Mary Walsh (actress)
{{short description|Canadian actress, comedian, and writer (born 1952)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Mary Walsh
| honorific_suffix = CM
| image = File:Mary Walsh in London, UK.jpg
| caption = Walsh in 2008
| birth_name = Mary Cynthia Walsh
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|5|13}}
| birth_place = St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| occupation = Actress, comedian, writer
| years_active = 1973–present
| awards = Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress (2021)
}}
Mary Cynthia Walsh {{postnom|CM}}{{cite web|url=http://isn.net/iode/awards.html|title=Six individuals received a University of Prince Edward Island Doctor of Laws Degrees, honoris causa in May 2003.|publisher=Lake of Shining Awards|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121035540/http://www.isn.net/iode/awards.html|archive-date=November 21, 2008}} (born May 13, 1952) is a Canadian actress, comedian, and writer.[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mary-walsh/ "Mary Walsh"]. The Canadian Encyclopedia, January 1, 2012. She is known for her work on CODCO and This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
Early life
Walsh was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, the daughter of Mary and Leo Walsh. Leo was a merchant marine turned firefighter on commercial vessels. She is the seventh of eight children, and is of Irish ancestry.{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/whodoyouthinkyouare/stories/ext_mary.php |title=Who Do You Think You Are? |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331114451/http://www.cbc.ca/whodoyouthinkyouare/stories/ext_mary.php |archive-date=March 31, 2009 }} She is a past member of Girl Guides of Canada.{{Cite web|url=https://www.girlguides.ca/web/uploads/File/media_room/media_kit/ggc-fun-facts.pdf|title=GGC Fun Facts|website=Girl Guides of Canada}}
Career
Walsh studied theatre in Toronto at Ryerson University but dropped out to work with the CODCO comedy troupe on a series of stage shows, which eventually evolved into a sketch comedy series.{{cite web|title=Mary Walsh: Warrior princess – Everything Zoomer – Boomers with Zip|url=http://www.everythingzoomer.com/mary-walsh-warrior-princess/|website=Everything Zoomer – Boomers with Zip|access-date=October 17, 2016|date=January 1, 2006}} The CODCO series ran from 1988 to 1993 on CBC Television.
=''This Hour Has 22 Minutes''=
In 1992, she began to work with former co-star Rick Mercer and former CODCO co-stars Cathy Jones and Greg Thomey to create a new television series called This Hour Has 22 Minutes. The show was a parody of the nightly news, and poked fun at Canadian and international politics. 22 Minutes received strong ratings during its earlier seasons and Walsh's character Marg Delahunty became famous for buttonholing politicians and submitting them to satirical interviews.{{cite web|title=Mary Walsh resurrects Marg to bring change to Ottawa|date=October 10, 2015 |url=https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/mary-walsh-resurrects-marg-to-bring-change-to-134904937.html|publisher=Yahoo! News|access-date=October 17, 2016}} Usually Marg Delahunty would recite a scripted piece intended to humiliate the politician, often by providing criticism and "grandmotherly" advice. Sometimes Marg appeared as "Marg, Princess Warrior", a parody of the title character of Xena: Warrior Princess portrayed by Lucy Lawless. Walsh is also noted for her comical segment chronicling the Canadian Auto Workers Union's tense blockade of the Volvo Halifax Assembly plant in 1998. In 2007, she revived Marg Delahunty for the Royal Canadian Air Farce's 300th episode. On October 24, 2011, Walsh was once again in the spotlight as she reprised the role of Marg Delahunty conducting an ambush interview of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford at his home. Ford's reaction and alleged verbal abuse directed at a 911 operator made national headlines.{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/article/1076717--ford-admits-using-f-word-denies-insulting-911-operator?bn=1|title=Ford admits using f-word, denies insulting a 911 operator |work=Toronto Star | date=October 27, 2011|first1=Brendan|last1=Kennedy|first2=David|last2=Rider}} She also reprised Marg, Princess Warrior for an episode of the 25th season of 22 Minutes in December 2017. Marg was reprised again for National Canadian Film Day on April 16, 2025 to "Fight in the 2025 Trade War"{{cite web |title=Marg Delahunty, Princess Warrior Returns to Fight in the 2025 Trade War! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjwI9spQsfI |website=Youtube | date=April 10, 2025 |publisher=REEL CANADA |access-date=15 April 2025}}
In 2020, Walsh reprised her longtime 22 Minutes character of Miss Eulalia in the CBC Gem web series Broad Appeal: Living with E's,Eric Volmers, [https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/television/mary-walsh-and-cathy-jones-will-not-go-gentle-into-old-age-in-web-series-as-mrs-eulalia-and-mrs-enid "Mary Walsh and Cathy Jones will not go gentle into old age in web series as Mrs. Eulalia and Mrs. Enid"]. Calgary Herald, March 31, 2021. for which she received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Lead Performance in a Web Program or Series at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022.Brent Furdyk, [https://etcanada.com/news/867531/2022-canadian-screen-awards-nominees-announced/ "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees Announced, ‘Sort Of’ & ‘Scarborough’ Lead The Pack"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308182553/https://etcanada.com/news/867531/2022-canadian-screen-awards-nominees-announced/ |date=March 8, 2022 }}. ET Canada, February 15, 2022.
= Other work =
Walsh's other television work included the short-run sitcoms Dooley Gardens (1999); Hatching, Matching and Dispatching (2006);{{cite web|title=HATCHING, MATCHING & DISPATCHING PREMIERES JAN. 6 ON CBC|url=http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/hatching-matching-dispatching-premieres-jan-6-on-cbc-571675.htm|website=marketwired.com|access-date=October 18, 2016}} and a guest starring role as Miranda Cahill on the CBC television series Republic of Doyle.{{cite web|title=Jake Doyle's last ride: Social media reacts|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/jake-doyle-s-last-ride-social-media-reacts-to-republic-of-doyle-finale-1.2869261|publisher=CBC News|access-date=October 18, 2016}} She currently has a recurring role on CBC's Little Dog.{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/television/cbcs-little-dog-a-rockin-raucous-gem-of-a-serious-comedy/article38158181/|title=CBC's Little Dog is a rockin' raucous gem of a serious comedy|access-date=7 February 2019}} She created the CBC program Mary Walsh: Open Book, a talk show about books and literature, in 2003. Walsh revived the Fury family from Hatching, Matching, and Dispatching by writing and starring in A Christmas Fury{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/television/a-christmas-fury-is-a-new-cracked-and-crazy-christmas-classic/article37165058/|title=A Christmas Fury is a new cracked and crazy Christmas classic|access-date=7 February 2019}} in 2017.
Besides TV acting, she has worked on movies such as Mambo Italiano, Geraldine's Fortune,{{cite news|title=Geraldine's Fortune *|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/geraldines-fortune/article1142921/|website=The Globe and Mail|date=October 22, 2004|access-date=October 18, 2016|last1=Lacey|first1=Liam}} Rain, Drizzle and Fog,{{cite web|title=CM Magazine: Rain, Drizzle and Fog: An Offbeat Look at St. John's, Newfoundland.|url=https://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/vol6/no8/raindrizzlefog.html|website=umanitoba.ca|access-date=October 18, 2016}} Buried on Sunday, The Divine Ryans, Young Triffie, Violet,{{cite news|title=Hollywood Down East, but you'd never know it|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/hollywood-down-east-but-youd-never-know-it/article1340918/|website=The Globe and Mail|date=December 12, 2000|access-date=October 18, 2016|last1=Harvey|first1=Kenneth J.}} and The Grand Seduction.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}{{cite web |last1=Bradbury |first1=Tara |title='Grand Seduction' heads for TIFF premiere |url=https://www.thetelegram.com/lifestyles/grand-seduction-heads-for-tiff-premiere-134118/ |website=The Telegram |access-date=31 January 2020}}
2004 saw Walsh host a segment on the CBC documentary series The Greatest Canadian, in which she championed the case for Sir Frederick Banting (the Nobel prize-winning discoverer of insulin) as the greatest Canadian who ever lived.
In June 2007, she hosted the Pride Toronto Gala & Awards ceremony.
On December 15, 2007, Walsh made national news with a story about her upcoming special, Nudity, Sexuality, Violence and Coarse Language, in which a large group of people who went and stripped naked standing next to St. John's Harbour in −11 °C (12 °F) weather to be filmed as a part of the show's closing. Walsh herself did not go nude.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/nude-st-john-s-waterfront-tv-shoot-attracts-50-1.676645|title=Nude St. John's waterfront TV shoot attracts 50|date=December 15, 2007|publisher=CBC News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216235923/http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2007/12/15/walsh-nudity-shoot.html|archive-date=December 16, 2007|url-status=live}}
In 2017, Walsh published her debut novel, Crying for the Moon.[https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/books/mary-walsh-adds-new-novel-to-creative-resume "Mary Walsh adds new novel to creative resume"]. The Vancouver Sun, May 3, 2017.
=Directing=
Walsh made her feature directorial debut with the 2007 movie Young Triffie.{{cite web|title=YOUNG TRIFFIE'S BEEN MADE AWAY WITH – Telefilm Canada|url=https://www.telefilm.ca/en/catalogues/production/young-triffie-s-been-made-away|website=telefilm.ca|access-date=October 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019015647/https://www.telefilm.ca/en/catalogues/production/young-triffie-s-been-made-away|archive-date=October 19, 2016|url-status=dead}} She was the first Newfoundlander in six years to have a film in general release across Canada.
Personal life
Walsh has battled alcoholism.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/two-bell-let-s-talk-ambassadors-share-personal-struggles-with-addiction-1.2753935|title=Two Bell Let's Talk ambassadors share personal struggles with addiction|date=January 27, 2016}}{{cite web| url = http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2487438195| title = Mary Walsh on comedy and alcoholism {{!}} CBC.ca}} The Toronto Star reported that the end of CODCO coincided with the end of Walsh's active alcoholism, with Walsh stating "which was a damn good thing because I could have never done This Hour Has 22 Minutes if I'd been drinking."{{cite news| url = https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2012/03/03/mary_walsh_what_led_marg_delahunty_warrior_princess_to_toronto_mayor_rob_ford.html| title = Mary Walsh: what led Marg Delahunty, Warrior Princess to Toronto Mayor, Rob Ford {{!}} The Star| website = Toronto Star| date = March 3, 2012| last1 = Ouzounian| first1 = Richard}}
Honours
=Performing arts=
She won Best Supporting Actress at the Atlantic Film Festival in 1992 for her performance in Mike Jones' Secret Nation.
On November 4, 2006, Walsh and Ed MacDonald picked up a Gemini Award for the best writing in a comedy or variety program for their work in Hatching, Matching and Dispatching.{{cite web|title=2006 Gemini Award winners|url=https://www.sootoday.com/local-entertainment/2006-gemini-award-winners-147836|website=SooToday.com|date=November 6, 2006 |access-date=October 18, 2016}}
She has won 18 Gemini Awards.{{cite web|url=http://academy.ca/hist/history.cfm?nname=Mary+Walsh&winonly=1&awards=0&rtype=1&curstep=4&submit.x=39&submit.y=5|title=Canada's Awards Database|access-date=October 18, 2008|archive-date=June 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607070305/http://academy.ca/hist/history.cfm?nname=Mary+Walsh&winonly=1&awards=0&rtype=1&curstep=4&submit.x=39&submit.y=5|url-status=dead}} She won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021, for the film Happy Place.Zach Harper, [https://ca.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/02021052160352/schitts-creek-kims-convenience-2021-canadian-screen-awards-winners "'Schitt's Creek' and 'Kim's Convenience' win big at 2021 Canadian Screen Awards"]. Hello! Canada, May 21, 2021.
Walsh received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts, in 2012.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/rush-wins-governor-general-s-award-1.1212117 |title=Rush wins Governor General's Award |publisher=CBC News |date=March 6, 2012 |access-date=6 March 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306221359/http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/story/2012/03/06/gg-performing-arts-awards.html |archive-date=March 6, 2012 }}
=Charity and activism=
A sufferer of macular degeneration,{{cite web|title=Warrior Princess Leads The Charge Against Macular Degeneration {{!}} Optical Prism Magazine|url=http://opticalprism.ca/warrior-princess-leads-the-charge-against-macular-degeneration/|website=opticalprism.ca|date=September 4, 2012|access-date=October 17, 2016 |last1=Prism |first1=Optical }} she has served from time to time as a spokesperson for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).
In 1993, Walsh was chosen to deliver the prestigious Graham Spry lecture which was broadcast nationally on CBC Radio.
In 1994, Walsh addressed the United Nations Global Conference on Development in New York. She has also served as a spokesperson for Oxfam, Canada's human rights campaign, and in 2010 received Oxfam's Spirit of Change Award, in recognition of her years of dedication to eradicating poverty and ensuring public services for all.{{cite web|title=Mary Walsh receives first 'Spirit of Change' award|url=http://www.oxfam.ca/news/mary-walsh-receives-first-spirit-change-award|website=Oxfam Canada|access-date=October 17, 2016|date=June 21, 2010 |author1=Admin }}
On May 29, 1998, Mary Walsh received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Trent University.[https://www.trentu.ca/news/fortnightly/feb0598/honorary.html Trentu.ca]
McGill University honoured Walsh with an honorary doctorate during the November 2008 convocation ceremony.{{cite web|url=https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/news/item/?item_id=102189|title=Mary Walsh and Sheila Fraser to receive honorary degrees at McGill}} Her speech to the class of 2008 focused on political satire.{{cite web|url=http://www.journalpioneer.com/index.cfm?sid=190327&sc=121|title=Mary Walsh gets degree from McGill and says PM is a control freak|access-date=December 21, 2009|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126215053/http://www.journalpioneer.com/index.cfm?sid=190327&sc=121|archive-date=January 26, 2013|url-status=dead}}
=National Honours=
Mary Walsh was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada on 27 April 2000.{{cite web |title=Mary Walsh's Order of Canada Citation |url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/146-6454 |website=Governor General of Canada |date=11 January 2024 |access-date=11 January 2024 |language=en}} This gave her the Post Nominal Letters "CM" for Life. She was awarded the Canadian Version of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.{{cite web |title=Mary Walsh's Golden Jubilee Medal Citation |url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/125-40493 |website=Governor General of Canada |date=11 January 2024 |access-date=11 January 2024 |language=en}} She was awarded the Canadian Version of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.{{cite web |title=Mary Walsh's Diamond Jubilee Medal Citation |url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/126-104969 |website=Governor General of Canada |date=11 January 2024 |access-date=11 January 2024 |language=en}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1976
| Dolly Cake | N/A | Short film |
| 1983
| Stations | | |
| 1986
| data-sort-value="Adventure of Faustus Bidgood, The" | The Adventure of Faustus Bidgood | Heady Nolan | Production manager |
| rowspan=2|1992
| 2nd Biker | |
| Secret Nation
| Oona Vokey | |
| 1998
| Marietta | |
| 1998
| Rain Drizzle and Fog | Herself | Documentary |
| rowspan=2|1999
| Cookie Pottie | |
| data-sort-value="Divine Ryans, The" | The Divine Ryans
| Aunt Phil Ryans | |
| 2000
| Violet | Violet O'Brien | |
| rowspan=2|2001
| data-sort-value="Frank Truth, The" | The Frank Truth | Herself | Documentary |
| Tommy... A Family Portrait
| Herself | Documentary |
| rowspan=2|2003
| Anna | |
| Mambo Italiano
| Lina Paventi | |
| 2004
| Rose Owens | |
| 2005
| N/A | Co-writer |
| 2007
| Aunt Millie Bishop | Also known as:Young Triffie's Been Made Away With |
| rowspan=2|2009
| Crackie | Bride | |
| Grown Up Movie Star
| Receptionist | |
| 2010
| Herself/host | |
| 2012
| Imaginary Heroine | | Short film |
| rowspan=2|2013
| data-sort-value="Grand Seduction, The" | The Grand Seduction | Vera | |
| Incident at Elysian Fields
| Yvonne | Short film |
| 2014
| Dot Power | |
| 2015
| Allison | |
| 2016
| data-sort-value="Inn Of Olde, The" | The Inn Of Olde | Sadie | Short Film |
| rowspan=2|2019
| Radical | | Short film |
| Apocalyptic Rant
| Marg Delahunty | Short film |
| 2020
| Mildred | |
| 2021
| Dad and the Fridge Box | N/A | Writer |
| 2023
| Queenie | |
| 2024
| May | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Television | |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes | |
|---|---|
| 1974
| Cod on a Stick | Various | |
| 1975
| Various | Part of CODCO | |
| 1978
| data-sort-value="Root Seller, The" | The Root Seller | Various | 6 episodes | |
| 1980
| Verna Ball | Miniseries | |
| 1980-1983
| Various | | |
| 1986–1989
| CODCO | Various | 35 episodes | |
| 1992
| data-sort-value="Boys of St. Vincent: 15 Years Later, The" | The Boys of St. Vincent: 15 Years Later | Lenora Pardy | Miniseries | |
| 1993–2013
| Various | 122 Episodes | |
| 1995-1997
| data-sort-value="Adventures of Dudley the Dragon, The" | The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon | Willomena / Princess | 3 episodes | |
| 1996
| Herself/host | TV special | |
| rowspan=2|1997
| data-sort-value="New Adventures of Robin Hood, The" | The New Adventures of Robin Hood | Police Guard #1 | Season 2 episode 9: "Outlaw Express" | |
| Major Crime
| Patty Reckles | TV movie | |
| 1998
| Miss Pick | Season 2 episode 6: "By the Rivers of Babylon" | |
| 1998–1999
| data-sort-value="Rosie O'Donnell Show, The" | The Rosie O'Donnell Show | N/A | Writer - 193 Episodes | |
| rowspan=3|1999
| Lexx | Heedia | Season 2 episode 13: "Twilight" | |
| Dooley Gardens
| Marilyn Benoit | 7 Episodes | |
| Life and Times
| Herself | Season 4 episode 1: "Mary Walsh: Princess Warrior | |
| 2000
| Our Daily Bread | Edna Barkhouse | TV movie | |
| rowspan=3|2002
| data-sort-value="Joke's on Us: 50 Years of CBC Satire, The" | The Joke's on Us: 50 Years of CBC Satire | Herself | Documentary | |
| Bleacher Bums
| Rose | TV movie | |
| Random Passage
| Mrs. Armstrong | Miniseries | |
| 2003
| data-sort-value="Strategic Humour Initiative, The" | The Strategic Humour Initiative | Herself/co-host | | |
| 2003-2004
| Host | Writer | |
| 2004
| data-sort-value="Greatest Canadian, The" | The Greatest Canadian | Herself | Advocate for Sir Frederick Banting | |
| 2005–2006
| Hatching, Matching and Dispatching | Mamie Lou Furey | Writer | |
| 2006
| data-sort-value="Wind in the Willows, The" | The Wind in the Willows | Washerwoman | TV movie | |
| 2007
| Herself | Episode 7: "Mary Walsh" | |
| rowspan=3|2008
| Sophie | Sarah Sloane | Season 1 episode 12: "Read the Signs" | |
| Gossip
| Carolyn Johnson Wright | TV movie | |
| data-sort-value="Quality of Life, The" | The Quality of Life
| Katherine Greenborne | TV movie | |
| 2009
| Sally Smoot | Season 2 episode 6: "Shades of Grey" | |
| 2010
| Great Canadian Books | Herself | 2 episodes | |
| 2010–2014
| Miranda Cahill | 2 episodes | |
| 2012
| Little Mosque on the Prairie | Mayor Glenda Beckford | Season 6 episode 8: "Finders Weepers" | |
| 2014–2016 | Sensitive Skin
| Sarah Thorn | 2 episodes |
| 2015
| Odelle | Season 6 episode 3: "Uprising" | |
| 2016
| Slasher | Verna McBride | Season 1: The Executioner | |
| 2017
| data-sort-value="Christmas Fury, A" | A Christmas Fury | Mamie Lou Fur | TV movie | |
| 2018
| Tucker | 12 episodes | |
| rowspan=2|2020
| Vicky Gumble | Season 2 episode 13: "In Pod We Trust" | |
| Canada's Drag Race
| Herself/Guest Host | Season 1 episode 5: "Snatch Game" | |
| 2020–present
| Broad Appeal: Living with E's | Miss Eulalia | |
| 2021–present
| data-sort-value="Missus Downstairs, The" | The Missus Downstairs | The Missus | Writer |
Bibliography
Crying for the Moon: A Novel (April 18, 2017 HarperCollins, {{ISBN|9781443410380}})
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|909763|Mary Walsh}}
{{ACCT Best Supporting Actress}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, Mary}}
Category:20th-century Canadian actresses
Category:21st-century Canadian actresses
Category:21st-century Canadian novelists
Category:21st-century Canadian women writers
Category:Actresses from Newfoundland and Labrador
Category:Best Supporting Actress Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners
Category:Canadian Comedy Award winners
Category:Canadian film actresses
Category:Canadian people of Irish descent
Category:Canadian sketch comedians
Category:Canadian stage actresses
Category:Canadian television actresses
Category:Canadian television personalities
Category:Canadian television producers
Category:Canadian women comedians
Category:Canadian women film producers
Category:Canadian women novelists
Category:Canadian women television personalities
Category:Canadian women television producers
Category:Comedians from Newfoundland and Labrador
Category:Film producers from Newfoundland and Labrador
Category:Governor General's Award winners
Category:Members of the Order of Canada
Category:Television show creators
Category:This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Category:Writers from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Category:Canadian Screen Award winning writers
Category:Screenwriters from Newfoundland and Labrador