Rosemary Dunsmore (born July 13, 1952) is a Canadian TV, film, and theatre actress, director, and educator. She was awarded a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her 1982 performance in Straight Ahead/Blind Dancers. In 2009 she won the ACTRA Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film The Baby Formula. She has starred in some well-known Canadian productions, including The Campbells, Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, Road to Avonlea, Mom P.I., Murdoch Mysteries and Orphan Black.[1]
Rosemary Dunsmore | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Rosemary Dunsmore in August 2014 | |
| Born | July 13, 1952 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1980 – present |
Life and career
editBorn on July 13, 1952, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Dunsmore was trained in drama at York University from which she graduated in 1973.[2] She began her professional career in 1975 touring in Cedric Smith and George Luscombe's play Ten Lost Years.[2] She soon appeared in productions in several important Canadian theatres, including the Stratford Festival, the Centaur Theatre. and the Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts.[2] For her 1982 performance in Straight Ahead/Blind Dancers she was awarded both a Dora Mavor Moore Award and the best performer award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.[2]
A prolific television actress, Dunsmore began her screen career with appearances in The Littlest Hobo in 1980.[2] She became well known for her portrayal of Katherine Brooke in the 1987 miniseries Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (more widely known as Anne of Avonlea outside Canada).[2] She later appeared in the recurring role of Abigail MacEwan in Road to Avonlea (1990–1996).[2] From 1990–1992 she starred as the central character of Sally Sullivan in two seasons of the Canadian television comedy-drama series Mom P.I..[2] She has guest starred on the Canadian television programs Being Erica, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Hangin' In, Lost Girl, Murdoch Mysteries, and ReGenesis.[2] On American television she has appeared in Beauty and the Beast , L.A. Law, Queer as Folk, and The Twilight Zone.[2]
In film, Dunsmore had roles in the Hollywood films Twins (1988), Total Recall (1990) and Cliffhanger (1993).[2] In 2009, she won the ACTRA Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film The Baby Formula.[3]
She was formerly married to actor Peter Dvorsky.[4]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Twins | Miss Busby | |
| 1990 | Total Recall | Dr. Renata Lull | |
| 1993 | Cliffhanger | Treasury Secretary | |
| 1995 | Bach's Fight for Freedom | Gerta | |
| 1996 | Natural Enemy | Judy | Video |
| 1998 | Strike! | Page Sawyer | AKA, All I Wanna Do |
| 2001 | Good Stuff | Doctor | Short film |
| 2003 | Dreamcatcher | Roberta Cavell | |
| 2004 | White Knuckles | Victoria Conrad | |
| 2006 | Citizen Duane | Mayor Kelly Milton | |
| 2007 | Bonded Pairs | Rosemary | Short film |
| 2008 | The Baby Formula | Wanda | |
| 2009 | Orphan | Grandma Barbara | |
| 2009 | At Home by Myself...With You | Bessie | |
| 2010 | Empty | Margaret Burke | Video short |
| 2011 | Faces in the Crowd | Dr. Langenkamp #2 | |
| 2012 | The Riverbank | Miranda Magos | |
| 2012 | Miskate | Grandma | Short fim |
| 2013 | The Hot Flash | Nana | Short film |
| 2014 | Don't Get Killed in Alaska | Jan | |
| 2015 | How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town | Seth's Mother | |
| 2017 | Blood Honey | Louisa Lippe | |
| 2020 | The Toll | Lorraine | |
| 2020 | Dear Jesus | Sister Bernadette | Short film |
| 2021 | Kicking Blood | Bernice | |
| 2023 | To Catch a Killer | Mrs. Possey | |
| 2024 | Thereby Hangs a Tale | Mary | Short film |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Littlest Hobo | Dixie | "Ghost Rig" |
| 1981 | The Littlest Hobo | Di Jarrett | "Airport" |
| 1982 | Off Your Rocker | Barbara "Babs" | TV film |
| 1982 | Hangin' In | Jocelyn | "The Reunion" |
| 1983 | As You Like It | Celia | TV film |
| 1985 | ABC Weekend Special | Mrs. Settergren | "Pippi Longstocking" |
| 1986 | The Frantics: Four on the Floor | Various Characters | TV show (Episodes 1.02-1.04) |
| 1986 | Miles to Go... | Cynthia | TV film |
| 1986–1990 | The Campbells | Mary McTavish | Recurring role |
| 1987 | Race for the Bomb | Jean O'Leary | TV miniseries |
| 1987 | Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel | Katherine Brooke | TV miniseries |
| 1987 | After the Promise | Florence Jackson | TV film |
| 1987 | Danger Bay | Agnes Calhoun | "A Tangled Web" |
| 1987 | Street Legal | Samantha Greene | "Romeo and Carol" |
| 1988 | A Father's Homecoming | Dolores | TV film |
| 1988 | Go Toward the Light | Sally | TV film |
| 1988 | Favorite Son | Mrs. Harriet Fallon | TV miniseries |
| 1988 | L.A. Law | Ina Toland | "The Princess and the Pee" |
| 1988 | The Twilight Zone | Elise | "Appointment on Route 17" |
| 1988 | Blades of Courage | Carla LaRoche | TV film |
| 1989 | My Two Dads | Dr. Stuart | "Who's on First?" |
| 1989 | Hunter | Rachel Sands | "Me, Myself & Die" |
| 1989 | Beauty and the Beast | Virginia Sheets | "Trial" |
| 1990 | MacGyver | Dr. Gwen Carpenter | "Deep Cover" |
| 1990 | Personals | Susan Merchant | TV film |
| 1990 | E.N.G. | Kathleen Kenner | "Catch a Falling Star" |
| 1990 | Mom P.I. | Sally Sullivan | TV film |
| 1990 | Street Legal | Marlene Weiss | "Shadow Boxing" |
| 1990–1996 | Road to Avonlea | Abigail MacEwan | 5 episodes |
| 1991 | The Boys | Helene | TV film |
| 1993 | Liar, Liar: Between Father and Daughter | Mary Farrow | TV film |
| 1993 | E.N.G. | Dr. Boyd | "And the Winner Is..." |
| 1993 | Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story | Rose Beckman | TV film |
| 1994 | RoboCop: The Series | Ms. Leachman | "Mother's Day" |
| 1996 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Rachel | "Dragon's Lair" |
| 1996 | Undue Influence | Carla Morgan | TV film |
| 1996 | We the Jury | Dr. Ruth Quintero | TV film |
| 1997 | Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story | Frances Louganis | TV film |
| 1997 | Poltergeist: The Legacy | Dr. Emily Randall | "Fear" |
| 1998 | The Long Way Home | Mrs. Bossert | TV film |
| 1998 | When He Didn't Come Home | Mrs. Blair | TV film |
| 1998 | Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal | Dr. Ruth Godwin | "The Undead, The/Stalker" |
| 1999 | Freak City | Mary Manmouth | TV film |
| 1999 | Dear America: The Winter of Red Snow | Mama | TV short |
| 1999 | At the Mercy of a Stranger | Jan Scott | TV film |
| 2000 | Secret Cutting | Principal Luce | TV film |
| 2001 | Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows | Ida Koverman | TV miniseries |
| 2001 | The Warden | Mrs. Winchwood | TV film |
| 2001 | Hangman | Dr. Natalie Walsh | TV film |
| 2001 | Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series | E.J. Lark (voice) | "A Welcome Hero" |
| 2001 | Blue Murder | Principal Leona Harcourt | "All Saints" |
| 2001 | Dangerous Child | Margo | TV film |
| 2001–2003 | Soul Food | Judge Priscilla Barnes | "Games People Play", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Shades of Grey" |
| 2002 | The Associates | Judge Martin | "Soulmates", "Liar, Liar" |
| 2002 | The Interrogation of Michael Crowe | Dorothy Sorenson | TV film |
| 2003 | Profoundly Normal | Charlotte Johnson | TV film |
| 2003 | Queer as Folk | Judge | "Stop Hurting Us" |
| 2004 | Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story | Warden Woodford | TV film |
| 2004 | Degrassi: The Next Generation | Judge | "Ghost in the Machine" |
| 2004 | The Grid | Lois Avery | TV miniseries |
| 2004 | Wild Card | Mrs. Sutton | "Premonition Mission" |
| 2004 | A Very Married Christmas | Osa Larson | TV film |
| 2004–2005 | ReGenesis | Congresswoman Shuler | Recurring role |
| 2005 | Kevin Hill | Judge Landell | "Occupational Hazard" |
| 2006 | Playing House | Madeline | TV film |
| 2006 | At the Hotel | Marcia Bridge | "Modern Solutions to Modern Problems" |
| 2006 | Covert One: The Hades Factor | Nancy Langford | TV miniseries |
| 2006 | Wedding Wars | Claire Welling | TV film |
| 2007 | St. Urbain's Horseman | Hannah | TV miniseries |
| 2007 | They Come Back | Mrs. Carr | TV film |
| 2007 | The Altar Boy Gang | Kate | TV series |
| 2008 | A Raisin in the Sun | Mrs. Arnold | TV film |
| 2008 | Burn Up | Margo | "1.2" |
| 2008 | For the Love of Grace | Alicia | TV film |
| 2009 | Being Erica | Tania | "Til Death" |
| 2009 | Guns | Janet Patterson | TV miniseries |
| 2009 | The Good Times Are Killing Me | Melanie | TV film |
| 2009 | Too Late to Say Goodbye | Narda Barber | TV film |
| 2009 | Cra$h & Burn | Mrs. McCutcheon | "Trust" |
| 2009 | Nureyev | Diane | TV film |
| 2010 | Murdoch Mysteries | Bernice Taylor | "Me, Myself and Murdoch" |
| 2010 | When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story | Matilda Burnham | TV film |
| 2010 | Living in Your Car | Mira Shaw | "Chapter 3" |
| 2010 | Unnatural History | Mrs. Elaine Dunsmoor | "Public School Enemies" |
| 2010 | Red: Werewolf Hunter | Grandmother Sullivan | TV film |
| 2010–2012 | Ruby Skye P.I. | Ava O'Deary | Recurring role |
| 2011 | The Santa Suit | Marge | TV film |
| 2011 | Little Mosque on the Prairie | Mrs. Harper | "Love at First Fight" |
| 2012 | Guidestones | Jacqueline Glenndenning | "The Truth: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 2012 | Fugitive at 17 | Grandmother | TV film |
| 2013 | The Surrogacy Trap | Beth Franklin | TV film |
| 2013 | Cracked | Mrs. Dunlow | "How the Light Gets In" |
| 2014 | Remedy | Violet Patterson | "Shadow of Doubt" |
| 2015–2016 | Between | Minister Miller | Recurring role |
| 2015 | The Plateaus | Nun #1 | Recurring role |
| 2015–2017 | Orphan Black | Professor Susan Duncan | Recurring role |
| 2018 | PAW Patrol | Ms. Marjorie (voice) | Recurring role |
| 2019 | Coroner | Mrs. Panych | "Black Dog", "Bridges" |
| 2019 | Street Legal | Renee Darling | Recurring role |
| 2019 | The Hot Zone | Nancy's Aunt | "Arrival", "Expendable", "Hidden" |
| 2021–2022 | Chucky | Dr. Mixter | Recurring role |
| Chucky | Episode: "Chucky Actually" | ||
| 2022 | Good Sam | Helen Fletcher | "Attachments", "To Whom It May Concern" |
| 2022 | Three Pines | Irene Morrow | "The Murder Stone: Part One", "The Murder Stone: Part Two" |
| 2023 | Fellow Travelers | Estelle Fuller | Episode: "Bulletproof" |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Production | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Gemini | Best Performance by a Supporting Actress | Blades of Courage | Nominated |
| 2001 | Gemini | Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series | Blue Murder | Nominated |
| 2008 | ACTRA Awards | Best Female Performance | The Baby Formula | Won |
References
edit- ^ "Dunsmore, Rosemary". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. March 30, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Aidan Morgan (July 11, 2013). "Rosemary Dunsmore". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
- ^ "Rosemary Dunsmore". Canadian Film Centre. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ Iona Monahan, "Mother-in-law taught actress art of dress". Montreal Gazette, May 27, 1986.