Kristen Thomson

{{Infobox person

|image = Kristen Thomson.jpg

|imagesize = 200px

| name = Kristen Thomson

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1966}}

| birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 1995 - present

}}

Kristen Thomson (born 1966) is a Canadian actress and playwright. She has been described as "an icon of Canadian theatre".{{cite web | last=Sahagian | first=Sarah | title=We Sit Down With Canadian Actress Kristen Thomson | website=Eligible Magazine | date=27 November 2018 | url=https://www.eligiblemagazine.com/2018/11/27/54824/ | access-date=12 September 2024}}

Early life and education

Thomson was born in Toronto, Ontario. She studied drama at the University of Toronto and the National Theatre School of Canada.{{cite web|first=Christine|last=Kulp | title=Star Turns: Kristen Thomson | website=University of Toronto Magazine | date=5 December 2002 | url=https://magazine.utoronto.ca/people/alumni-donors/actor-stage-producer-kristen-thomson-i-claudia/ | access-date=12 September 2024}}

''I, Claudia''

Thomson is known for her one-woman play I, Claudia, which was adapted to film in 2004.{{cite book | last1=Kadar | first1=M. | last2=Warley | first2=L. | last3=Perreault | first3=J. | last4=Egan | first4=S. | title=Tracing the Autobiographical | publisher=Wilfrid Laurier University Press | series=Life Writing | year=2009 | isbn=978-1-55458-716-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=69PfAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT139 | access-date=2024-09-12 | page=139}}{{cite book | last1=Rudakoff | first1=J.D. | last2=Thomson | first2=L.M. | title=Between the Lines: The Process of Dramaturgy | publisher=Playwrights Canada Press | year=2002 | isbn=978-0-88754-622-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EyBcAAAAMAAJ | access-date=12 September 2024 | page=}} In that play and film, Thomson plays all of the roles, using masks to change character. The play has been described as a "deeply moving one-woman mask show about the inner life of a pre-adolescent girl".{{cite book | last1=Herbert | first1=I. | last2=Leclercq | first2=N. | title=World of Theatre 2003 Edition: An Account of the World's Theatre Seasons 1999-2000, 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 | publisher=Taylor & Francis | year=2003 | isbn=978-1-134-40212-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pWqCAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA57 | access-date=2024-09-12 | page=57}} It received praise from critics and was popularly successful.

Awards

In 2003, Thomson won an ACTRA Award for her performance in I Shout Love (2001), a short film directed by Sarah Polley. She has won four Dora Awards for her stage work.{{cite web | first1=Gaetan|last1=Charlebois|first2=Anne|last2=Nothof| title=Thomson, Kristen|website=Encyclopedia of Canadian Theatre | date=9 February 2022 | url=https://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Thomson%2C%20Kristen | access-date=12 September 2024}} Her most recent win was for the Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in the movie Away From Her.

Stage

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Company / Venue ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
2001 \|data-sort-value="Midsummer Night's Dream, A" \| A Midsummer Night's Dream \| Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto \|Bottom / Hermia{{cite book \| last1=O'Connor \| first1=J. \| last2=Goodland \| first2=K. \| title=A Directory of Shakespeare in Performance Since 1991: Volume 3, USA and Canada \| publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK \| year=2016 \| isbn=978-1-349-58788-9 \| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TccYDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA196 \| access-date=2024-09-12 \| page=196}} \|
2018 \|Every Brilliant Thing \|Berkley Street Theatre, Toronto \| \|
2019 \|data-sort-value="Wedding Party, The" \| The Wedding Party \|Streetscar Crowsnest Theatre, Toronto \| \|Play written by Thomson{{cite web \| last=Saxberg \| first=Lynn \| title=After tackling divorce and death, playwright Kristen Thomson lightens the mood with a comedy \| website=Ottawa Citizen \| date=25 January 2019 \| url=https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/local-arts/after-tackling-divorce-and-death-playwright-kristen-thomson-lightens-the-mood-with-a-comedy \| access-date=12 September 2024}}

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Company / Venue

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2001

|data-sort-value="Midsummer Night's Dream, A" | A Midsummer Night's Dream

| Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto

|Bottom / Hermia{{cite book | last1=O'Connor | first1=J. | last2=Goodland | first2=K. | title=A Directory of Shakespeare in Performance Since 1991: Volume 3, USA and Canada | publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK | year=2016 | isbn=978-1-349-58788-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TccYDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA196 | access-date=2024-09-12 | page=196}}

2018

|Every Brilliant Thing

|Berkley Street Theatre, Toronto

2019

|data-sort-value="Wedding Party, The" | The Wedding Party

|Streetscar Crowsnest Theatre, Toronto

|Play written by Thomson{{cite web | last=Saxberg | first=Lynn | title=After tackling divorce and death, playwright Kristen Thomson lightens the mood with a comedy | website=Ottawa Citizen | date=25 January 2019 | url=https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/local-arts/after-tackling-divorce-and-death-playwright-kristen-thomson-lightens-the-mood-with-a-comedy | access-date=12 September 2024}}

Film

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1997 \|Cream Sauce \|Adult Helen \|rowspan=2\|Short film
rowspan=2\|2000 \|Landscaping \|
data-sort-value="Law of Enclosures, The" \| The Law of Enclosures \|Myrah{{cite book \| last1=Greyson \| first1=J. \| last2=MacKenzie \| first2=S. \| last3=Longfellow \| first3=B. \| last4=Waugh \| first4=T. \| title=The Perils of Pedagogy: The Works of John Greyson \| publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press \| year=2013 \| isbn=978-0-7735-4143-6 \| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GGFsWP1-lmMC&pg=PA457 \| access-date=12 September 2024 \| page=457}} \|
2001 \|I Shout Love \|Tessa \|Short film
2002 \|Flower & Garnet \|Barb \|
rowspan=2\|2003 \|Proteus \|Kate \|
data-sort-value="Republic of Love, The" \| The Republic of Love \|Charlotte \|
2004 \|I, Claudia \|Claudia \|
2006 \|Away from Her \|Kristy{{cite book \| last1=Dempsey \| first1=E. \| last2=Volkman \| first2=V.R. \| title=Recovering the Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing (Vol. II, No. 2) \| publisher=Loving Healing Press, Incorporated \| year=2010 \| isbn=978-1-61599-040-5 \| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a6eiVZtyeQQC&pg=PA96 \| access-date=12 September 2024 \| page=96}}{{cite book \| last=Ebert \| first=R. \| title=Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2009 \| publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC \| year=2009 \| isbn=978-0-7407-9216-8 \| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-U3y_SgnQ6kC&pg=PA594 \| access-date=12 September 2024 \| page=594}}{{cite book \| last=Berman \| first=J. \| title=The Art of Caregiving in Fiction, Film, and Memoir \| publisher=Bloomsbury Academic \| year=2022 \| isbn=978-1-350-18536-4 \| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M0AsEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA87 \| access-date=12 September 2024 \| page=87}} \|
2008 \|How Are You? \| \|Short film
2014 \|What We Have \|Patricia \|
2016 \|Window Horses \|Caroline \|Voice role
2017 \|Downsizing \|Good Friend Gina \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1997

|Cream Sauce

|Adult Helen

|rowspan=2|Short film

rowspan=2|2000

|Landscaping

data-sort-value="Law of Enclosures, The" | The Law of Enclosures

|Myrah{{cite book | last1=Greyson | first1=J. | last2=MacKenzie | first2=S. | last3=Longfellow | first3=B. | last4=Waugh | first4=T. | title=The Perils of Pedagogy: The Works of John Greyson | publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press | year=2013 | isbn=978-0-7735-4143-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GGFsWP1-lmMC&pg=PA457 | access-date=12 September 2024 | page=457}}

2001

|I Shout Love

|Tessa

|Short film

2002

|Flower & Garnet

|Barb

rowspan=2|2003

|Proteus

|Kate

data-sort-value="Republic of Love, The" | The Republic of Love

|Charlotte

2004

|I, Claudia

|Claudia

2006

|Away from Her

|Kristy{{cite book | last1=Dempsey | first1=E. | last2=Volkman | first2=V.R. | title=Recovering the Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing (Vol. II, No. 2) | publisher=Loving Healing Press, Incorporated | year=2010 | isbn=978-1-61599-040-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a6eiVZtyeQQC&pg=PA96 | access-date=12 September 2024 | page=96}}{{cite book | last=Ebert | first=R. | title=Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2009 | publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC | year=2009 | isbn=978-0-7407-9216-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-U3y_SgnQ6kC&pg=PA594 | access-date=12 September 2024 | page=594}}{{cite book | last=Berman | first=J. | title=The Art of Caregiving in Fiction, Film, and Memoir | publisher=Bloomsbury Academic | year=2022 | isbn=978-1-350-18536-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M0AsEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA87 | access-date=12 September 2024 | page=87}}

2008

|How Are You?

|Short film

2014

|What We Have

|Patricia

2016

|Window Horses

|Caroline

|Voice role

2017

|Downsizing

|Good Friend Gina

Television

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1995 \|Net Worth \|Pat Lindsay \|TV film
2002 \|data-sort-value="Matthew Shepard Story, The" \| The Matthew Shepard Story \|Romaine Patterson \|TV film
rowspan=2\|2005 \|It's Me...Gerald \|Hedda \|Episode: "Goodnight, Mr. Butterson"
rowspan=2\|This Is Wonderland \|rowspan=2\|n/a \|Episode: "2.8"
rowspan=2\|2006 \|Episode: "3.12"
data-sort-value="Great Polar Bear Adventure, The" \| The Great Polar Bear Adventure \|Ikuk (voice) \|rowspan=2\|TV film
2008 \|Of Murder and Memory \|Nurse
2010 \|Flashpoint \|Kate \|Episode: "Jumping at Shadows"
2011 \|data-sort-value="Listener, The" \| The Listener \|Corrinne Rommilly \|Episode: "In His Sights"
2012 \|data-sort-value="Firm, The" \| The Firm \|Eileen Bower \|Episode: "Chapter Eleven"
2012 \|Dual Suspects \|Young Woman \|Episode: "The Carpenter Story"
2017–2019 \|Cardinal \|Noelle Dyson \|Miniseries
2023 \|Murdoch Mysteries \| Emily Carr \|"Murdoch and the Mona Lisa"

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1995

|Net Worth

|Pat Lindsay

|TV film

2002

|data-sort-value="Matthew Shepard Story, The" | The Matthew Shepard Story

|Romaine Patterson