, was one of Hollywood’s first child stars. He
became a star aer appearing in Charlie Chaplin’s e Kid (1921) at
the age of seven. Canada’s Mary Pickford was
seven when she performed her first role on
stage in Toronto in 1899.
In Canada, ACTRA has been bargaining to
protect children in the recorded industry since
its early days. Protections for minors can be
found in the 1966/68 edition of ACTRA’s
National Commercial Agreement.
Over the years, ACTRA’s minors’ provisions
improved steadily through bargaining the IPA
and the NCA. Substantive gains were made in the mid to late ‘90s and
are improved with each new round of negotiations.
In the early 2000s, the unions (ACTRA Toronto, DGC (Ontario),
Nabet and IATSE) started a Health and Safety “Section 21” Committee with
the participation of the producers association and the Ministry of
Labour. As well as developing general safety guidelines for the
industry, they developed a Child Performers Guideline. e Guideline
covered both live and recorded entertainment. But it was a guideline
only, a best practices recommendation informed by ACTRA and
Equity’s agreements, but not a legal requirement.
ACTRA Toronto began talking to MPPs to alert them to the risks
minors face working without firmer legislative protections. In 2005,
ACTRA Toronto presented a brief to Ontario’s Standing Committee
on Arts and Culture proposing Status of the Artist legislation. e
brief included strong recommendations to develop legislation to protect
child actors to the same extent that they are protected under ACTRA’s
agreements. In 2007, MPP Cheri di Novo, a former child performer,
proposed a bill to protect child actors. In 2013, MPP Paul Miller
presented Bill 71. ese previous attempts at legislation died as most
private members’ bills do: casualties of the political process. In 2014,
MPP Paul Miller tried again with Bill 17, which became the legislation
we have today.
grace Lynn Kung and clara Pasieka celebrate the unanimous passage
of ird Reading of Bill 17. (photo: Jag Gundu)
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e Protecting Child Performers Act comes into force on February 5,
2016. e legislation protects child performers in five essential areas:
tutoring, income protection, parental supervision, age-appropriate
work hours and health and safety. Between now and February, agreed
amendments and rules and regulations will be written.

After half a century of ACTRA’s efforts on behalf of culture’s
most vulnerable contributors, Ontario has a law. What a remarkable
historic achievement!
INTERVIEW WITH
THERESA TOVA
ACTRA’s Children’s Advocate
Since 1992, ACTRA’s Children’s Advocate, eresa
Tova, stands out in has been unrelenting in her
defense of child performers. Staff Editor Karen
Woolridge asked Tova to look back at the battles and
the victories leading to Bill 17 becoming law.
Karen Woolridge: You’ve been defending child performers since
when, eresa?
eresa tova: My own kids since 1992 and for the union since 1993
or 1994.
eresa Tova
K: How did you become aware of the risks child actors face?
t: By the time my son was seven and my daughter five they both had
agents and were working in the biz. In the first year, I ran into so many
problems. e producers I was working with as a parent didn’t know
I was an actor and that I knew the rules. Anyway, I had three
grievances in the first year.
K: What sorts of violations?
t: One time, I was shooting so I sent my daughter to her set with a
chaperon. She had four or five days on this movie and she was kept
overtime every single day. I told my chaperon it wasn’t allowed but
they would go to her and say, “Is it ok…?” e time they kept my
daughter five hours into overtime, I went ballistic. I called Production,
“Where is my daughter?! You promised she would be home by now.”
I threatened to call the police. I called the union. ree grievances
and we won every one. ose were the bad old days.
K: How did you move from Stage Mom to Children’s Advocate?
t: Eda Zimler, who was Stewart at the time, called me in and said,
“You obviously understand what should be happening, and you’re
right. Would you think about doing this for all kids?” So I took over
as the Children’s Chair and I created a Children’s Committee. I was
on set one time as the Children’s Chair. I saw six-month-old babies
with fake prosthetic ears in hot velvet costumes in the sun in the
middle of the summer. We grieved that production and got a financial
settlement that allowed us to produce an educational pamphlet for
parents called Just Say No.
We had so many horrible situations. But the one that sticks out most
for me - there was a four-year-old child who’d been on a set for two or
three days and had bonded with the woman playing her mother. But
she hadn’t met the male actor yet. is is what Production decided to
do to get their shot: they had the male actor come out, didn’t introduce
him, or prepare the child for what he was about to do. e actor was
instructed to come up to the child, with camera rolling, place a gun in
the child’s hand and force her to shoot the woman playing her Mom.
Squibs, blood, everything. Totally freaked the child out to the point
where an IATSE crew member pulled the plug on the generator and
called ACTRA.
Sarah Polley, Award of Excellence recipient, takes a special interest in
Samantha Weinstein, winner of the ACTRA Award in Toronto for
Outstanding Female Performance at the age of 10. (2006) (photo by Jag Gundu)

New Law to Protect
INTERVIEW WITH THERESA TOVA
ACTRA’s CHILDREN’S ADVOCATE... continued
Soon aer, I was asked to sit on the IPA bargaining team for the ’95’96 agreement. At the time, our minors’ section was nowhere near
what it should have been. Tutoring was not what it needed to be, nor
age-appropriate work hours and breaks, nor healthy food. I brought
parents into the union for the first time to hear their concerns. We
created a list of 21 proposals for minors alone. My biggest help was
Sarah Polley. We sent her our 21 proposals, asked for her opinion
and asked whether, if she had experienced any of these things, would
she write us back with support for our proposals? Well, bless her soul!
Each time the producers said, “You don’t have any evidence,” I swear,
I had a file of back-up documentation from Sarah with dates, many of
them from that very year. We got 17 of those 21 proposals passed
and the remainder in subsequent negotiations. I remember going
down to the hotel lobby, the morning aer we got agreement on the
17 provisions, and going up to some of the producers and saying, “I’m
a little in shock that we got what we got from you guys. ank you.”
And one of them said, “We all have kids.” It was the right thing to do
and the right time to fix it. But when you talk about ACTRA’s agreements,
the best thing we ever achieved was the language in the preamble to
the minors’ section.
K: Fortunately the baby was found.
t: Yes. So Tabby took the next step and said, “Parents of non-union
performers need help too.” So we made presentations in libraries for
the general public and said, “is is what you should ask for.” So bless
Tabby for bringing that to the table.
It really does take a village (to raise a child). I remember nathalie
gauthier, an agent, who’d been a child actor from Montreal. She
called us about parents using their child’s money to pay the mortgage
and it was because of her that we got the Minors’ Trust started, using
the California model.
I’m very proud of all our collaborations: with agents, our incredible
staff, our Presidents and Councils, educators, police, our elected
champions: MPPs Cheri di Novo, Peter Tabuns, and Paul Miller.
K: “e parties agree that they shall be guided in all respects by what is
in the best interests of the Minor, which shall always prevail…”
t: Always. e kids come first.
K: Were you involved in the collaboration with the Ministry of Labour
that led to the Child Performers Guideline, the precursor to the law we
have now?
t: Yes. I remember (staffer) Indra Escobar and I meeting with Don
Brown from the Ministry of Labour. Our workplaces and categories of
work were new to Don because he came from a background of hard
hats and asbestos. We were talking about kids spending long days
under hot lights and missing school. We showed him our agreements
and the first Health and Safety Guidelines for the entertainment
industry were basically taken from ACTRA’s agreements, verbatim.
K: There was a news story that got Tabby Johnson fired up about
protecting non-union child performers.
t: It was a non-union casting call for babies for an unspecified film.
An unsuspecting parent took their infant and handed him off to
somebody they’d never met who said, “I’ll just take the baby in the
room and audition him.” And the parent waited and waited and
waited and the person had stolen the baby and le through a back
door.

 
Tabby Johnson fields questions
at an ACTRA Toronto information
session for parents.
Child Performers
Shirley Douglas, Shannon Kook-Chun, Amariah Faulkner, and Elizabeth Van Wyck spoke at a Queen’s Park press conference
in 2013 pressing for legislative protections for child performers.
K: How has ACTRA changed the way it monitors child safety?
t: Our Stewards read the script and flag scenes which could be of
concern and address it with Production before the shoot. We work
with our Stunt Coordinators when there are athletic requirements.
For example, a parent will say, “Sure my child plays baseball.” But they
don’t realize their child will be sliding into home plate at five different
camera angles for 10 takes each for eight hours straight.
K: Tell me about getting Bill 17 passed into law. I hear Canadian
Media Production Association’s (CMPA) Chief Negotiator
Reynolds Mastin joked about “getting Tova’d” at a Christmas party.
What was that about?
t: Let’s just say I don’t give up easily. e passage of Bill 17 was
ground-breaking, and there are a lot of people to thank. I’ve visited
parliament and the legislature many times in my leadership role at
ACTRA. I’d never seen anything like this. To see all three parties come
together. When Shirley douglas spoke to Committee about Bill 17,
all the MPPs were awed. Her experience on Wind at My Back,
which employed a number of children – well, she told them about
children being tutored in the paint shed where the crew were wearing
protective masks but the kids were not. She was very persuasive. And
the wonderful clara Pasieka, YEAA’s Co-Chair, talking about
her experiences as a young teen actor asked to do sexual content she
had not even experienced yet. How angry she was at her mother for
not letting her do it and how thankful she is now that her mother put
her foot down, knowing she wasn’t old enough. To have those two
voices at Committee. ey heard us loud and clear.
e law covers stage work as well. I’m very proud that Equity worked
side-by-side with us and really made some important conceptual
changes. And the fact that both producer organizations (Professional
Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) and the CMPA) came
onside as well was the icing on the cake.
K: What’s next?
t: We’re taking a new look at our Minors’ Trust. Should children have
more than 25 per cent of their income le when they turn 18? Also,
we’re helping other countries which don’t have a performers’ union
to learn from our standards. And always, always - education. Because
children grow up and soon there’s a whole new crop of cutie-patooties.
While the act will require monitoring to make sure that it does what
it’s supposed to do, it will become law and be implemented on February 5th, 2016. We need to make sure the law is interpreted in the way
it was intended. We will be working hand-in-hand with our industry
partners. e Act to Protect Child Performers, as it’s now called,
has to work in concert with education law, health and safety law,
labour law, and labour law.
Not everything in the law is going to make everyone happy. But everything in the law is to there to protect the child. We want filming to
happen as much as anyone.
I was interviewed for a legal magazine and the interviewer said she
knew unions worked hard to get people to become union members,
but questioned why ACTRA would work so hard for non-union people. And I said, “but don’t you know that’s what good unions do? We
fight for the protection of ALL workers.”
K: We raise the floor.
t: is is what we do. It is the best of what we are.

 
New Law to Protect
Child Performers
ASK TABBY AND TOVA
Scams:
ose ads that you see in newspapers – “We’re looking for babies.” Oh gosh. Or maybe your kid is begging, “I wanna be on that
cartoon, Mummy.” Parents do less research about companies advertising like that than they do buying new shoes.
Google the company plus the word “scam.” If they have a history scamming people, you’ll find it. ere are so many scams, in
the acting school world, in the modeling convention world, where people, and I’m not exaggerating, will charge parents $3,000 to
“make their four-year-old a star.”
Agents:
A good agent can really help protect you, provide a buffer between your child and exploitation. Get an agent who
has signed on to the Entertainment Industry Coalition’s (EIC) Code of Conduct. Check out ACTRA Toronto’s agent
dire c tor y for EIC and TAMAC agents, t hen ask around. L in k to ACTRA Toronto’s agent dire c tor y :
w w w.ac t ratoronto.com/performers/agents-directory/.
Balance:
I want parents to remember that their kid’s childhood is more important than the business or the money. We
have kids starring in big TV shows up here and then running off to do pilots in L.A. when they’re eight years
old. How do you find balance in a life like that?
checking in:
Sarah Polley, at one of our Members’ Conferences, asked the kids if they
wanted to be there and encouraged parents to check in with their kids on
a regular basis. Interests can change at this age. Kids shouldn’t be there if
they don't want to be.
Stay with your child:
Don’t leave your child unattended on set! Nobody knows your child’s needs better than you - whether your
child is scared or needs to go to the washroom. ink of a set as being like a construction site. A set is nothing
like a daycare.
to view all the Ask tabby and tova videos go to ActRA toronto’s
youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ActRAtoronto

 

WELCOME
New Members
Fall 2015
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By artists.
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Adamo Ruggiero has been acting professionally for
years. A veteran performer, with credits including
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The Neverending Story and The Next Star, his
accomplished career features stage, film, TV and PSA
credits.
Adamo was one of the first performers to join Creative
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as a number of other accounts to support his day-today banking needs.
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community.”
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 
ACTORS IN
by david gale
Above:
Krystal Hope nausbaum plays Amanda on Between.
12
ACTRA TORONTO PErForMErS
Something is definitely rotten in the town of Pretty Lake. e body of everyone
over the age of 22 is lying in the streets, the town is quarantined and the kids are
in charge. Spoiler alert? not so fast. on Between, the new canadian series
broadcast on city and netflix, these events occur in the first two episodes
and establish the show’s premise.
Created by writer/director Michael Mcgowan (Still Mine and Score: A Hockey Musical), Between is
notable for a few reasons. Filmed in southern Ontario, Between has a large and diverse ensemble cast
of 61 mostly young actors and all but one is Canadian. e series premiered in May, broadcasting
one new episode a week on City in Canada and Netflix internationally. Releasing Between in this
manner was an experiment for Netflix. Typically Netflix posts entire seasons on their SVOD
(Subscription Video On Demand) service, even with their own original programming. This
weekly broadcast style avoided spoilers in Canada and created a global buzz and possibly a new
model for Netflix.
e young cast of Between (including a newborn) had to contend with significant life events in the
series. I interviewed ACTRA Toronto performers Jesse carere, Shailyn Pierre-dixon, Kyle Mac
and Krystal Hope nausbaum to discover how they managed life and death on Between, the Netflix
experiment and being a young actor.
A veteran of multiple television series including Skins and Finding Carter, Jesse Carere plays Adam,
the smartest kid in high school. With so many young actors involved, I asked Carere about professionalism on set.
Jc: I think what’s interesting about actors, even young kids… there’s something about them that is
almost old… [It’s] the fact that they're working in such a professional environment and in such a big
production… Even the little kids… they come in and they’re really sweet and they do their [acting]
thing and they’re really good and it’s like they’re mini adults.
dg: What is it like to be on a Canadian show broadcast globally week-to-week on Netflix?
Jc: It feels big, like we were making a show for everyone in the world. We were told off the bat
that… it would come out everywhere that Netflix exists… We had to separate that while were making it though so that we didn’t get wrapped up in that or feel the pressure.
dg: Where were you in your career when you landed this part?
Jc: I hadn't worked for two years and then the past year’s been pretty nice to me so I'm
just grateful.
FALL
2015
13
dg: What did you do during the time you weren't working steadily?
Jc: I was in Los Angeles going into audition rooms a lot and trying
to make impressions. I made a lot of friends… my home is split
between here in L.A… But that’s what everyone tells you, that it’s not
easy. You have to put your work in. So I understand that. I just have
to figure out how to pay the bills now.
One of the younger cast members who’s making an impression
is 12-year-old Shailyn Pierre-dixon. It’s been a remarkable year for
Pierre-Dixon. Besides starring in Between, she played Young Aminata
on the mini-series e Book of Negroes.
dg: Was playing Young Aminata’s extreme emotions hard for you?
SPd: I found it very difficult. I had to break down too. At the end…
I realized that they wouldn't have chosen me for the role if they didn’t
think I was right for the role.
On Between, Pierre-Dixon’s character, Francis, lives on a farm with
her older brother Gord. I asked Pierre-Dixon about handling the
deaths of Francis’ family members.
SPd: I had to get into the character and feeling how my character felt,
because my father dies. And it’s just hard for Gord and Francis. ey
also have their grandfather who died… (e other actors) did help
me a lot… and cheered me up if I didn’t feel the mood… Everyone on
set was great.
With the adults gone, Pierre-Dixon’s character was forced to do
grown-up jobs. She talked about Francis’ work in the town.
SPd: She helps around the orphanage and when she’s not (there) she’s
either with her brother or on the farm. So she does have a really big
job in the storyline. Which I find really cool because I just love the
farm.
dg: What were your favourite scenes to shoot?
SPd: I got to shoot with a tiger.
dg: Were you frightened?
SPd: No, I had a few scenes actually. It was a very calm tiger, it was
old. It didn’t really care. It was more like, ‘Okay, I'm here. I know what
I’m doing. I’m just walking around.”
dg: Do you think it was an ACTRA member?
SPd: Umm, I don’t know.
Kyle Mac plays Ronnie, one of Between’s most extreme and misunderstood youths. A finalist on CBC’s reality show Triple Sensation in
2007, Mac has since made a career in film and TV playing brooding
bad boys with heart. I asked Mac about landing this role on Between.


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 
KM: Before this one I didn’t work for six months or more. is part
was kind of a total fluke. I had actually prepared something totally
different from what Ronnie is in the show. I had sunglasses and I was
doing this super cool, drug-dealing, quick-talking, super slick dude.
And Michael McGowan said, “You can throw out those sunglasses
and… pretty much everything you’re doing and just approach it
again”… Michael gave me a little more backstory and I did it one more
time, and I got the part. I never had a callback.
Mac is possibly the only actor who’s been a series regular on two
Netflix series: Hemlock Grove and Between, both shot in southern
Ontario. I asked him what effect being on these shows has had on his
social media life.

 
KM: I joined Twitter and Instagram for the show. For the first time
in my career I get a bunch of messages from fans and weird fan art
pictures. But the fan interaction, how closely you can interact so
quickly, I think is fascinating. And it’s also rewarding to respond to
somebody. We’re dealing with some teens, so the reactions are so
ecstatic.… When I’ve used Twitter and tweeted Michael J. Fox and he
responds to me, it’s amazing!
One of the most moving and encouraging performances comes from
Krystal Hope nausbaum who plays Amanda. Nausbaum has Down
Syndrome and nearly didn’t get seen for the part. I asked Nausbaum
to explain why.
KHn: It was supposed to be for a character that was male. My friend
Dylan… also auditioned for that role. ey also wanted a female to
audition for it, to see if the Netflix people would do a female part. So
I auditioned for it and I blew their minds and I got it.
e production agreed and they rewrote the part for Nausbaum. I
asked Kayla if starring on Between has changed her auditions.
KHn: A lot of people out there just don’t know what people with
Down Syndrome are like. And they discriminate [against] them. And
it’s actually unfair because the people that don’t have disabilities are
playing disabilities roles… It’s hard for me so I fight that every single
day, because there’s not a lot of roles for people with my disability.
dg: Does your agent ever send you out for roles not calling for people
with disabilities?
KHn: Yes. Recently my agent said that they are doing a 15th season
of Degrassi and they’re looking for a role for someone… who has short
hair. And I have short hair. And I auditioned but it’s not supposed to
be someone who has a disability. I never got the role.
dg: Have you been recognized on the street?
KHn: Yeah! One time I was out having dinner and one person came
up to me and said, “Were you on Between?” I said,” Yeah, I’m on that
show!” ey said, “ I’m starting to watch it and I really love it.”
 
Season 2 of Between is in the works but the future of Pretty Lake residents
remains a mystery. One thing is certain, if these four young actors
are any example of our next generation of actors, ACTRA Toronto
can look forward to a bright, diverse and inclusive future.
neW AcRonyMS

What is SVOD and AVOD?
These are revenue models for online video content.
First there was TVOD (transactional video on demand). The consumer pays
a transaction fee and iTunes, for example, rents it to you or delivers it to you to
own, known respectively as Download to Rent (DTR) or Download to Own (DTO) or
Electronic Sell Through (EST).
As we move into bargaining the IPA, you might hear about SVOD and AVOD.
What are they?
SVOD is subscriber based video on demand. The consumer pays a flat monthly fee
for unlimited access to, for example, Netflix programming.
AVOD is advertising supported video on demand. An example is YouTube.
The consumer watches video content for free but the content contains advertising.
A portion of the ad revenue is paid to the content provider.
The New Media Sub-Committee and the Bargaining Committee are looking at fair
models to pay Use Fees to performers on SVOD and AVOD distributed content.
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
“ It takes hands to build a house,
but only hearts can build a home.”
~ Author unknown
Belynda Blyth
Sales Representative
Your Key to Success
Bus: 416-699-9292
Cell: 416-371-3717
bblyth@ rogers.com
www.belyndablyth.com
ACTRA member since 1985
RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Ltd., Brokerage
2237 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M4E 1G1

 


 




 



ACTRA Toronto Council
Who’s Who
PReSident
david Sparrow [email protected]
PASt PReSident
Heather Allin [email protected]
vice-PReSident, MeMBeR-At-LARge
Wendy crewson [email protected]
vice-PReSident, coMMunicAtionS
david gale [email protected]
vice-PReSident, eXteRnAL AffAiRS
Art Hindle [email protected]
vice-PReSident, MeMBeR SeRviceS
Jani Lauzon [email protected]
tReASuReR
david Macniven [email protected]
vice-PReSident, inteRnAL AffAiRS
eresa tova [email protected]
Shereen Airth [email protected]
farah Merani [email protected]
Maria del Mar [email protected]
catherine disher [email protected]
Richard Hardacre [email protected]
taborah Johnson [email protected]
Joel Keller [email protected]
Angelica Lisk-Hann [email protected]
Jani Lauzon [email protected]
colin Mochrie [email protected]
John nelles [email protected]
Jack newman [email protected]
clara Pasieka [email protected]
eric Peterson [email protected]
Leah Pinsent [email protected]
nicole St. Martin [email protected]
MeMBeR AdvocAteS And oMBudSPeRSon:
taborah Johnson, Child Advocate [email protected]
Jani Lauzon, Diversity Advocate [email protected], ext. 6618
Shawn Lawrence, Ombudsperson [email protected], ext. 6604
ACTRA Toronto Staff is here for YOU.
ActRA toRonto
geneRAL contAct infoRMAtion
tel: 416-928-2278 or toll free 1-877-913-2278
email: [email protected]
Website: www.actratoronto.com
Address: 625 Church Street, 2nd Floor,
Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 2G1
Sue Milling, Executive Director
Michelle nagel, Executive Assistant Tel: 416-642-6716
coMMeRciAL AgReeMent inteRPRetAtionS
Judy Barefoot, Director Tel: 416-642-6705
Kelly davis, Steward Tel: 416-642-6707 [email protected]
cathy Wendt, Steward Tel: 416-642-6714 [email protected]
coMMeRciAL Audition cALLBAcK inquiReS
claudette Allen Tel: 416-642-6713 [email protected]
coMMeRciAL cHeque inquiRieS
nancy dickinson, Examiner Tel: 416-642-6721
tammy Boyer, Examiner Tel: 416-642-6739
Lyn franklin, Examiner Tel: 416-642-6730
coMMeRciAL PAyMent inquiRieS
Brenda Smith, Coordinator Tel: 416-642-6731
Laura McKelvey, Senior Commercial Coordinator Tel: 416-642-6728
coMMunicAtionS
Karl Pruner, Director, Tel: 416-642-6726
Karen Woolridge, Public Relations Officer Tel: 416-642-6710
Luca de franco, Public Relations Officer - Web Tel: 416-642-6747
finAnce And AdMiniStRAtion
Karen Ritson, Director Tel: 416-642-6722
indePendent PRoduction And BRoAdcASt dePARtMent
Mimi Wolch, Director Tel: 416-642-6719
gail Haupert, Steward. IPA, Videogames. Staff Liaison: Voice, New Media
Tel: 416-642-6709 [email protected]
clare Johnston, Steward: IPA, Reality. Staff Liaison: YEAA, Health & Safety
Tel: 416-642-6746 [email protected]
Barbara Larose, Steward: IPA, CFC, Co-op, Student Films.
Staff Liaison: Minors, Background Performers
Tel: 416-642-6712 [email protected]
erin Phillips, Steward: IPA, Animation, Audio Code, CBC, NFB, TIP, TVO,
PSAs, Documentaries, Industrials. Staff Liaison: Stunts
Tel: 416-642-6711 [email protected]
cindy Ramjattan, Steward: IPA, CityTV, CTV, TIP, Zoomer, New Media.
Staff Liaison: Diversity Tel: 416-642-6738 [email protected]
toRonto indie PRoduction
Tasso Lakas, TIP Coordinator, [email protected] Tel: 416-642-6733
MeMBeR educAtion couRSeS
Holly Gray, Receptionist Tel: 416-642-6741
goRdon PinSent Studio BooKingS
416-928-2278
MeMBeR SeRviceS (dueS & PeRMitS)
Indra Escobar, Director Tel: 416-642-6702
 
By James gangl
How to Eat
a Sandwich
like a Pro
My first career was in marketing. I worked as a brand manager
for Hershey Canada, Unilever and Heinz so when I started
auditioning for commercials I came at it from a marketing
angle, thinking like The Client. The Client is the marketing
department of Coca-Cola or McCain or BMO. ey’re the
ones who appear at your callback and sit quietly in the room
staring at their laptops. ey are the money. ey pay for the
commercial and for them it’s all about messaging or what the
commercial communicates to the consumer. A commercial
actor’s job is to decode that message and translate it into a
performance. Breaking down a script as both a marketer and
an actor can give you a significant edge. Here’s how I do it:
Sell the promise not the product
Many products solve the same problem and therefore
marketing is what differentiates them. Take two snacks, Snickers
(a candy bar) and Protinis (single serve chicken strips). Both
Snickers and Protinis solve the hunger problem but make very
different promises.
In a recent Snickers campaign, a bunch of dudes are doing
dude things with their pal Godzilla. ey’re hanging at the

 
Last year I got paid $6,000 to
eat a turkey breakfast sandwich. I also sold car insurance,
beer, breakfast cereal, real
estate advice, financial services
and hardware. If it sounds like
I’m bragging, I am;
i eat a sandwich like a pro.
beach, ogling girls, dancing at a house party and finally one of
the dudes says, “Godzilla’s actually pretty cool.” His pal
responds, “Except when he’s hungry.” Cut to Godzilla on a
rampage, crushing cars and liquefying buildings with his laser
breath. e tagline appears: “You’re not you when you’re hungry.”
Snickers isn’t selling a snack, they’re promising a better you
through hunger relief.
Protinis has a spot featuring Olympic medalist Hayley
Wickenheiser rushing to pack lunches, hitting the ice and
working at a computer late at night. Protinis are touted as “e
Official Snack of Everything” but Protinis is not selling us a
snack either. Protinis is promising us time savings.
When breaking down a commercial script, articulate the
promise not the product. This will highlight the brand’s
positioning and inform your performance. At your next
audition for Voss Artesian Water don’t chug the bottle; Voss
promises class. In contrast, at your Gatorade audition
chugging the bottle might underscore the promise of rapid
rehydration. When acting in a commercial, sell the promise not
the product.
Play the Promise not the Product
identify the marketing tactic to inform
your performance
Marketers use a long list of tactics to get us to buy their products.
Identifying the tactic will help the actor raise the stakes in the
scene. Here are the most common tactics used:
fear:
If you don’t use this acne cream your friends won’t see you,
they’ll only see your pimple.
Shame:
If you don’t buy this insurance your family will be le with
crippling debt.
James Gangl is an actor, writer
and improviser. He does research
for the hit CBC radio show on advertising Under the Influence and
recently won the Kari Award at
the Bessies for best actor in a commercial. Catch him in between
your favourite TV show.
twitter.com/jamesgangl
Social Ascendance:
People in the know drink this whisky.
entitlement:
You work hard so you deserve this vacation.
Morality:
Because you love your cat you’re going to feed her the very best
cat food.
Once the tactic is identified, the actor’s job is to turn the screws.
In the Snickers example, marketers use fear, implying that you
become a monster when you’re hungry. We therefore see all
the actors laugh at Godzilla’s jokes when he is satiated and fear
for their lives when he’s hungry. Conversely, Protinis appeals
to Mom’s sense of morality: a good woman does it all, kids and
career. e actress’ job here is to illustrate how Protinis helps
her excel in all areas of her life despite the demands of her day.
Marketing uses tactics to manipulate us into buying product.
As actors, we turn up the volume on those tactics through
performance. But how loud should the volume be? Articulating
the Promise and identifying the Tactic finally leads us to the
true acting challenge, namely, nailing the tone.
Spokesperson, man-on-the-street, and walk-andtalks deserve their own paragraph because the
actor becomes the brand.
ese are the spots where at some point the actor stares directly
down the barrel of the camera and tells you why they love their
razor, or car, or reverse home mortgage. ink of the Canadian
Tire guy or the Roll Up e Rim guy. e key to nailing tone
here is to imagine who you are talking to and why you are talking
to them. In the case of a razor blade, you’re probably just
talking to your buddy. It’s no big deal, you just like the razor.
If you’re selling life insurance, you’re probably talking to your
spouse and it’s because you’re concerned about the future. e
actor must be trustworthy and, unless instructed otherwise,
your job is to inform your audience, not to hard sell
them. We circle back to the same acting imperative: Be
Real (while looking directly down the barrel of a camera).
nail the tone
is is where the actor’s chops come in. In general, be real.
Tone varies wildly and hence playing real will bring the promise
and tactic of the commercial to the surface.
Despite using drastically different tones, most commercials are
comedic. For example, Nissan touts its fuel economy by making
the gas station seem like a horror movie, saving with
Scotiabank allows parents to escape from their kids, and
Cadbury creates a fantastical laboratory that distributes
chocolate from air balloons. All of these examples are comedic
but their tones are entirely different. If the copywriter and
art director have done their jobs correctly, a world will
be created around the actor. All that is required of the actor is
a true and honest performance. Always start real and the
director will steer you towards a smaller or bigger performance.
Obviously, not all spots are comedic. Life Insurance, Mental
Health Services, Legal Advice all tend towards a more stoic tone
but the job is the same. Be real!
 
Screen grabs from James gangl’s award-winning cheerios commercial, How to Dad.
http://bit.ly/1gr237R
  
 
 
Putting it all together: How i ate a sandwich
professionally
In an hour and twenty minutes I got paid $6,000 to eat a
sandwich professionally. Looking at the script through the
client’s eyes and translating the marketing message into a real
performance helped me nail that role. Here’s a summary of how
I did it using the pointers suggested above.
e Client wasn’t selling a Turkey Breakfast Sandwich, they
were promising a great way to start the workday. Picture the
sun rising and me in a crisp business suit taking the second
bite of a turkey breakfast sandwich. Putting the promise into
performance, I enjoyed the sandwich while looking crisp and
alert, ready to tackle a day at the office right after a delicious
breakfast.
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 
e tactic was entitlement. I’m good at what I do so I deserve
a great breakfast. Translated into performance, this was all
about what I was eating. With each take I tried to taste
something different. Was that a bit of tangy cheese? Mmmm,
that turkey sausage patty is super savoury! Wow, that English
muffin is so… god this is good!
Finally, the tone was a simple slice of life. The spot featured
different workers from all walks of life enjoying the same
breakfast. Hence, I avoided hamming up how much I enjoyed
the turkey. I just enjoyed it. When some flour from the English
muffin got on my lip, I brushed it off. I was real.
By understanding the Client’s promise, tactic and tone I ate that
sandwich like a pro.
And now you can too!

Equity and ACTRA
talk of enhanced
relationship
Two unions represent the interests of
professional performers in English-speaking
Canada: ACTRA covers work in recorded media and Equity
covers live performance. However, the lines between those mediums
are blurring in our fast-evolving digital universe. Many producers of live
performance are looking to expand their audiences by streaming or recording their
productions. ACTRA Toronto has been working closely with Equity in those cases, but
as the media landscape continues to change, questions on how best to encourage the creativity
of producers and performers while protecting our Intellectual Property has folks talking.
Working together isn’t new. Many professional performers are members of both unions, and we’ve been
working together to see important legislation like the new Protecting Child Performers Act passed here in
Ontario. Last December, we were able to revisit and update our longstanding Reciprocal Agreement (RA),
rolling out the modernized and streamlined ACTRA/Equity RA to our respective memberships in January.
And we continue to lobby governments together to improve conditions for artists in Canada.
Now we’re discussing the possibility of a closer, more-enhanced relationship, examining how our two unions can
strengthen the political power of Canadian artists in live and recorded media while at the same time helping both
organizations to better thrive in the 21st century. These joint committee discussions are still in their very
beginning stages. Only time will tell what form a new relationship will take, however, a stronger strategic alliance,
the sharing of expertise, resources, benefits, space and staff are all on the table for discussion.
We are definitely two unique and successful organizations, similar in some ways and quite different in others. ere is
a lot to discuss and research. At this time, no decisions or commitments have been made. In the end, the guiding
principle will be to ensure real benefit for the members of both organizations and for the arts in Canada.
We’ll keep you abreast of our discussions as we go along. Decisions leading to an enhanced
relationship will only be undertaken through consultation with our respective memberships and
with elected National and Branch Councils. Any major change to the governance of either
organization would be put to a referendum of our respective memberships.
Until then, if you’ve got any questions or helpful information, send it along to
[email protected].
David Sparrow
President, ActRA toronto
 
Member News
change to Member By-Law
Cool Day Jobs in the Biz
Q
- A casting director would like me to direct an audition
session next week. does ActRA have any rules about this
type of work?
e Independent Production
Agreement (IPA) contains a
Statutory Declaration for Casting Directors. It says that
C a s t ing Directors and those
they employ are not eligible to
work on an ACTRA Performer
c ont r a c t or B a ck g rou n d
voucher on that Production.
ACTRA’s By-Laws set out the
Work Rules by which every
member should govern themselves. Some of those rules
ensure that members in a position to engage or negotiate
terms for performers do not
have an unfair advantage over
other members seeking work.
ese rules extend to members
who are agents too.
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 
Q
- does the same apply if i’m running auditions for a
radio commercial or a cartoon?
Yes. e same rules apply in the Voice and Commercial world.
If you’re hired by production or casting to direct an audition,
cast or engage other members you should recuse yourself
from auditioning or accepting a role. e purpose is to ensure
a level playing field, no undue influence and no wasted time
for your fellow performers.
Q – Has ActRA negotiated a rate for being a reader?
Yes. The rate for taking part in another Performer’s IPA
audition is currently $30.35 per hour or $152.25, whichever
is greater (IPA A2804). The r a t e f o r t a k i n g p a r t i n
a n other Performer’s commercial audition is currently
$81.50 per hour with a
guarantee of $326.50
which includes four hours
work time.( NCA 908) Both
types of work require
ACTRA contracts.
Member News
New membership card
a big hit
ACTRA Toronto is feeling the love for its new
hard-plastic membership card. e card is a first step
toward a smartcard able to connect with the membership
database. ACTRA Toronto also has a long-range
dream to make the membership card capable of
functioning as a paperless Background voucher.
We dream big.
Another reason to carry
your membership card
at all times
Of course you bring it to set each time. And you carry it with
you so you can get your MAP discounts, right?
www.actra.ca/main/members/member-benefits/map-discounts/
But how about this? A member lost her wallet. A good person
picked it up, found her ACTRA membership card, and called
ACTRA to find out if they could return it to her via her union.
Nice person. Happy member.
Bargaining Committee Announced
Six ACTRA Toronto members have agreed to serve as team members or alternates on the IPA Bargaining Committee:
david Sparrow, catherine disher, grace Lynn Kung, Shawn doyle, Sarah gadon and Rick Howland. is is time-consuming,
challenging work. If you see these wonderful people, please give them your thanks.
david Sparrow
catherine disher
grace Lynn Kung
Shawn doyle
Sarah gadon
Rick Howland
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Member News
ACTRA Awards Submissions
e ACTRA Awards in Toronto will be held on Friday, February 19, 2016
at the Carlu. Submissions are open now but will close on November 1, 2015.
Go online to submit at:
www.actratoronto.com/performers/community/the-actra-awards-in-toronto/actra-awards-submission/
Any Toronto member in good standing may submit a performance by
a Toronto member in good standing. The performance must be in
a principal role. The first public exhibition of the program must have
occurred between November 1, 2014 and October 31, 2015. Do your
p ar t to ma ke sure outst anding C anadian p erformances get the
recognition they deserve!

Train professionally on camera for film acting
• Diploma Programs - Earn a diploma in 4 months
• Certificate Programs - 1 month training
• Create Film Scenes for your demo reel working with Award Winning Director
• Part time classes - evenings and weekends - for kids, teens and adults
• ACTRA Member receive 10% discount

 
Young Artists Award
L.A.
Congratulations to ACTRA Toronto member emilia
Mccarthy who won the 2015 Young Artists Award for
Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries, Special or
Pilot (Young Actress) for her performance as Taylor
Dean in Disney Channel’s Zapped, shot in Vancouver.
Your Council and Stunt Committee Election Timeline
October 21 –
ballots distributed
October 2 –
candidates
statements due
November 20 –
ballots returned
September 25 –
nominations close
December 1 –
newly elected Councillors
join Council with voice
but no vote for
2 meetings
January 5, 2016 –
Election of Treasurer and VicePresidents. Election of 12 National
Councillors and 6 National
alternates.

HIGHLIGHTS
OF COUNCIL ACTIVITY 2014 - 2016
ACT YOUR AGE (AYA)
CHILD PERFORMERS
Actors Don’t Retire video
Actors’ Gym
Holiday Cabaret
Bill 17 becomes law!
AGENT OUTREACH
CONFERENCE
COMMITTEE
Parent Information Sessions
Creation of Toronto Talent Agents Association
Background Talent Agents meet Background Casting Directors
AWARDS
COMMITTEE
ACTRA Awards in Toronto,
as fabulous as ever under new Chair
Member Conferences,
now with free childcare
Nicole St. Martin
COUNCIL
Katie Boland at CRTC
CRTC Flash Conference video
Low-Budget Digital Guidelines
Let’s Talk TV public consultations
Maria del Mar
BACKGROUND
Apprentice Caucus re-invigorated
Full Member Background Committee formed
AABP Caucus continues strong
CastingBackground.ca
DIVERSITY
COMMITTEE
CastingDiversity.ca talent database goes National
Diversity Casting Go-See
Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival
Deaf Film & Arts Festival
CFC Actors Conservatory makes diversity commitment
BARGAINING
Stratford Agreement
Soulpepper Agreement
NCA deal – full day rates restored for online
commercials!
TiP rates increased
Farah Merani
28
ACTRA TORONTO PErForMErS
ey’ve been busy!
LooK WHAt tHey’ve AccoMPLiSHed!
A big thank-you to this Council as their term winds up.
David Gale
EDITORIAL
COMMITTEE
STUNT
COMMITTEE
Performers on Set – quarterly
newsletter taken to sets and available
online
Performers magazines twice yearly
CastingStunts.ca
Concussion education and baseline testing
New ACTRA Toronto Stunt Award
Stunt Committee promotional clip reel
Angelica Lisk-Hann
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Clean audits
Balanced budget
MEMBER SERVICE
Aer-hours hotline
Help with Worker Health and Safety Awareness
AFBS Financial literacy workshop
New hard-plastic membership card
CastingACTRA.ca
ORGANIZING
Torontofilmworkers.com video and website promoted to L.A.
Industry Relations hires
ACTRA Advantage Research Project
Northern Ontario satellite office
Mayoral candidate industry roundtable
Zaib Shaikh appointed City of Toronto Film Commissioner
New reciprocal agreement with Equity
Changing Workplaces Review
TORONTO ACTRA
WOMEN’S
COMMITTEE
TAWC Youth Retreat
TAWC panel on harassment
Nell Shipman Awards
BravoFact commits to 50% gender equity
Toolkit 2.0 mentorship produces Girl Couch
VOICE
COMMITTEE
CastingVoice.ca
New voice booth in the
Gordon Pinsent Studio
Audiobooks research
Catherine Disher
YOUNG EMERGING
ACTORS’ ASSEMBLY
PARADES COMMITTEE (YEAA)
Pride Parades
Labour Day Parades
YEAA sells out ReelWorld
Mega TiFF party trends city-wide
Clara Pasieka
Colin Mochrie at World Pride
FALL
2015
29
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Daniel John Paul Conley
Jonathan Crombie
1946 - 2015 1966 - 2015
Dan Conley, son of John and
Pauline Conley of Windsor,
passed away suddenly, but peacefully, in his Toronto home.
Survived by his loving wife,
Robin Leigh, brother Shawn,
sisters Kathie and Erin, nephews,
nieces, loving Aunt Joan and
Uncle Gus orburn. Dan attended the University of
Windsor, Faculty of Drama, acted
at the Stratford Festival eatre
and was the recipient of the 1970
Chalmers Apprentice Award.
Dan leaves behind a long career in the film/TV industry as an ACTRA
member and a 35-year I.A.T.S.E. 873 member. In a career he loved dearly, he brought smiles to every set he worked
on. A man of charm and unending warmth, he filled his life with loyal
friendships. His memory will remain in the hearts of those fortunate
to have known him. 
There will be a memorial celebration of Dan's life in Toronto
in September. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the ACTRA's Fund of
Canada would be appreciated.
Robin Leigh
Jonathan Crombie was one of
those rare people who could ruin
your night simply by leaving. As
an actor, he was very accomplished. ere was the Gilbert
Blythe thing, of course, as well as
his stellar work at Stratford, his
stint as the best-looking male
Skippy’s Ranger, and his stirring
turn as the Colonel in Satherby’s
Request. He soared on television
in Mount Royal and Slings &
Arrows, and on Broadway as the
other Man in the Chair. But
when I think of him and the
thirty-plus years we worked, ate, drank and played together, I think of
the absences, the many dreary evenings that would have been saved
had he just walked through the door in his baseball cap and torn
jacket, with the ubiquitous knapsack slung over his shoulder that
contained, I assume, all of his wordily possessions. Unfortunately, he
was hard to pin down. Jonathan would participate only if the event
were spontaneous, and so there was a kind of ongoing lie in which of
all of his friends were complicit; that all dinners and parties and
movies and outings, n o m atte r h ow c are f ul ly pl an n e d,
were impulsive, spur-of-the-moment things.
Even so, when invited, Jonathan would reply, “I’ll be there, or whatever.” “Or whatever” was his get-out-of-jail free card and he played it
constantly. He was on his own trip, that’s for sure. He thought deeply,
and liked to ask the big questions. He didn’t like owning things, and
was proud of the fact that he could move apartments by calling a cab.
He was a very private man and, yes, eccentric, but loyal, generous and
kind-hearted. He did not live life so much as wrestle it into
submission, but he never burdened anyone with his problems. More
than anything he was fun, and it is this extraordinary ability of his to
twist life and work and the world in general into something supremely
enjoyable that makes his sudden death at age 48 so hard to accept.

A big thank you from all of us, Jonny. We’ll see you again soon, or
whatever.

 
Bob Martin co-wrote e Drowsy Chaperone and originated the role
of Man in the Chair. He was a fellow member of Skippy’s Rangers with
Jonathan and co-created Slings & Arrows in which Jonathan played
Lionel Train.
R J ADAMS
DON BERNS
JAMES BIROS
JAAP BROEKER
ANGELO CELESTE
MARIO CORNACCHIA
JAMES FLETT
EILEEN GOLLERT
LYNNE GORDON
EDWARD L GREENSPAN
ARTHUR HILL
JOHN CLIFFORD HUNTER
LISE LEBEL
SHAUNE LEGRIS
LILLIAN LEWIS
LOIS LILIENSTEIN
BRIAN MACDONALD
ISRAEL SIMON
ALEESHA SODHA
ROBERT C. TERRIS
STAN TULLY
JOSEPH VIDA
PATRICIA ANN WATSON
Susan Petrie
Alberta Watson
1951 - 2015
1955 -2015
I first noticed Susan in my sister's
yearbook. She was extremely
photogenic and her smile so
warm and friendly. A year later,
when I got to high school, Susan
was starring in her own TV series
for the CBC, Toby a Canadian
take-off of Gidget. We became
very close. Susan flung open the
doors and windows of a brand
new world for me and that was
where I wanted to be. She was
gorgeous, wise, an old soul yet
naively honest and sincere, and
so generous with herself. She
introduced me to her friends, people in film, theatre, and television,
glorious, exciting people.
Elegant, intelligent and fierce was
our Alberta Watson. Alberta was
a magical performer, so talented,
so compelling to watch. I first
met her when I asked her to
share some of her experiences at
an ACTRA breakfast with
emerging talent. She said yes before I’d f inishe d t he pitch.
A l berta was willing to share
not only the good things about
having a career in the industry,
but also what to be wise about,
like following your own inner
voice and asking for what you
need. She’d just returned from L.A., her success in Spanking
the Monkey something she took in stride. She was playing Senator
Madeline Pierce in La Femme Nikita at the time and I watched just to
see what she’d do next.
Coincidentally we both got parts in Don Shebib's movie Rip-off. What
splendid fun. Evenings before a day of shooting we read our scripts inside out and made sure we were completely prepared. It was magical
to share my first professional acting experience with my best friend.
roughout the ‘70s Susan’s career blossomed. She was dedicated and
worked very hard and a lot, appearing in numerous films, television
shows, and theatre productions all across Canada. She worked with
Canada's greatest directors and writers, most memorably starring in
David Cronenberg’s Shivers. She was a Canadian star. There was
always talk about going to L.A. and sometime in the early ‘70s she
finally went. At this time she also met and fell in love with aspiring
director Allan Eastman. ey had a dream to produce a film that
Susan would star in and Allan would direct, and that would be their
calling card in L.A. However, when they got to Hollywood, fate
intervened and her dream faded. Susan’s last professional acting job
was in 1977. She returned to Canada briefly for her marriage to Myles
Reiss in 1981.
Late this April, I got a call from Susan’s husband that she had passed
away on April 16th. He was shattered. She was 63 years old. ey had
been together for 37 years. With him, Susan found the love and trust
that were so important to her.

Actor Derek McGrath, who had known Susan even before I had, said
“I was in love with her then." I thought for a second and replied, "So
was I."
Ann Evans
With my first large role, I called her for advice. She said, “You’ve done
all the hard work, just have fun and play.” at’s the kind of woman she
was, always putting things into perspective. I remember how much
she loved her dog, how much she delighted in her relationship with
her husband Ken, how much she loved him. I remember how warm
and welcoming her home was, that she enjoyed watching figure
skating, especially the Olympics, and how proud she was of
Canadians who stood up, helping others to reach farther.
I particularly noticed her strength and honesty during the 2006 IPA
negotiations. She was a strong supporter of performers’ rights and of
what we are due. Each morning of negotiations I looked forward to
seeing her determined, proud face. Somehow she helped make it
possible to go back at it, over and over again. Even when facing
difficult battles of her own, she never let her union down, never let her
fellow performers down. She was a force of nature - gracious, brilliant
and generous to the last.

We lost Alberta on March 21, 2015. I miss you, my friend. Your star
shines bright on all of us.
Heather Allin
Past President, ACTRA Toronto
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