Today we kick off our 2011 Award Nominee Interview Series. Last year we had close to 30 interviews with nominees for our My TV, My Cinema and My Theatre Awards. This year, we have even more. Here’s the list of some of the Q&As you’ll be seeing on the site in the next few weeks leading up to the announcement of our 2011 award winners.
Michael Therriault (My Theatre- Best Actor, Parade): A Canadian theatre legend, known for his work at The Stratford Festival, on the CBC and for originating the role of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings: The Musical in Toronto and London.
Mayim Bialik (My TV- Best Supporting Actress , The Big Bang Theory): Once a 90s icon (as Blossom), now a scene stealer on TV’s highest-rated sitcom as Sheldon’s girlfriend Amy Farrah Fowler.
Joseph Ziegler (My Theatre- Best Supporting Actor, Parfumerie): A beloved veteran of Canada and the world’s greatest stages and one of the founding members of the Soulpepper Theatre Company who returns to the Young Centre stage this week in Long Day’s Journey into Night.
Gregory Prest (My Theatre- Best Supporting Actor, White Biting Dog): One of the most promising young actors in the amazing Soulpepper company, a scene-stealer in Judith Thompson’s star-packed absurdist drama and one of the stars of the current production of Long Day’s Journey into Night.
Neil Bartram & Brian Hill (My Theatre- Best New Work, Not Wanted on the Voyage): The award-winning composers of 6 musical theatre hits including Broadway’s The Story of My Life (nominated for 4 Drama Desk Awards). Acclaimed directors and actors who’ve worked on international hits like The Lion King , The Sound of Music, Sunset Boulevard and The Little Mermaid (Hill) and received prestigious grants such as the Jonathan Larson Foundation Award the Dramatists’ Guild Fellowship (Bartram).
Morgan Kelly (My TV- Best Supporting Actor, Being Erica): The highlight of Canada’s biggest hit‘s final season, Kelly transformed the role of Brent from sidekick to villain to romantic lead over his 4 year run.
Greg Nussen (My Theatre- Best Supporting Actor, Arcadia): One of Boston’s most promising young actors, Orpheus in The Independent Drama Society’s wonderful Eurydice (nominated for best ensemble), nominated individually for the standout role of Septimus in Tom Stoppard’s smartest comedy.
Evan Sanderson (My Theatre- Best New Work, Fallujah): The 23-year-old playwright of Fallujah– nominated for 7 My Theatre Awards- and winner of the National Student Playwriting Award.
Krista Colosimo (My Theatre- Best Actress, When the Rain Stops Falling): A standout actress at The Shaw Festival last season, Krista’s performance in the generation-spanning Australian drama was one of the highlights of the season.
Karine Vanasse (My TV- Best Supporting Actress, Pan Am): The stunning bi-lingual star of countless French language films and one of the breakout stars of the ABC drama Pan AM as the graceful stewardess Colette.
Rielle Braid (My Theatre- Best Actress, Ride the Cyclone): The standout performer from Atomic Vaudeville’s cross-country smash hit Ride the Cyclone.
Brian Vaughan (My Theatre- Best Actor, Walking the Volcano): A top performer from Boston University’s most recent crop of College of Fine Arts graduates, Brian played multiple roles in his final BU performance alongside veterans of the Boston Stage. He’s now on tour with The National Players.
Michael Hughes (My Theatre- Best Fringe Actor, Mickey & Judy): The creator, subject and star of one of the biggest hits of the 2011 Toronto Fringe Festival.
Jeremy Browne (My Theatre- Best Supporting Actor, Glengarry Glen Ross): Glengarry Glen Ross was the most mature and consistently professional production out of Boston’s Independent Drama Society. It’s most subtle and intriguing actor was Jeremy Browne in the role of John Williamson.
Stephanie Gray (My Theatre- Best Actress, Sweeney Todd): One of Boston University’s best musical theatre performers, the best among Stephanie Gray’s many fantastic roles was that of Mrs. Lovett in BU on Broadway’s excellent production of Sweeney Todd.
Jesse Aaron Dwyre (My Theatre- Best Supporting Actor, The Ugly One; Best Summerworks Actor, Eurydice): One of Toronto’s coolest young talents, the captivating Dwyre is one of the only artists nominated for multiple awards this year.
Borah Coburn (My Theatre- Best Supporting Actress, Richard II): One of our “Performers to Watch” who made a small part the centrepiece to the troubled king’s emotional journey.
Melody A. Johnson (My Theatre- Best Supporting Actress, In The Next Room): The multi-talented scene-stealer from Sarah Ruhl’s Vibrator Play at the Tarragon, playing the nervous and soon-to-be-awakened Mrs. Daldry.
Jessica Holmes (My Theatre- Best Supporting Actress, The Wizard of Oz): A beloved Canadian comedian who played the well-intentioned but hilariously incompetent Splenda (the Good Witch of the South) in Ross Petty’s 2011 holiday Pantomime.
Katrina Carey (My Theatre- Best Supporting Actress, Marat/Sade): A small-role scene-stealer from Soup Can Theatre’s stirring production of the haunting Peter Weiss drama.
Michael Fisher (My Theatre- Best Actor, Glengarry Glen Ross): The engaging leading man who layered Mamet’s Roma with as much charm as smarm, anchoring the outstanding production.
Brian DeVito & Jillian Angelone (My Theatre- Best Director, Sweeney Todd): The directing team behind Boston University’s best production of the year.
Michael Atlin (My Theatre- Best Summerworks Production, Zugzwang): The writer of the smartest new script at Toronto’s 2011 Summerworks Festival, the chess-themed ensemble comedy Zugzwang.
Martha Girvin (My Theatre- Best Actress, Uncharted Zones): The standout performer from Monkeyman Productions’ series of geek-tastic vignettes last December.
Bethany Jillard (My Theatre- Best Supporting Actress, The Little Years): One of The Stratford Festival’s fastest rising stars, Lady Anne in last year’s groundbreaking Richard III, set to play Princess Katherine in Henry V this summer.
Brett Marks (My Theatre- Best Director, Glengarry Glen Ross): One of Boston’s best young directors who helmed one of the gems in the small but wonderful body of work by The Independent Drama Society before starting his own company, Argos Productions, which celebrates new works at The Boston Playwrights’ Theatre.
Viktor Lukawski (My Theatre- Best Supporting Actor, Much Ado About Nothing): a stunning physical performer and well-timed comedian from Single Thread’s site-specific Much Ado at Spadina House. Also one of the more entertaining interviewees of the season.
Jackson Brundage (My TV- Best Young Actor, One Tree Hill): Jamie Scott, the young son of series stars Nathan and Haley, on The CW’s longest running drama. The comic centre of the show and a highlight of the past 5 seasons.
Antonio Bavaro (My Theatre- Best Performance in a Reading, Holy Tranity!): A standout performer at the 2011 Toronto Fringe Festival in the staged reading of Holy Tranity! as the empathetic and maternal transvestite Gracie, the heart of the piece.
Laura Anne Harris (My Theatre- Best Fringe Performance, Pitch Blond): the creator and sole performer in one of the 2011 Toronto Fringe’s biggest hits- Pitch Blond, the story of Judy Holliday’s role of a lifetime before Joe McCarthy’s inquisitors.
Heather Marie Annis (My Theatre- Best Actress, Marat/Sade): an intriguingly nuanced performance as the mental patient tasked with performing the role of murderer Charlotte Corday in Soup Can’s Marat/Sade caught our eye. But she’s also a professional clown!
Elizabeth Hunter (My Theatre- Best Actress, Equus): the Artistic Director of Theatre@First and woman tasked with taking on the traditionally male role of Dr. Martin Dysart in Peter Shaffer’s infamous psychological drama.
Mike Nadajewski (My Theatre- Best Supporting Actor, Jesus Christ Superstar): A standout among the Stratford Festival musical company for roles in Forum (also with Mirvish), As You Like It, Jaques Brel and Camelot, Mike will make his Broadway debut on March 22nd as Peter in Jesus Christ Superstar.
Denise Oucharek (My Theatre- Best Fringe Performer, Remember, Maggy?): One of the most memorable performers from The Best of Fringe Uptown with a subtle but wonderful portrayal of sisterly and daughterly care.
Jared Walsh (My Theatre- Best Actor, Spring Awakening): One of the most charismatic leading men of the year, Melchior in FUDGE Theatre Company’s Spring Awakening.
Joseph Kaiser (My Theatre- Best Opera Performance, Iphigenia in Tauris): A Canadian-born tenor who has performed all over the world and is perhaps best known for the role of Tamino in Kenneth Branagh’s film version of Mozart’s Magic Flute.
Adam MacDonald (My TV- Best Guest Actor, Being Erica): The actor behind one of the main villains on Canada’s best TV show who came back in the show’s final season to lend the character a reassuring dash of pathos.
Amanda Lisman (My Theatre- Best Supporting Actress, Titus Andronicus): One of The Stratford Festival’s great leading ladies, remembered as Roxanne opposite Colm Feore’s Cyrano, who played the mostly silent Lavinia is Darko Tesnjak’s brutal Titus last season.
Daren A Herbert (My Theatre- Best Supporting Actor, Parade): The Bermuda-born triple threat behind one of the year’s most stirring performances- the dual role of Jim and Newt in Jason Robert Brown’s heartwrenching drama.
Ariel Winter (My TV- Best Young Actor, Modern Family): A scene-stealer amidst TV’s most lauded ensemble cast, 14-year-old Ariel plays Alex, the endlessly smart and hilariously snarky middle child of Emmy winners Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen.
Laura Condlln (My Theatre- Best Actress, The Merry Wives of Windsor): A My Theatre favourite on the Stratford Festival stage who stole her scenes in Midsummer and Peter Pan before starring in the 2011 season’s best cast as the scheming Mistress Page.
Steven Sutcliffe (My Theatre- Best Actor, The Admirable Crichton): A veteran of stages around the world and the MVP of the 2011 Shaw Festival season; the best thing about On the Rocks and complexly layered star of the festival’s best full-length piece.
Marion Le Coguic (My Theatre- Best Actress, Fallujah): The only woman in the award-winning Iraq war drama out of BU, Marion toured with Fallujah to New York City and The Kennedy Centre in DC.
Michael-David Blostein (My Theatre- Best Actor, Threepenny Opera): A My Theatre favourite and quickly rising star of the Toronto indie scene, the saving grace of The UC Follies and recent star of Hart House’s Cabaret, drawing raves as the Emcee.
Benjamin “Coach” Wade (My TV- Best Male Reality Star, Survivor): One of reality TV’s most beloved stars, a 3 time Survivor player whose impressive South Pacific performance brought him within a couple of votes of making franchise history as the second returning player in a row to win a Redemption Island season.