Meredith MacNeill
{{short description|Canadian writer and actor (born 1975)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=November 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Meredith MacNeill
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|6|19|df=y}}
| birth_place = Amherst, Nova Scotia
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| education = Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
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| occupation = Actor, comedian
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Meredith MacNeill (born 1975) is a Canadian actress and comedian.[https://www.saltwire.com/lifestyles/ns-comedian-looks-to-expand-topical-writing-amid-metoo-timesup-campaigns-182375/ "NS comedian looks to expand topical writing amid #MeToo, #TimesUp campaigns"]. Chronicle Herald, February 1, 2018. She has appeared in both Canadian and British productions, notably starring in the BBC sketch show Man Stroke Woman (2005–07) and the comedy films Confetti (2006) and Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009). She co-created, produced and starred in the CBC sketch show Baroness von Sketch Show (2016–2021), winning eight Canadian Screen Awards and one Canadian Comedy Awards.{{Cite web |title=Meredith MacNeill |url=https://www.cbc.ca/prettyhardcases/cast/meredith-macneill |access-date=4 March 2025 |website=www.cbc.ca}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1692900/awards/|title=Meredith MacNeill - Awards|website=IMDb}} MacNeill later starred as Det. Sam Wazowski in the CBC police comedy-drama series, Pretty Hard Cases (2021–2023), for which she was nominated for a four Canadian Screen Awards.
Career
MacNeill began her career appearing in British television and film.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/arts/television/the-baronesses-are-coming-and-filling-a-comedy-gender-gap.html|title=The Baronesses Are Coming! And Filling a Comedy Gender Gap|first=Katrina|last=Onstad|work=The New York Times |date=July 28, 2017|via=NYTimes.com}} She made her debut guest-starring in an episode of crime drama The Vice and later that year had a minor role in the comedy film, Blackball. In 2005, MacNeill appeared in series 3, episode 2 of Peep Show, playing the character of Mark and Jez's old friend from university, "Canadian" Merry. She promises Jez and Super Hans the disused pub she owns, and has a manic episode shortly afterwards.{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1692900/|title=Meredith MacNeill|website=IMDb|access-date=November 10, 2019}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.ngnews.ca/lifestyles/pictou-countys-meredith-macneill-is-comedys-double-dipper-182981/|title=Pictou County's Meredith MacNeill is comedy's double dipper {{!}} The News|last=Cooke|first=Stephen|website=www.ngnews.ca|language=en|access-date=November 10, 2019}} From 2005 to 2007 she starred in the BBC sketch show Man Stroke Woman. She appears in the 2009 film Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel as a time traveller called Millie. In 2009 she also appeared in production of Mary Stuart which played at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh and Linz in Austria.{{cite web | url=https://www.tvmaze.com/people/98229/meredith-macneill | title=Meredith MacNeill | TVmaze }}
In 2010s, MacNeill, after becoming a newly single mother, returned to Canada and began writing screenplays. After writing episodes of This Hour Has 22 Minutes,{{cite web|title=Meredith MacNeill|url=http://www.cbc.ca/22minutes/cast/meredith-macneill|website=This Hour Has 22 Minutes|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=May 29, 2017|language=en}} MacNeill starred in the films Big News from Grand Rock (2014), North Mountain (2015), and Your Money or Your Wife (2015). She was awarded best actress at the 2015 Atlantic Film Festival for her role in Your Money or Your Wife.{{cite news|last1=Nemetz|first1=Andrea|title=Undone Wins Best Atlantic Feature at Atlantic Film Festival Awards|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1312366-undone-wins-best-atlantic-feature-at-atlantic-film-festival-awards|accessdate=October 13, 2015|publisher=The Chronicle Herald|date=September 20, 2015}} In 2016 she co-created and went to star in the CBC Television comedy series Baroness von Sketch Show,{{Cite web|url=http://www.indiewire.com/2016/09/baroness-von-sketch-show-cbc-best-sketch-comedy-1201728493/|title='Baroness Von Sketch Show': The Best Comedy You've Never Seen {{!}} IndieWire|last=Dry|first=Jude|website=www.indiewire.com|date=September 27, 2016|access-date=January 13, 2017}} At the 5th Canadian Screen Awards in 2017, MacNeill and her Baroness von Sketch Show castmates Aurora Browne, Carolyn Taylor and Jennifer Whalen were nominated for Best Ensemble Performance in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Series, and won the award for Best Writing in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Series; at the 6th Canadian Screen Awards in 2018, the troupe won the awards in both of the same categories.[http://www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/maudie-leads-the-way-at-canadian-screen-awards-1.23199498 "Maudie leads the way at Canadian Screen Awards"]. Victoria Times-Colonist, March 13, 2018.
In 2021 MacNeill was cast as a police detective Sam Wazowski in the CBC comedy-drama series, Pretty Hard Cases opposite Adrienne C. Moore.[https://www.cbc.ca/television/cbc-announces-new-buddy-cop-drama-series-lady-dicks-1.5459457 "CBC announces new buddy cop drama series Pretty Hard Cases"]. CBC News, February 11, 2020. The series ended in 2023.
Personal life
Filmography
=Film=
class="wikitable sortable" |
Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
---|
2003
| Suzi | |
2005
| Festival | Mary | |
2006
| Confetti | Isabelle | |
rowspan=2| 2007
| data-sort-value="Good Night, The" | The Good Night | Tica | |
Pass It on: Coaching Skills for Managers
| Angie | Video short |
2009
| Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel | Millie | |
2014
| Lucy | |
rowspan=2| 2015
| Mona | |
Your Money or Your Wife
| Annie |Atlantic International Film Festival for Outstanding Performance by an Actress |
2026
| {{pending film|Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie}} | TBA (voice) | Upcoming film{{cite web|date=May 7, 2025|url=https://deadline.com/2025/05/paw-patrol-the-dino-movie-casts-jameela-jamil-terry-crews-snoop-dogg-1236387781/|title='Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie' Adds Jameela Jamil, Terry Crews, Snoop Dogg, Bill Nye, Paris Hilton & More To Cast|website=Deadline Hollywood|last=Grobar|first=Matt}} |
=Television=
class="wikitable sortable" |
Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
---|
rowspan=2| 2003
| data-sort-value="Vice, The" | The Vice | Tina | Season 5, episode 2: "The Gameboys" |
Ultimate Force
| Jenny Lloyd | Season 2, episode 3: "Wannabes" |
rowspan=3| 2005
| Merry | Season 3, episode 2: "Sectioning" |
data-sort-value="Queen's Sister, The" | The Queen's Sister
| Sharman Douglas | TV movie |
My Family and Other Animals
| Silent Girlfriend | TV movie |
2005-2007
| Various | 12 episodes |
2011-2012
| {{N/A}} | Writer - 2 episodes |
rowspan=2| 2015
| data-sort-value="Book of Negroes, The" | The Book of Negroes | Judith Palmer | Miniseries |
Haven
| Ona Fortuna | Season 5, episode 19: "Perditus" |
2016-2021
| Various | 46 episodes |
2021–2023
| Det. Sam Wazowski | 32 episodes |
2025-present
| Kris | Series regular |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|1692900|Meredith MacNeill}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macneill, Meredith}}
Category:21st-century Canadian actresses
Category:Actresses from Nova Scotia
Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Category:Canadian comedy writers
Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent
Category:Canadian sketch comedians
Category:Canadian television actresses
Category:Canadian women comedians
Category:This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Category:People from Pictou County
Category:Canadian Screen Award winning writers
Category:Canadian women television writers
Category:Canadian television writers
Category:21st-century Canadian comedians