Martha Burns (born 23 April 1957)[2] is a Canadian actress known for her stage work and youth outreach in Ontario and her leading role as Ellen Fanshaw in the TV dramedy series Slings and Arrows.
Martha Burns | |
---|---|
Born | (1957-04-23) 23 April 1957 (age 65) |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1983 - Present |
Spouse | |
Children | 2, including Hannah Gross |
Burns was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.[2] She studied at the University of Alberta[2] and the Vancouver Playhouse's Acting School.[2]
Burns has had a long career as a character and supporting actress. Her most notable television roles being Shakespearean diva Ellen Fanshaw in Slings and Arrows,[2] for which she won two Gemini Awards,[3] Jasmina Hart on Michael, Tuesdays and Thursdays[4] and Rebecca Baker on Remedy.[5]
Some of her notable film work includes Long Day's Journey into Night and for Love and Savagery, both resulting in Genie Awards for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.[6]
Burns is a founding member and a former associate director of Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre Company.,[5] Burns headed up Soulpepper's extensive youth outreach program.[5] She founded the Toronto Arts for Youth Award,[7] and has worked as an instructor for the theatre program at George Brown College.[8]
She has performed leading roles at Stratford,[5] the Shaw Festival,[2] the National Arts Centre[2] and The Company Theatre.[9] She was nominated five times for a Dora Award[10] and won twice: in 1986 for The Miracle Worker and in 1984 for Trafford Tanzi.[11]
In 2005 she was honoured for her career in the theatre with the Barbara Hamilton Award.[12]
In 2016 Burns was awarded ACTRA’s Leslie Yeo Award, an award honouring actors for their volunteer work.[13][14] She donated her cash prize to the Qaggiq Performing Arts Teacher Training Workshop, a program that works on developing Inuit-specific performing arts programming for children and youth.[15]
Burns is married to director and actor Paul Gross.[2][9] They have two children, Hannah Gross and Jack.[2]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | Passage of the Heart | Kate Ward | |
1994 | Paint Cans | Melda | |
1995 | Never Talk to Strangers | Maura | |
1999 | The Life Before This | Gwen Maclean | |
2000 | Hindsight | Trina | Short film |
2004 | Siblings | Miss Bradford | |
2006 | Screening | Helen Thompson | Short film |
2007 | Silk | Mme. Joncour | |
2008 | Rewind | Heather Beckett | Short film |
2009 | You Might as Well Live | Dr. Elizabeth | |
2009 | Dinner at Lucy's | Lucy | Short film |
2009 | Love and Savagery | Mother Superior | Won – Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role[3] |
2009 | A Wake | Sabina | |
2010 | The Reception | Debra | Short film |
2011 | French Immersion | Cathy | |
2012 | Fury | Gretchen | |
2013 | Mad Ship | Judith | |
2013 | Hardsell | Sandra Hipps | Short film |
2015 | Boxing | Janet | Short film |
2016 | A False Sense of Security | Debra | Short film |
2021 | We're All in This Together | Kate Parker |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | Backstretch | Kelly | TV series |
1987 | Street Legal | Margaret | "Take My Jokes, Please" |
1990 | The Last Best Year | Sally | TV film |
1991 | E.N.G. | Joanna Miles | "Tyger, Tyger" |
1995 | Great Performances | Cathleen | "Long Day's Journey Into Night" Won – Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role[3] |
1996 | Side Effects | Andrea Burrows | "Sex, Death and Rock 'N' Roll" |
1996 | Traders | Rita Hutchison | "Two Steps Forward" |
1997 | Marie Curie: More Than Meets the Eye | Lisette Boudreau | TV film |
1997 | Due South | Nadia | "Spy vs. Spy" |
1998 | Witness to Yesterday | Amelia Earhart | "Amelia Earhart" |
1998 | Thanks of a Grateful Nation | Dr. Rosemary Dove | TV film |
1999 | What Katy Did | Aunt Izzie | TV film |
1999 | Due South | Caroline Fraser | "Call of the Wild: Part 2" |
1999 | Emily of New Moon | Eve Kinch | "Under the Wishing Moon: Part 1", "Bridge of Dreams: Part 2" |
1999 | Murder Most Likely | Alice Malinson | TV film |
2003 | Profoundly Normal | Dr. Maswell | TV film |
2003-06 | Slings & Arrows | Ellen Fanshaw | Main role Nominated – Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (2004)[3] Nominated – Canadian Comedy Award for Best Female TV Performance (2006)[16] Won – Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (2006)[3] Won – Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (2007)[3] |
2008 | The Trojan Horse | Mary Miller | "Part One" |
2009 | Murdoch Mysteries | Mrs. Burgess | "Convalescence" |
2009 | The Foundation | Selena Selkirk | "The Face of Hope", "The African Prince", "Springing Jett" |
2011 | Republic of Doyle | Joyce | "Something Old, Someone Blue" |
2011 | Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays | Jasmina Hart | Main role |
2013 | After All These Years | Phyllis Deitrichson | TV film |
2013 | Cracked | Alice Kelly | "The Valley" |
2014 | Darknet | Mother | "Darknet 3" |
2014-15 | Remedy | Rebecca Baker | Main role Nominated – Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Series (2016)[3] |
2017 | Alias Grace | Mrs. Parkinson | 3 episodes |
2022 | Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities | Agatha | Episode: "Lot 36" |
Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | |
---|---|
Gemini Awards 1986–2011 |
|
Canadian Screen Awards 2012–present |
|