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Anna Paquin is the first millennial to have received an Academy Award nomination for acting, and the first to win.

She was born on July 24, 1982 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to Mary (Brophy), an English teacher from Wellington, New Zealand, and Brian Paquin, a Canadian phys-ed teacher. Anna moved to her mother's native country when she was four years old. Her first acting job ever was at age nine in the movie The Piano (1993), which was shot in New Zealand. At age 16, she relocated to Los Angeles where she completed her last two years of high school (graduating in 2000). She then moved to New York where she attended Columbia University for one year. Between 2001 and 2004, she worked almost exclusively on stage in both New York and London. In 2007, Anna was cast in HBO's True Blood (2008), which concluded shooting its seventh and final season in 2014.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Tracy spent part of her childhood in her parents' homeland, Greece, before the Spiridakos family returned to Canada to open a Greek restaurant. She worked there until moving to Vancouver, British Columbia, a center of Canadian film and television production, to pursue her dream of becoming an actor.

Tracy found early success on television series, such as Supernatural (2005) and Being Human (2011), but her breakout role was playing the lead role of Charlotte "Charlie" Matheson on J.J. Abrams' Revolution (2012) on NBC. Since then, she has shown her comedic side in Showtime's Episodes (2011) with Matt LeBlanc, as femme fatale Annika Johnson on A&E's Bates Motel (2013), and the mysterious ex-girlfriend of MacGyver (2016).

Tracy is a series regular on NBC's Chicago P.D. (2014) and lives in the Windy City with her beloved and devoted Rottweiler, Nala.

Canadian actress Julia Benson (born June 26, 1979 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) finished her theatrical studies in 2001 before starting her professional acting career in 2003 around the age of twenty-four. Julia's screen credits include an impressive range of film shorts, feature-length films and recurring and episodic television roles. Most prominent in her work, is her role in the sports drama Road to Victory (2007). Among her plentiful list of television credits, Julia is also known for her role as 2nd Lieutenant Vanessa James in the sci-fi series SGU Stargate Universe Kino (2009) and Stargate Universe (2009). It is the latter series for which Julia received a 2010 Leo Award for Best Supporting Actress. Aside from acting, Julia is a skilled dancer in ballet, tap and jazz. To top off her physical talents, Benson is also a certified aerobics instructor.

Len Cariou was born on 30 September 1939 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is an actor and producer, known for About Schmidt (2002) and Blue Bloods (2010). He has been married to Heather Summerhayes since 25 October 1986. He was previously married to Susan Barbara Kapilow and Patricia Otter.

Daniel Joshua Gillies was born on 14 March 1976 in Winnipeg, Canada and moved to New Zealand at a young age. Though born into a family of strong medical background (his father is a pediatrician, his mother a nurse, and his great-great-great-grandfather is the renowned ENT/plastic surgery pioneer Sir Harold Gillies), he became interested in acting and studied at the Unitec School of Performing Arts. Frustrated with the lack of opportunities in New Zealand, he moved to Sydney, Australia for six weeks in 2001, before returning to his native Canada for two months, where he worked as a waiter and dishwasher until deciding to move to Los Angeles, USA.

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 Ensemble, which she would participate in as both a dancer and a choreographer for the next fifteen years. Realizing she was happiest on stage, Mimi decided to pursue an acting career in Toronto. After a series of commercials and small TV roles, Mimi moved to LA in 1983. After a only a short time in LA, she landed a recurring role as Patsy Mayo in the series Hill Street Blues (1981). This hit show was undoubtedly the making of Mimi's career; but she considers her greatest achievement to be her daughter, Kaliopi. After a lengthy career is in LA, Mimi has returned to Toronto and continues to work. She enjoys quiet times reading the classics with her cats.

Mimi's film credits include Camille (2008), opposite Sienna Miller and James Franco, The Human Stain (2003), starring Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman, as well as the science fiction thrillers The Final Cut (2004) with Robin Williams, and The Day After Tomorrow (2004). Her extensive body of film work also includes Lost and Delirious (2001), which earned Ms. Kuzyk a Genie nomination for Best Supporting Actress. On television, Ms. Kuzyk has recently been seen in guest starring roles on such hit shows as Ghost Whisperer (2005) and NCIS (2003). She is well recognized for her role as Detective Patsy Mayo on HIll Street Blues. Her performance as "Rita Kapeli" in the CBC drama Little Criminals (1996), and as Deputy Chief Kay Barrow in Blue Murder (2001) earned her Gemini nominations for Best Supporting Actress. In 2013 she was introduced to the world of motion capture in the video game Splinter Cell: Black List. Her recent credits include Pegasus Vs. Chimera (2012), A Very Merry Mix-Up (2013), and Sorority Surrogate (2014). She also stars with an incredible ensemble of Canadian stars in the independent film Sex After Kids (2013).

Stephanie Sy was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Stephanie is an actor and director, known for Love Hurts (2025), FUBAR (2023) and Violent Night (2022).

Greg Bryk was born on 19 August 1972 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is an actor and producer, known for Shoot 'Em Up (2007), Saw V (2008) and A History of Violence (2005). He has been married to Danielle Bryk since 9 March 1996. They have three children.

Joanna Gleason was born in Winnipeg, Canada, moving to the U.S. in 1956. She retains dual citizenship.

Her Broadway debut was in Cy Coleman's musical. "I Love My Wife", in 1977, for which she won a Theatre World Award.

She returned to Broadway and off Broadway with "Joe Egg" in 1984, for which earned a Tony nomination.

Stephen Sondheim's "Into The Woods" won her a Tony Award as Best Actress, plus Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. In 1991, she starred as Nora in "Nick and Nora", the ill-fated musical. What she won, however , was a her husband -to - be, Chris Sarandon. They have been together ever since. They have four children between them, with song-writer-producer Aaron David Gleason being Joanna's son from her first marriage.

In 2004, she starred in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" on Broadway (Tony nomination) the same year she was in "The Normal Heart" at The Public Theatre in New York City.

"Sons Of The Prophet" and "Happiness" were two other off-Broadway shows.

Film appearances include "Boogie Nights", Heartburn", The Wedding Planner" "The Skeleton Twins"

TV roles include "West Wing", "The Newsroom", "Friends", "Bette", "Love and War"

Joanna has directed off-Broadway, and for CBS Television and Lifetime. She made a deeply personal short, "Morning Into Night", which will soon be available.

"The Grotto" marks her first feature as writer/director

Hannah Emily Anderson was born on 1 September 1989 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is an actress and producer, known for Jigsaw (2017), X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) and I'd Rather Be in Bed.

Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Lisa Durupt has established herself as fierce, funny, and fearless talent in film and television.

A talented ice hockey player growing up, she earned a scholarship to an American university until surgery postponed her arrival. On a whim, she registered at the University of Winnipeg and after attending a local performance of A Chorus Line for her theatre class, Lisa traded sports for the arts and went on to study theatre at the University of Winnipeg and the Canadian College of Performing Arts.

Lisa's natural athleticism gave her a natural entry into the film industry as a dancer and stunt performer. Following early appearances in films like Shall We Dance and The Lazarus Project, Lisa was cast by Canadian comedy veteran Mark McKinney on the series, Less Than Kind, as the temperamental Shandra. Lisa's unfiltered energy and gift for ad-libbing over four seasons of the show was highlighted by a Gemini Award nomination in 2010 for Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series and a Leo Award nomination for Best Performance in a Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series in 2013.

After a string of appearances across film and television projects such as The Pastor's Wife, The Color of Rain, Run for Your Life, and Supernatural, Lisa Durupt won her most substantial cinematic role thus far as the overly competitive sister of Sonja Bennett in Preggoland, a performance that earned Lisa her second Leo Award nomination in 2015 for Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Motion Picture.

While she continues to work steadily on film, Lisa is presently enjoying another steady run on television as Andrea Todd - sister to Alison Sweeney's Hannah Swensen - on Murder She Baked, the Hallmark Channel screen adaptations of the best-selling mystery novel series of the same name.

Brother of actress Belinda Montgomery, Lee began his career as a model before venturing into the acting business. He made his debut in the Disney film The Million Dollar Duck (1971), before landing a starring role in Ben (1972), the sequel to Willard (1971). Lee made a successful transformation into adult roles with films such as Mutant (1984), with Wings Hauser and The Legend of Wolf Lodge (1987), co-starring Susan Anspach. Lee probably is best remembered for his portrayal of "Jeff Malene" in the teen comedy Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985), alongside the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt. Since more or less of dropping out of the limelight, Lee pursued his other interests, such as music related projects, where he composed the soundtrack for the film Legend of the Phantom Rider (2002) (aka Trigon: The Legend of Pelgidium (2000)).

Nia Vardalos was born on 24 September 1962 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is an actress and writer, known for My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016) and I Hate Valentine's Day (2009). She was previously married to Ian Gomez.

Peter Mooney was born on 19 August 1983 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is an actor and writer, known for Rookie Blue (2010), Camelot (2011) and The Prodigy (2019). He has been married to Sarah Power since 1 July 2017. They have one child.

Aleks Paunovic was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba to a Croatian mother and Serbian father. The result of this remarkable blend of bloodlines is the 6'5" ruggedly handsome actor appearing on screens around the world at a rapidly escalating rate.

Acting came to Aleks while he was onstage in his hometown playing in a heavy metal band, his livelihood since he was 16. Remarkably the role offered was one completely against type as it was that of Roddy McDowall's butler in the 1994 TV movie 'Heads'. Now bitten with the acting bug, Aleks combined his athleticism from his lifetime of boxing - he claims that he started boxing in the womb as all of the men in his family are boxers - and turned it into a very busy career as a stunt actor.

In 2001 Aleks stopped in Vancouver on his way to Los Angeles with an impressive resume and ready to take on Hollywood when the most horrible event in America's recent history struck. 911 changed the way anyone could enter the states and so Aleks found himself a new home and career in busy Vancouver.

Since coming to Vancouver Aleks has built an amazing resume with over 100 credits, most of which are lead and recurring roles like the one that he has on this hugely anticipated 4th season of 'Continuum'.

Aleks credits three occurrences as the game-changers in his rocketing career: One was when the venerable acting coach Larry Moss called him out in front of 300 actors, telling him that he had massive talent and demanding to see his full range; another was when he respectfully declined an offer for a 4-episode-arc on a highly-rated TV series so that he could finish his run as 'Danny' in the play "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea" in a shaky old theatre to sold-out crowds.

But the biggest catalyst in Aleks's career was when he fought three rounds of casting throughout all of Los Angeles and Vancouver to win the role of 'Tom', a developmentally disabled man accused of murder in 'Personal Effects' starring Ashton Kutcher, Michelle Pfieffer, and Kathy Bates. Aleks put on 65 pounds to perform the role, which was one of the most challenging and rewarding roles of his career so far.

When you meet Aleks, or you watch him perform these difficult roles, you just know that with all of that leading man charisma there's star power in this man, and that you will be seeing a lot more of Aleks Paunovic.

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 William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing", she won a Dramalogue Award in the Best Actress Category for her portrayal of Beatrice. She is perhaps best remembered for the recurring role of the Klingon B'Etor, sister of Lursa, from the House of Duras in all the versions of Star Trek, except Star Trek: Voyager (1995) and Star Trek: Enterprise (2001). She also appeared in the feature length film Star Trek: Generations (1994). Only in the Star Trek: Voyager (1995) episode Random Thoughts (1997), did she not play the Klingon B'Etor. In 1993, Walsh starred in the psychological thriller The Crush (1993), where her husband was played by Kurtwood Smith.

In 1998, Gwynyth began another role she is also well-remembered for, Dr. Patricia Da Vinci (City of Vancouver Coroner's Pathologist), ex-wife of the title character, Dominic Da Vinci, in the award-winning Da Vinci's Inquest (1998). In 2002, she appeared in the Sci-Fi Channel miniseries Taken (2002), with Matt Frewer, Anton Yelchin, Rob LaBelle and Brian Markinson. She has been in many popular dramas and sci-fi series, in Canada and the United States, such as Stargate SG-1 (1997), Supernatural (2005) and Smallville (2001). In 2006, she played Esther Heyman in the well-regarded A&E film about the ill-fated 9-11 Flight 93 (2006). The same year, she played a role in the critically-acclaimed Commander in Chief (2005), starring Geena Davis as The President. The next year, she appeared in the Sci-Fi Channel miniseries Tin Man (2007), a retelling of "The Wizard of Oz". She continues to stay busy, both on stage and on camera and seems to be in demand in Canadian television. She divides her time between Los Angeles and Vancouver.

Markian is a Ukrainian Canadian actor who grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Markian is a graduate of the the Studio 58 Theatre program. Markian made his film debut in Disney's Bunks (2013) playing the hot headed camp counselor Brogan Van Skioh. Since then Markian has appeared in many film and television roles seen across North America.

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada, Donnelly Rhodes trained to be a warden in the National Park Service in Manitoba and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force as an airman-mechanic before finally settling into his long and successful career as an actor. Rhodes studied at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Center and was a member of the first graduating class of the National Theatre School in Canada. After making his professional debut on stage as Stanley Kowalski in Streetcar Named Desire, he became a contract player for Universal Pictures in the U.S., landing film and television roles ranging from a gunslinger in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) to a country singer in The Hard Part Begins (1973) to various guest appearances in series such as Mission: Impossible (1966). Later, he was popular as the suave Phillip Chancellor Sr. on The Young and the Restless (1973), but left the show in 1976 to avoid devoting too much of his career to the one role. He continued to work steadily, taking roles in a wide variety of television and theatrical movies and making guest appearances on more than 100 television series. Major TV roles saw him range from dim-witted escaped con Dutch on Soap (1977) to veterinarian and family man Dr. Grant Roberts on the popular Canadian family series Danger Bay (1983). More recently, he has appeared in a number of TV movies as well as in guest spots on popular series such as Sliders (1995) and The X-Files (1993). Rhodes' diverse interests include music and horses, but his real passion is boats. He has said that if he hadn't succeeded as an actor, he would have pursued a career as a naval architect.

Adam Hurtig was born in August of 1985, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. His interest in performing sparked in High School, after being thrust into a musical by a long-time family friend and drama teacher. From there he continued his pursuit for the craft in a post-secondary education from the University of Manitoba. Although this was a short-lived endeavor, the seed was firmly planted. This brought him to a more individual exploration of performance until ultimately landing in his current passion of film and television. Since then, Adam has appeared in a number of roles such as Flag Day (2021) with Sean Penn, the horror franchise, Chucky, in both Curse of Chucky (2013) and Cult of Chucky (2017), The Ice Road (2021) with Liam Neeson, a wide range of romantic comedies, action, and horror movies, and now most recently Spencer Sisters (2023 - TV Series).

When not performing, Adam has a wide range of hobbies and enjoys interior design, carpentry, gardening, writing, and coaching budding actors for film and television.

Lovely brunet-haired Belinda Montgomery, who sometimes inserted the middle initial "J." into her stage moniker, is a native of Canada, where she began her career on TV in the 1967 series Barney Boomer (1967). She then proceeded to play "Cinderella" and essayed the roles of other emotional and/or confused teen types as she worked her way up the acting ladder.

The petite brunette, whose gentle, misty-eyed prettiness reminded one of actress Bonnie Bedelia, was born on July 23, 1950, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the daughter of actor Cecil Montgomery. She arrived in Hollywood while still in her late teens and TV, again, became her mainstay playing a number of soulful-eyed victims and troubled soul types in engaging dramatic situations. Her younger brother (by 11 years), Lee Montgomery, not yet a teen, was also making fine strides in films and TV. Billed often as "Lee Harcourt Montgomery", he would become best known for befriending the title rodent in the cult horror thriller Ben (1972). Another sibling, sister Tannis G. Montgomery, showed up on film and TV as well during the 70s and 80s.

Making one of her earliest ingénue appearances on an episode of The Virginian (1962), Belinda became increasingly popular as a standard young fixture on the 70s TV-movie circuit, sharing billing with a number of the industry's top talents. Her first, Ritual of Evil (1970), had her co-starring as Anne Baxter's daughter as part of a devil-worshiping California family. She and Tim Matheson received fine notices as a young frontier couple in love who run away and find unexpected adventure in Lock, Stock and Barrel (1971). The innocent-looking beauty could always be counted on to brighten up the scenery and did so in the mini-movie western The Bravos (1972) co-starring George Peppard and Pernell Roberts, but she, Lois Nettleton and even Play Misty for Me (1971) scenestealer Jessica Walter were upstaged by the campy histrionics of prison matron Ida Lupino in the TV prison drama Women in Chains (1972), now considered a cult classic. Belinda returned to her devilish ways again as a sinless innocent in The Devil's Daughter (1973) co-starring another veteran scenery chewer (Shelley Winters) and also enhanced the mysterious proceedings in Crime Club (1973) and The Hostage Heart (1977).

Belinda displayed fine, touching moments on series TV as well -- multiple times, in fact, on the popular primetime soaps Medical Center (1969) and Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969). It wasn't surprising that, later, she found herself acting in such daytime sudsers as Days of Our Lives (1965). A warm, dependable player, one could always find her guesting somewhere on the tube especially, it seemed, as a vulnerable innocent in crime outings (Mannix (1967), The Rookies (1972), Cannon (1971), Barnaby Jones (1973), The Streets of San Francisco (1972)). She showed her strong, professional side as well as the scientist who rescues and protects superhuman Patrick Duffy in the one-season adventure series Man from Atlantis (1977).

An occasional presence in film, she had a prime female role in The Todd Killings (1971), based on a true-life serial killer (played by Robert F. Lyons) in which her sister, Tannis G. Montgomery, had a small part. One of her best movie roles came as the supportive second lead in The Other Side of the Mountain (1975) and its 1978 sequel, The Other Side of the Mountain: Part II (1978), which chronicled the life and tragedy of one-time skiing champion and Olympic hopeful Jill Kinmont (played by newcomer Marilyn Hassett), who was left a quadriplegic after a sporting accident.

While not afforded top-flight stardom in the early 70s within the confines of her troubled teen typecast, Belinda matured into a pleasantly engaging adult into the next decade while offering a number of inspired mom/wife roles. One of her more poignant portrayals came in the form of Barbara Marciano in the TV-movie Marciano (1979) as the wife of famed boxer Rocky Marciano (played by Tony Lo Bianco). In the recurring role of Don Johnson's estranged wife in Miami Vice (1984) for a time, she also played a selfless mate and mother in the short-lived series Aaron's Way (1988). She reached her maternal peak, however, as the hands-on parent of young Neil Patrick Harris in the Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989) series, wherein she and James Sikking provided a nice and balanced counterpart to the now-public life of the young medical prodigy. Deserving of even more attention, Belinda Montgomery's naturalness on camera and solid body of work throughout the years is a testament to her talents. Seen less and less after her "Doogie Houser" success in 1993, she more recently appeared in the film Tron: Legacy (2010) again starring Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner and in the TV movie Radio Christmas (2019). A talented painter, she now devotes a large amount of her time to her artwork.

Marshall Williams is a Canadian born actor originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. His acting work includes projects such as Glee, How To Build a Better Boy, When Hope Calls, The Ice Road, Exile, Young Rock and romantic comedies on various networks. In addition to acting, Marshall has an advanced Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, was part of an undefeated university championship football team, and continues to actively pursue other forms of expression and education.

Guy Maddin was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to Herdis Maddin (a hair-dresser) and Charles "Chas" Maddin (grain clerk and general manager of the Maroons, a Winnipeg hockey team). Maddin studied economics at the University of Winnipeg, working as a bank manager, house painter, and photographic archivist before becoming a film-maker. Maddin produced his first film in 1985, and since then his distinctive style of recreating and renovating silent film conventions and international critical acclaim have made him one of Canada's most celebrated directors. In 2003, Maddin also expanded his career to become an author and an installation artist.

Canadian-born Jack Kruschen entered films after years on the stage, and became a dependable character actor both in movies and on television. Often cast as ethnic comedy relief, Kruschen occasionally landed a role as a villain, but was more often the volatile, emotional Italian or Jewish neighbor patriarch. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in The Apartment (1960).

Michael D. Cohen is a series regular on the Nickelodeon's hit series "Henry Danger" and "Danger Force" as audience favorite "Schwoz," a genius of indiscernible foreign nationality. The popular show won the Kid's Choice Award for Best Show in 2017 and 2020, and was nominated in 2018 and 2019.

Cohen knew he wanted to be an actor since the age of 4, watching "The Carol Burnett Show." He was inspired by her ability to make people laugh and come together through entertainment. However, he graduated college with a Bachelor of Science degree in Cell Biology, having competing passions in both the arts & science. After graduation, he began working in TV/Film Production & obtained his Masters degree in Adult Education focusing on transformative education for performers. But acting was always his dream, and he set forward on making that dream a reality.

His film credits include the Coen Brothers' comedy "Suburbicon," co-written and directed by George Clooney, the Oscar-nominated film "Whiplash," as well as the Canadian Screen Award nominated film "It Was You Charlie" for which he was nominated for an ACTRA Award in Outstanding Lead Performance. He also appears in "An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn," opposite Aubrey Plaza, Craig Robinson, Emile Hirsch & Jemaine Clement.

Television audiences know him from roles on "Modern Family," "The Real O'Neals," "2 Broke Girls," "The Mindy Project," "Angie Tribeca," "Powerless," "Austin & Ally" and "The Wizards of Waverly Place," to name a few. He also has dozens of commercial credits including spots for Wendy's, Nespresso, Mini Starburst, FedEx, Capital One, Boston Market, Honda with Patrick Warburton and the Super Bowl Hulu Plus campaign with Will Arnett.

With both parents as teachers - Cohen always also had a love for education. It was a natural transition for him to combine his two loves and become an acting teacher & coach as well. He served as co-chair of the SAG-AFTRA Hollywood Conservatory at the American Film Institute. Cohen is a faculty lecturer for the University of Texas at Austin (in Hollywood) and has directed two highly successful industry showcases for UT Austin. He also teaches through his own studio - the Michael D. Cohen Acting Studio - in Los Angeles and leads regular acting workshops for SAG-AFTRA. And, he is writing a book on acting.

Cohen is also developing a one-man show about his life and spends his free time as an avid mountaineer and rock climber.

Standing at 5'9", Heather Doerksen (pronounced Dirk-sin) was born in Manitoba, Canada. Heading into college, her goal was to study Biological Sciences, but it took one influential acting class to convince her to switch her major. She graduated with her BFA in Theatre from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. After primarily acting in theatre productions, Heather landed her first screen roles on 'Smallville' and 'Battlestar Galactica' in 2005, before being cast in Academy Award winner Guillermo del Toro's 'Pacific Rim' in 2013. She is also a prolific voiceover actress and has voiced many advertising campaigns and cartoon characters, including Princess Leia in 'Lego Star Wars', and Xee in Dreamworks' 'Dinotrux'.