Jaclyn Michelle Linetsky (January 8, 1986 – September 8, 2003[1]) was a Canadian actress who played the title character on Caillou and Megan O'Connor on 15/Love.
Jaclyn Linetsky | |
|---|---|
 Linetsky in 2002 | |
| Born | Jaclyn Michelle Linetsky January 8, 1986 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | September 8, 2003 (aged 17) Brossard, Quebec, Canada |
| Cause of death | Traffic collision |
| Resting place | Kehal Israel Memorial Cemetery, Dollard-des-Ormeaux |
| Education | St. George's High School, Montreal |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1994–2003 |
| Notable work | Kate's friend in Kart Racer (2003) |
| Television | Caillou (2000–2003) Mega Babies (1999–2000) What's with Andy? (2001–2003) 15/Love (2004–2006) |
Early life
editJaclyn Michelle Linetsky was born on January 8, 1986, at the Jewish General Hospital to Jewish parents, Terry (née Weiner) and Larry Linetsky. She had two older siblings, Kelly and Derek.[2] Linetsky was raised in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, then moved to Hampstead, a suburb in Montreal, Quebec. She graduated from St. George's School of Montreal in 2003, and she made a speech at the graduation ceremony.
Career
editLinetsky began acting at age eight, performing in theatre productions. Her first major gig was in a milk radio advertisement at age 10.
Linetsky provided the voice of the title character in the animated series Caillou from 2000 until her death in 2003. She also provided the voices for Bitzi in the animated series Daft Planet (2002); Lori Mackney in the second season of What's with Andy? (2003–2004) replacing US voice actress Colleen O'Shaughnessey; Kit on Kit & Kaboodle. Shei-Hu, his cousin Shei-He, and a large group of other mice as well as additional voices on Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat; Yukari on Tommy & Oscar; Brenda on Rotten Ralph and Meg in Mega Babies.
Other roles in voice acting included, The Kids from Room 402, Wunschpunsch, The Country Mouse and the City Mouse Adventures, Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings, Jim Button and video games Alex Builds His Farm and Evolution Worlds.
In 2003, Linetsky was cast in the tennis-circuit-themed dramatic series 15/Love on YTV. Her character, Megan O'Connor, was falling in love with Sebastian Dube, played by co-star Vadim Schneider.
Death
editOn September 8, 2003, Linetsky and Vadim Schneider were on their way to the set of 15/Love in Saint-Césaire, Quebec, in a Dodge Caravan. For unknown reasons, the Dodge Caravan went off its original trajectory around 12:15 P.M., and across the middle band of the highway, finishing in the wrong direction on Highway 10 West in Brossard. The van swerved into oncoming traffic, crossed the median, and struck a 20-foot semi-truck head on, causing the vehicle to burst into flames. The two actors were knocked unconscious by the impact.[3]
Schnieder died instantly on impact from multiple physical trauma. Linetsky went into cardiac arrest and died hours later from the combined effects of physical trauma, severe injuries, and burns. They were both 17 years old.[3]
On the day of Schneider and Linetsky's deaths, filming for 15/Love was delayed and went on a two-week hiatus. The cast and crew wanted to speak with the actors' families.
On September 10, 2003, a funeral was held for Linetsky, with over 1,500 mourners in attendance. She was buried in Kehal Israel Memorial Park in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec.
Linetsky was replaced by Annie Bovaird as the voice of Caillou. Her character in 15/Love was written to have died off-screen.[4]
In a statement, Stuart Snyder, President and CEO of Cinar Corporation, wrote:
"Jaclyn's voice enchanted thousands of children and viewers and she brought her own special personality and character to Caillou. She was a very talented performer and will be deeply missed by us all. On behalf of everyone at CINAR, I want to express our most sincere and heartfelt sympathies to Jaclyn's family."
Tributes
editThe episode of What's with Andy? entitled "Nurse Jen" was dedicated to her memory, as was the 15/Love episode entitled "Curveballs P.1" and the Caillou film Caillou's Holiday Movie. The very last episode of 15/Love was also dedicated to her memory. In 2009, St. George's School of Montreal, Linetsky's alma mater, renamed their performing arts program "The Jaclyn Linetsky Performing Arts Program" in her honour.[5]
Filmography
editAnimation
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | The Country Mouse and the City Mouse Adventures | Additional Voices | |
| 1998 | Kit & Kaboodle | Kit | |
| 1998–1999 | Jim Button | Additional Voices | |
| 1999 | Tommy & Oscar | Yukari | |
| Mega Babies | Meg | ||
| 1999–2001 | Rotten Ralph | Brenda/Additional Voices | |
| 2000 | The Kids from Room 402 | Additional Voices | |
| 2000–2003 | Caillou | Caillou | Lead role (seasons 2-3) |
| 2000–2001 | Wunschpunsch | Additional Voices | |
| 2002 | Daft Planet | Bitzi | |
| Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat | Shei-Hu, Shei-He/Additional Voices | 6 episodes | |
| Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings | Additional Voices | ||
| 2003–2004 | What's with Andy? | Lori | Season 2 only Some episodes aired posthumously |
Live-action
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 15/Love | Megan O'Connor | 13 episodes All aired posthumously |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Kart Racer | Kate's Friend |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Evolution Worlds | Ricardo / Yuko |
References
edit- ^ Allison Lawlor (September 16, 2003). "Jaclyn Linetsky: Montreal teen". The Globe and Mail. p. R7.
- ^ "Births and Deaths". The Montreal Gazette. January 18, 1986. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
- ^ a b "Voice of Caillou dies in crash". CBC News.
- ^ "These actors didn't survive their last TV roles". The A.V. Club. May 21, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ "School arts program to be renamed for Jaclyn Linetsky". The Canadian Jewish News.