Gordon Pinsent

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Template:Short description Template:Use Canadian English Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters".Template:Wikidata image Gordon Edward Pinsent Template:Post-nominals (July 12, 1930 – February 25, 2023) was a Canadian actor, writer, director, and singer. He was known for his roles in numerous productions, including Away from Her, The Rowdyman, John and the Missus, A Gift to Last, Due South, The Red Green Show, and Quentin Durgens, M.P.[1][2] He was the voice of King Babar in the Babar the Elephant television and film productions from 1989 to 2015.

Early life

Pinsent, the youngest of six children, was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland (present-day Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada).[3] His mother, Florence "Flossie" (née Cooper), was originally from Clifton, Newfoundland and his father, Stephen Arthur Pinsent, was a papermill worker and cobbler originally from Dildo, Newfoundland.[4] His mother was "quiet spoken" and a religious Anglican; the family was descended from immigrants from Kent and Devon in England.[5] He was a self-described "awkward child" who suffered from rickets.[1]

Pinsent began acting on stage in the 1940s at the age of 17. He soon took on roles in radio drama on the CBC, and later moved into television and film as well. In the early 1950s, he took a break from acting and joined the Canadian Army, serving for approximately four years as a private in the Royal Canadian Regiment.[6]

Career

Pinsent's professional acting career began in 1957 at Winnipeg's Theatre 77 (later known as the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre) under the direction of John Hirsch. In the years that followed, he performed in many theatrical productions in Winnipeg, in Toronto at the Crest Theatre and at the Stratford Festival.[7]

In the early 1960s, he appeared in Festival, Scarlett Hill and The Forest Rangers. He later became a staple of Canadian television with roles including the series Quentin Durgens, M.P., A Gift to Last (which he created), The Red Green Show, Due South, Wind at My Back, and Power Play.[1]

Pinsent's film roles included The Thomas Crown Affair, The Rowdyman, Who Has Seen the Wind, John and the Missus, The Shipping News and Away from Her. He wrote the screenplays for The Rowdyman and John and the Missus. Perhaps his best known early film role was that of the president of the United States in the 1970 science fiction cult classic Colossus: The Forbin Project.[8][9] His other plays include Easy Down Easy (1987) and Brass Rubbings (1989).[10]

One of Pinsent's largest roles was playing the character of Hap Shaughnessy on The Red Green Show from 1991 to 2006. Hap was notorious for telling largely exaggerated stories about his past. He was frequently called out on his fabrications by his friend Red Green (played by Canadian comedian and show co-creator Steve Smith) or others.

His first memoir, By the Way, was published in 1992 by Stoddart Publishing. His second, Next (with George Anthony), was published in 2012 by McClelland and Stewart.[11]

On March 8, 2007, it was publicly announced in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that Pinsent had accepted the appointment of honorary chairman of the "Building for the Future"[12] fundraising campaign for The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum.[13]

During the 2008, 2010, and 2011 summer periods of CBC Radio One, Pinsent presented a radio documentary series called The Late Show featuring extended obituaries of notable Canadians whom the producers believed deserved attention.[14]

Pinsent appeared in one of Canadian director Stephen Dunn's early short films titled Life Doesn't Frighten Me, which won various awards, including the CBC Short Film Face-Off, with a cash prize of C$30,000.[15] The film also won awards at the Toronto Student Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival in 2013.[16]

He had a guest starring role as Maurice Becker on the February 3, 2010, episode of Canadian television series Republic of Doyle. He was also a featured guest reader on Bookaboo.[17]

He attained notoriety when a comedic segment of him reading dramatically from Justin Bieber's autobiography on This Hour Has 22 Minutes went viral on October 20, 2010.[18]

Personal life and death

Pinsent married actress Charmion King in 1962. They remained together until her death in 2007. Their daughter, Leah Pinsent, is also an actress.[19] Pinsent also had two children, Barry and Beverley, from a previous marriage.[20]

On February 25, 2023, Pinsent died at a hospital in Toronto at age 92, from complications of a cerebral hemorrhage.[3][21][2]

Awards

In 1979, he was made an officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 1998. In 2006, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.[22] In 2007, it was announced that Pinsent would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.[23][24]

In 1997, he won the Earle Grey Award for lifetime achievement in television.[25]

Pinsent received an LL.D from the University of Prince Edward Island in 1975, and honorary doctorates from Queen's University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Lakehead University (2008) and the University of Windsor (2012).[26]

Pinsent received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award in 2004, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts.[27]

It was on July 12, 2005, in his hometown of Grand Falls-Windsor, and in honour of his 75th birthday, that the Arts & Culture Centre was renamed The Gordon Pinsent Centre for the Arts.[28]

On September 25, 2008, at a "Newfoundland- and Labrador-Inspired Evening" at The Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto, the Company Theatre presented Pinsent with the inaugural Gordon Pinsent Award of Excellence.[29]

Pinsent received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.[30]

Pinsent received acting and writing awards, which included five Gemini Awards, three Genie Awards, two ACTRA Awards, and a Dora Award.[26]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1964 Lydia Thomas [31][32]
1966 Don't Forget to Wipe the Blood Off [31][32]
1968 The Thomas Crown Affair Jamie McDonald [31][32]
1970 Colossus: The Forbin Project The President [31][32]
1971 Chandler John Melchior [31][32]
1972 The Rowdyman Will Cole [31][32]
1972 Blacula Lt. Jack Peters [31][32]
1974 Newman's Law Jack Eastman [31][32]
1974 Only God Knows Father John Hagan [31][32]
1975 The Heatwave Lasted Four Days Cliff Reynolds [31][32]
1976 Blackwood Narrator [33]
1977 Who Has Seen the Wind Gerald O'Connal [31][32]
1980 Klondike Fever Swiftwater Bill [31][32]
1981 The Devil at Your Heels Narrator (voice) Documentary [34]
1981 Silence of the North John Frederickson [31][32]
1987 John and the Missus John Munn [31][32]
1989 Babar: The Movie King Babar (voice) [31][32]
1990 Blood Clan Judge William McKay [31][32]
1997 Pippi Longstocking Capt. Longstocking (voice) [31][32]
1997 Pale Saints Gus [31][32]
2001 The Shipping News Billy Pretty [31][32]
2003 Nothing Man In Suit [31][32]
2004 The Good Shepherd Cardinal Ledesna [31][32]
2004 Saint Ralph Father Fitzpatrick [31][32]
2006 Away from Her Grant Anderson [31]
2009 At Home by Myself...With You Narrator (voice) [35]
2013 Sex After Kids Dr. Keaton [31]
2013 The Grand Seduction Simon [31]
2013 Big News from Grand Rock Stan [31]
2016 Two Lovers and a Bear Bear's Voice [31]
2017 The River of My Dreams Self Documentary [31]

Shorts

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1974 Ocean Heritage Narrator (voice) [31][32]
1984 The Castle of White Otter Lake Narrator (voice) [31][32]
1985 Uncle T [31][32]
1999 The Old Man and the Sea Old Man (voice) [31][32]
2002 A Promise Stan [31][32]
2003 Snow on the Skeleton Key Winslow Icarus [31][32]
2006 The Sparky Book Goldfish [31][32]
2009 The Spine Dan Rutherford (voice) [31][32]
2009 How Eunice Got Her Baby Narrator (voice) [31][32]
2012 Life Doesn't Frighten Me Francis Weary [31][32]
2012 Night Light Benjamin [31][32]
2012 Flight of the Butterflies Self / Dr. Fred Urquhart Documentary [31]
2013 Nuts, Nothing and Nobody (voice) [31][32]
2016 Martin's Hagge Man on Sidewalk [31][32]
2019 Night Shoot Branch [31][32]
2020 Age of Dysphoria Fred [31][32]
2021 Back Home Again Jack Rabbit (voice) [31][32]

Television

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Template:Screen reader-only
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1961–1966 Festival (various) 6 episodes [36]
1963 Scarlett Hill David Black Regular cast [37]
1963–1965 The Forest Rangers Sergeant Brian Scott Regular cast [37]
1968–1969 Quentin Durgens, M.P. Quentin Durgens Main Character [38]
1970 Hogan's Heroes Capt. Steiner 1 episode [31][32]
1972 Banacek John Weymouth 1 episode [31][32]
1973 Incident on a Dark Street Joe – Mayor TV movie [31][32]
1973 Cannon Phillip Trask 1 episode [31][32]
1974 The Play's The Thing Host [32]
1978–1979 A Gift to Last Sgt. Edgar Sturgess TV movie [37]
1979 The Suicide's Wife Allan Crane TV movie [31][32]
1980 Up at Ours Template:Unk TV miniseries [32]
1981 Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper Ambassador Ken Taylor TV movie [31][32]
1982 The Life and Times of Edwin Alonzo Boyd Edwin Alonzo Boyd TV movie [31][32]
1983 Ready for Slaughter Will Hackett 1 episode [32]
1984 A Case of Libel Dennis Corcoran TV movie [31][32]
1984 Seeing Things Englander 1 episode [32]
1988 Two Men (director) TV movie [31][32]
1989–1991 Babar King Babar (voice) Regular cast [31][32]
1989–1993 Street Legal Harold Vickers 5 episodes [32]
1989 Friday the 13th: The Series Desmond Williams 1 episode [32]
1991–2006 The Red Green Show Hap Shaughnessy Recurring cast [31][32]
1992 In the Eyes of the Stranger Lt. Ted Burk TV movie [31][32]
1992 Counterstrike Col. Jack Devon Episode: "Death SEAL"
1993 Bonds of Love Leon TV movie [31][32]
1994–1999 Due South Robert Fraser Recurring seasons 1-2, Main 3-4 [31][32]
1995 A Vow to Kill Frank Waring TV movie [31][32]
1997–2000 Wind at My Back Leo McGinty 7 episodes [32]
1998, 2003 Made in Canada (The Industry) Myron Kingswell / Walter Franklin, Sr. 2 episodes [32]
1998–2000 Power Play Duff McArdle 26 episodes [32]
1999 Win, Again! Win Morrissey TV movie [31][32]
2001 Blind Terror Martin Howell TV movie [31][32]
2003 Hemingway vs Callaghan Morley Callaghan TV movie [31][32]
2003 Fallen Angel Warren Wentworth TV movie [31][32]
2004 H2O: The Last Prime Minister Michael Cameron 2 episodes [31][32]
2009 Corner Gas Corky Dillems 1 episode [39]
2010 The Pillars of the Earth Archbishop TV miniseries [31]
2010–2012 Republic of Doyle Maurice Becker Recurring cast [31]
2010–2015 Babar and the Adventures of Badou King Babar (voice) Regular cast [31][32]
2012 Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town Elder Stephen Leacock TV movie [31]
2013 Satisfaction Dr Faskin 1 episode [31]
2019 Private Eyes Nevin Ainslie 1 episode [40]

Discography

Discography of Pinsent:

  • 2002: At the Rim of the Carol-Singing Sea (with The Newfoundland Symphony Youth Choir)[41]
  • 2010: Down and Out in Upalong (with Travis Good and Greg Keelor)[42]

References

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External links

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