My Favorite Canadian Actresses

1. Lauren K. Robek

Kirsten Robek is an Actress, Writer, Director and Coach. She has her BFA from York University and has worked across Canada and the US in film, television and theatre. She began her career as a ballet dancer, but made the transition to acting early on and has worked steadily ever since. She lives in...

2. Jessica Steen

Actress | Armageddon

A native of Toronto, Canada, Jessica Steen is probably best known in the U.S. for having been a regular on two short-lived TV series: the critically acclaimed Homefront (1991) and the science fiction show Earth 2 (1994). She also appeared opposite Michael Richards (Kramer from Seinfeld (1989)) in ...

3. Wendy Crewson

Actress | Air Force One

Wendy Jane Crewson is a Canadian actress and producer. She began her career appearing on Canadian television, before her breakthrough role in 1991 dramatic film The Doctor. Crewson has appeared in many Hollywood films, including The Good Son (1993), The Santa Clause (1994) and its sequels The Santa...

4. Gwynyth Walsh

Actress | Star Trek: Generations

Gwynyth Walsh was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada but was raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. Walsh earned her Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from the University of Alberta and started her career appearing on stage, across Canada and in the United States, in many classics, including. For ...

5. Rosemary Dunsmore

Actress | Orphan Black

Canadian star of stage, screen and television; has appeared in and directed numerous stage productions including "Wuthering Heights", "The Attic", "The Pearls", "The Glass Menagerie" and received the Masque Award for her performance in the Montreal production of "Wit."

In 1990, she was named by ...

6. Jayne Eastwood

Actress | Dawn of the Dead

Jayne Eastwood was born on December 17, 1946 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is an actress, known for Dawn of the Dead (2004), My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016). She was previously married to David Flaherty.

7. Carly Pope

Actress | Elysium

Carly graduated from high school in Vancouver in 1998. She made her American screen debut in I've Been Waiting for You (1998). Her most noticeable roles to date are "Molly White" in Trapped in a Purple Haze (2000), and "Sam McPherson" in TV's Popular (1999). She auditioned for roles on Roswell (...

8. Teryl Rothery

Actress | Stargate SG-1

A Vancouver native, Teryl Rothery always knew she wanted to be an entertainer. She began her career as a dancer at age thirteen when she performed in her first musical, "Bye Bye Birdie". Her role in "Annie Get Your Gun" earned her a Most Outstanding Performer award with her theater company. Teryl ...

9. Kelly Rowan

Actress | The O.C.

Kelly Rowan is best known for playing "Kirsten Cohen" on The O.C. (2003) for which she won a Prism award for best actress. She recently starred in and executive-produced The Good Times Are Killing Me (2009) with Rupert Graves.

Her recent indie film credits include Jack and Jill vs. the World (2008) ...

10. Neve Campbell

Actress | Scream

Neve Campbell was born and raised in Guelph, Ontario, to Marnie (Neve), a Dutch-born psychologist and yoga instructor (from Amsterdam), and Gerry Campbell, a Scottish-born teacher (from Glasgow). Campbell first came to our TV screens in the hit Drama series Party of Five (1994). Described as TV's ...

11. Elliot Page

Actor | Juno

Elliot Page was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia to Martha Philpotts, a teacher, and Dennis Page, a graphic designer. Page wanted to start acting at an early age and attended the Neptune Theater School. They began their career at the age of 10 on the award-winning television series Pit Pony (1999), for...

12. Rachel McAdams

Actress | The Notebook

Rachel Anne McAdams was born on November 17, 1978 in London, Ontario, Canada, to Sandra Kay (Gale), a nurse, and Lance Frederick McAdams, a truck driver and furniture mover. She is of English, Welsh, Irish, and Scottish descent. Rachel became involved with acting as a teenager and by the age of 13 ...

13. Natasha Henstridge

Actress | Species

Natasha Henstridge was born on August 15, 1974 in Springdale, Newfoundland, Canada. Known for movies like Species (1995) and The Whole Nine Yards (2000), she started her career as a model in Paris, France at the tender age of 15. After leaving home to begin her modeling career in the ...

14. Alison Pill

Actress | Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Alison Pill was most recently seen in HELLO TOMORROW! for Apple TV+. She previously starred in the CBS All Access series, STAR TREK: PICARD, Alex Garland's FX miniseries, DEVS, and the Amazon series, THEM. Pill's other television work includes Ryan Murphy's AMERICAN HORROR STORY: CULT, the ABC ...

15. Ashley Leggat

Actress | Life with Derek

Ashley Leggat, a twice Gemini nominated actress, was born into a large family in Hamilton, Ontario. She joined her parents, Roy (a car dealer) and Patty (a former Secondary School teacher) and four older brothers -Rob, Brett, and twins Todd and Bram.

Ashley's four brothers, all very athletic, played...

16. Catherine Mary Stewart

Actress | The Last Starfighter

Catherine Mary Stewart's career has spanned more than 30 years and over 50 different productions, from film to television to theater, in England, Canada and the United States. She was living in London studying dance, acting and singing when she was cast in her first professional acting role as the ...

17. Catherine O'Hara

Actress | A Mighty Wind

Canadian actress, writer, and comedian, Catherine O'Hara gained recognition as one of the original cast members on the Canadian television sketch comedy show SCTV (1976). On the series, she impersonated the likes of Lucille Ball, Tammy Faye Bakker, Gilda Radner, Katharine Hepburn, and Brooke Shields...

18. Helen Shaver

Actress | Desert Hearts

Helen Shaver has built a lasting legacy, both behind and in front of the camera. She has directed hundreds of hours of television ranging from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) to Castle (2009), from The Unit (2006) to The Outer Limits (1995). Her film, Summer's End (1999), a Showtime ...

19. Kari Matchett

Actress | Cube 2: Hypercube

Kari Matchett, a Canadian actress, skillfully embodies the character of Linda in "Fargo" Season 5. Her versatile acting prowess brings a profound depth to Linda, enhancing the show's narrative.

Kari Matchett grew up in Lethbridge, Alberta. She attended Lethbridge Collegiate Institute and later ...

20. Leslie Hope

Director | Lost in Space

Leslie Hope was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and is a dual citizen of the US and Canada. She has directed several episodes of television including Snowpiercer (2020), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022), Lost in Space (2018), The Order (2019), Murdoch Mysteries (2008), Van Helsing (2016), ...

21. Lolita Davidovich

Actress | Hollywood Homicide

Lolita Davidovich was born on July 15, 1961 in London, Ontario, Canada. She is an actress, known for Hollywood Homicide (2003), Blaze (1989) and Adventures in Babysitting (1987). She has been married to Ron Shelton since 1997. They have one child.

22. Megan Follows

Actress | Anne of Green Gables

Megan (pronounced Mee-gan) has two children, a daughter, Lyla, and a son, Russel. Megan comes from a showbiz family: father Ted Follows, mother Dawn Greenhalgh, and sister Samantha Follows are all actors; her other sister, Edwina Follows, is a producer and writer; and her brother Laurence Follows ...

23. Mimi Kuzyk

Actress | Lost and Delirious

Mimi Kuzyk is a Winnipeg born actress, best know for her roles in the series Hill Street Blues (1981) and Blue Murder (2001). Mimi grew up in Winnipeg with her brother and five sisters. She discovered her love of dance at the age of eight. Following her passion, Mimi joined the Rusalka Folk ...

24. Molly Parker

Actress | Deadwood

Molly Parker, the extremely talented and versatile Canadian actress is best known in the United States for playing the Western widow "Alma Garret" on the cable-TV series Deadwood (2004). Raised on a commune, she described as "a hippie farm" in Pitt Meadows, B.C., Parker got the acting bug when she ...

25. Chelah Horsdal

Actress | The Man in the High Castle

Chelah is most well known for her work as Helen Smith on Amazon's The Man In The High Castle, for which she's been oft nominated and was awarded the Leo in 2017 and 2020. Chelah's earlier life saw her working a variety of jobs from restaurants to interior design to event production, while ...

26. Gabrielle Miller

Actress | Corner Gas

Gabrielle Miller is one of Canada's most celebrated performers. A professional actor for over two decades, she is widely recognized for her lead roles on two of Canada's most successful series: the runaway hit CTV series Corner Gas (6 seasons), which inspired a feature film in 2014, as well as an ...

27. Tegan Moss

Actress | The Good Doctor

Tegan Moss was born on February 7, 1985 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is an actress and producer, known for The Good Doctor (2017), Flashpoint (2008) and The X-Files (1993). She has been married to Joshua Franken since June 30, 2013. They have two children.

28. Brenda Crichlow

Actress | Fantastic Four

Brenda Crichlow was born on July 24, 1967 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is an actress, known for Fantastic Four (2005), Firewall (2006) and Elf (2003). She is married to Rene Lessard. They have two children.

29. Cindy Busby

Actress | The Big Year

Cindy Busby was born on March 18, 1983 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is an actress, known for The Big Year (2011), Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) and Supernatural (2005). She has been married to Christopher Boyd since December 12, 2020.

30. Andrea Roth

Actress | War

Andrea Roth, a first generation Scottish-Dutch Canadian, was born in Woodstock, Ontario. Her first theatrical appearance was in The Miracle Worker when she was eleven. She received her big show business break when she starred in the mini-series A Woman of Independent Means (1995), playing Sally ...

31. Magda Apanowicz

Actress | The Green Inferno

Magda Apanowicz was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Magda is an actor, known for The Green Inferno (2013), The Butterfly Effect (2004) and Caprica (2009).

32. Jill Teed

Actress | X2

Jill Teed is known for X2 (2003), Along Came a Spider (2001) and Charlie St. Cloud (2010).

33. Gina Holden

Actress | Final Destination 3

Gina was born in the small mountain town of Smithers, British Columbia, where her first performance took place at a figure skating exhibition at age five. She has been at home on center stage ever since. As a precocious and outgoing child Gina performed in all her school plays and talent shows.

...

34. Shadia Simmons

Actress | Strange Days at Blake Holsey High

Shadia Simmons was born on June 28, 1986 in Toronto, Canada. She is an actress, known for Strange Days at Blake Holsey High (2002), The Color of Friendship (2000) and Zenon: The Zequel (2001).

35. Lori Hallier

Actress | My Bloody Valentine

Lori Hallier was born on July 8, 1959 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. She is an actress, known for My Bloody Valentine (1981), Star Trek: Voyager (1995) and Strange Days at Blake Holsey High (2002).

36. Jayne Heitmeyer

Actress | Maps to the Stars

Jayne Heitmeyer was born in Montréal, Québec, Canada. She is an actress, known for Maps to the Stars (2014), Snake Eyes (1998) and Transplant (2020).

37. Laura Bertram

Actress | Andromeda

Laura Bertram was born on September 5, 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is an actress, known for Andromeda (2000), Ready or Not (1993) and 50/50 (2011).

38. Jewel Staite

Actress | Firefly

Born in White Rock, British Columbia, Canada, Jewel Staite spent the first three years of life living in Maui, Hawaii. She started out as a model and was recommended at the age of six to act. She won an award as best actor in "Meeting Dad," a Vancouver, British Columbia Film School short.

39. Lorena Gale

Actress | Freddy Got Fingered

Lorena Gale was born on May 9, 1958 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She was an actress, known for Freddy Got Fingered (2001), Halloween: Resurrection (2002) and The Butterfly Effect (2004). She was married to John Cooper. She died on June 21, 2009 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.