Rosemary Dunsmore

{{short description|Canadian TV, film, and theatre actress|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2013}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Rosemary Dunsmore

| image = Rosemary Dunsmore (cropped).jpg

| alt = Rosemary Dunsmore, August 2014

| caption = Rosemary Dunsmore in August 2014

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|7|13}}

| birth_place = Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality =

| other_names =

| known_for =

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 1980 – present

| partner =

| website =

}}

Rosemary Dunsmore (born July 13, 1952) is a Canadian TV, film, and theatre actress, director, and educator. She was awarded a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her 1982 performance in Straight Ahead/Blind Dancers. In 2009 she won the ACTRA Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film The Baby Formula. She has starred in some well-known Canadian productions, including The Campbells, Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, Road to Avonlea, Mom P.I., Murdoch Mysteries and Orphan Black.{{cite web | url=http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Dunsmore%2C%20Rosemary | title=Dunsmore, Rosemary | publisher=Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia | date=March 30, 2009 | accessdate=October 17, 2011}}

Life and career

Born on July 13, 1952, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Dunsmore was trained in drama at York University from which she graduated in 1973.{{cite book|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/rosemary-dunsmore|title=The Canadian Encyclopedia|chapter=Rosemary Dunsmore|date=July 11, 2013|author=Aidan Morgan}} She began her professional career in 1975 touring in Cedric Smith and George Luscombe's play Ten Lost Years. She soon appeared in productions in several important Canadian theatres, including the Stratford Festival, the Centaur Theatre. and the Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts. For her 1982 performance in Straight Ahead/Blind Dancers she was awarded both a Dora Mavor Moore Award and the best performer award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

A prolific television actress, Dunsmore began her screen career with appearances in The Littlest Hobo in 1980. She became well known for her portrayal of Katherine Brooke in the 1987 miniseries Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (more widely known as Anne of Avonlea outside Canada). She later appeared in the recurring role of Abigail MacEwan in Road to Avonlea (1990–1996). From 1990–1992 she starred as the central character of Sally Sullivan in two seasons of the Canadian television comedy-drama series Mom P.I.. She has guest starred on the Canadian television programs Being Erica, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Hangin' In, Lost Girl, Murdoch Mysteries, and ReGenesis. On American television she has appeared in Beauty and the Beast , L.A. Law, Queer as Folk, and The Twilight Zone.

In film, Dunsmore had roles in the Hollywood films Twins (1988), Total Recall (1990) and Cliffhanger (1993). In 2009, she won the ACTRA Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film The Baby Formula.{{cite web|url=http://cfccreates.com/mentors/41|title=Rosemary Dunsmore|work=Canadian Film Centre|accessdate=June 13, 2022}}

She was formerly married to actor Peter Dvorsky.Iona Monahan, "Mother-in-law taught actress art of dress". Montreal Gazette, May 27, 1986.

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1988

| Twins

| Miss Busby

|

1990

| Total Recall

| Dr. Renata Lull

|

1993

| Cliffhanger

| Treasury Secretary

|

1995

| Bach's Fight for Freedom

| Gerta

|

1996

| Natural Enemy

| Judy

| Video

1998

| Strike!

| Page Sawyer

| AKA, All I Wanna Do

2001

| Good Stuff

| Doctor

| Short film

2003

| Dreamcatcher

| Roberta Cavell

|

2004

| White Knuckles

| Victoria Conrad

|

2006

| Citizen Duane

| Mayor Kelly Milton

|

2007

| Bonded Pairs

| Rosemary

| Short film

2008

| {{sortname|The|Baby Formula}}

| Wanda

|

2009

| Orphan

| Grandma Barbara

|

2009

| At Home by Myself...With You

| Bessie

|

2010

| Empty

| Margaret Burke

| Video short

2011

| Faces in the Crowd

| Dr. Langenkamp #2

|

2012

| {{sortname|The|Riverbank|nolink=1}}

| Miranda Magos

|

2012

| Miskate

| Grandma

| Short fim

2013

| {{sortname|The|Hot Flash|nolink=1}}

| Nana

| Short film

2014

| Don't Get Killed in Alaska

| Jan

|

2015

| How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town

| Seth's Mother

|

2017

| Blood Honey

| Louisa Lippe

|

2020

| The Toll

| Lorraine

|

2020

| Dear Jesus

| Sister Bernadette

| Short film

2021

| Kicking Blood

| Bernice

|

2023

| To Catch a Killer

| Mrs. Possey

|

2024

| Thereby Hangs a Tale

| Mary

| Short film

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1980

| {{sortname|The|Littlest Hobo}}

| Dixie

| "Ghost Rig"

1981

| {{sortname|The|Littlest Hobo}}

| Di Jarrett

| "Airport"

1982

| Off Your Rocker

| Barbara "Babs"

| TV film

1982

| Hangin' In

| Jocelyn

| "The Reunion"

1983

| As You Like It

| Celia

| TV film

1985

| ABC Weekend Special

| Mrs. Settergren

| "Pippi Longstocking"

1986

| data-sort-value="Frantics: Four on the Floor, The" | The Frantics: Four on the Floor

| Various Characters

| TV show (Episodes 1.02-1.04)

1986

| Miles to Go...

| Cynthia

| TV film

1986–1990

| {{sortname|The|Campbells}}

| Mary McTavish

| Recurring role

1987

| Race for the Bomb

| Jean O'Leary

| TV miniseries

1987

| Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel

| Katherine Brooke

| TV miniseries

1987

| After the Promise

| Florence Jackson

| TV film

1987

| Danger Bay

| Agnes Calhoun

| "A Tangled Web"

1987

| Street Legal

| Samantha Greene

| "Romeo and Carol"

1988

| {{sortname|A|Father's Homecoming|nolink=1}}

| Dolores

| TV film

1988

| Go Toward the Light

| Sally

| TV film

1988

| Favorite Son

| Mrs. Harriet Fallon

| TV miniseries

1988

| L.A. Law

| Ina Toland

| "The Princess and the Pee"

1988

| {{sortname|The|Twilight Zone|The Twilight Zone (1985 TV series)}}

| Elise

| "Appointment on Route 17"

1988

| Blades of Courage

| Carla LaRoche

| TV film

1989

| My Two Dads

| Dr. Stuart

| "Who's on First?"

1989

| Hunter

| Rachel Sands

| "Me, Myself & Die"

1989

| Beauty and the Beast

| Virginia Sheets

| "Trial"

1990

| MacGyver

| Dr. Gwen Carpenter

| "Deep Cover"

1990

| Personals

| Susan Merchant

| TV film

1990

| E.N.G.

| Kathleen Kenner

| "Catch a Falling Star"

1990

| Mom P.I.

| Sally Sullivan

| TV film

1990

| Street Legal

| Marlene Weiss

| "Shadow Boxing"

1990–1996

| Road to Avonlea

| Abigail MacEwan

| 5 episodes

1991

| {{sortname|The|Boys|The Boys (1991 film)}}

| Helene

| TV film

1993

| Liar, Liar: Between Father and Daughter

| Mary Farrow

| TV film

1993

| E.N.G.

| Dr. Boyd

| "And the Winner Is..."

1993

| Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story

| Rose Beckman

| TV film

1994

| RoboCop: The Series

| Ms. Leachman

| "Mother's Day"

1996

| Kung Fu: The Legend Continues

| Rachel

| "Dragon's Lair"

1996

| Undue Influence

| Carla Morgan

| TV film

1996

| We the Jury

| Dr. Ruth Quintero

| TV film

1997

| Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story

| Frances Louganis

| TV film

1997

| Poltergeist: The Legacy

| Dr. Emily Randall

| "Fear"

1998

| {{sortname|The|Long Way Home|nolink=1}}

| Mrs. Bossert

| TV film

1998

| When He Didn't Come Home

| Mrs. Blair

| TV film

1998

| Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal

| Dr. Ruth Godwin

| "The Undead, The/Stalker"

1999

| Freak City

| Mary Manmouth

| TV film

1999

| Dear America: The Winter of Red Snow

| Mama

| TV short

1999

| At the Mercy of a Stranger

| Jan Scott

| TV film

2000

| Secret Cutting

| Principal Luce

| TV film

2001

| Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows

| Ida Koverman

| TV miniseries

2001

| {{sortname|The|Warden|nolink=1}}

| Mrs. Winchwood

| TV film

2001

| Hangman

| Dr. Natalie Walsh

| TV film

2001

| Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series

| E.J. Lark (voice)

| "A Welcome Hero"

2001

| Blue Murder

| Principal Leona Harcourt

| "All Saints"

2001

| Dangerous Child

| Margo

| TV film

2001–2003

| Soul Food

| Judge Priscilla Barnes

| "Games People Play", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Shades of Grey"

2002

| {{sortname|The|Associates|The Associates (Canadian TV series)}}

| Judge Martin

| "Soulmates", "Liar, Liar"

2002

| {{sortname|The|Interrogation of Michael Crowe|nolink=1}}

| Dorothy Sorenson

| TV film

2003

| Profoundly Normal

| Charlotte Johnson

| TV film

2003

| Queer as Folk

| Judge

| "Stop Hurting Us"

2004

| Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story

| Warden Woodford

| TV film

2004

| Degrassi: The Next Generation

| Judge

| "Ghost in the Machine"

2004

| {{sortname|The|Grid|The Grid (miniseries)}}

| Lois Avery

| TV miniseries

2004

| Wild Card

| Mrs. Sutton

| "Premonition Mission"

2004

| {{sortname|A|Very Married Christmas|nolink=1}}

| Osa Larson

| TV film

2004–2005

| ReGenesis

| Congresswoman Shuler

| Recurring role

2005

| Kevin Hill

| Judge Landell

| "Occupational Hazard"

2006

| Playing House

| Madeline

| TV film

2006

| At the Hotel

| Marcia Bridge

| "Modern Solutions to Modern Problems"

2006

| Covert One: The Hades Factor

| Nancy Langford

| TV miniseries

2006

| Wedding Wars

| Claire Welling

| TV film

2007

| St. Urbain's Horseman

| Hannah

| TV miniseries

2007

| They Come Back

| Mrs. Carr

| TV film

2007

| {{sortname|The|Altar Boy Gang|nolink=1}}

| Kate

| TV series

2008

| {{sortname|A|Raisin in the Sun|A Raisin in the Sun (2008 film)}}

| Mrs. Arnold

| TV film

2008

| Burn Up

| Margo

| "1.2"

2008

| For the Love of Grace

| Alicia

| TV film

2009

| Being Erica

| Tania

| "Til Death"

2009

| Guns

| Janet Patterson

| TV miniseries

2009

| {{sortname|The|Good Times Are Killing Me|nolink=1}}

| Melanie

| TV film

2009

| Too Late to Say Goodbye

| Narda Barber

| TV film

2009

| Cra$h & Burn

| Mrs. McCutcheon

| "Trust"

2009

| Nureyev

| Diane

| TV film

2010

| Murdoch Mysteries

| Bernice Taylor

| "Me, Myself and Murdoch"

2010

| When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story

| Matilda Burnham

| TV film

2010

| Living in Your Car

| Mira Shaw

| "Chapter 3"

2010

| Unnatural History

| Mrs. Elaine Dunsmoor

| "Public School Enemies"

2010

| Red: Werewolf Hunter

| Grandmother Sullivan

| TV film

2010–2012

| Ruby Skye P.I.

| Ava O'Deary

| Recurring role

2011

| {{sortname|The|Santa Suit|nolink=1}}

| Marge

| TV film

2011

| Little Mosque on the Prairie

| Mrs. Harper

| "Love at First Fight"

2012

| Guidestones

| Jacqueline Glenndenning

| "The Truth: Parts 1 & 2"

2012

| Fugitive at 17

| Grandmother

| TV film

2013

| {{sortname|The|Surrogacy Trap|nolink=1}}

| Beth Franklin

| TV film

2013

| Cracked

| Mrs. Dunlow

| "How the Light Gets In"

2014

| Remedy

| Violet Patterson

| "Shadow of Doubt"

2015–2016

| Between

| Minister Miller

| Recurring role

2015

| {{sortname|The|Plateaus}}

| Nun #1

| Recurring role

2015–2017

| Orphan Black

| Professor Susan Duncan

| Recurring role

2018

| PAW Patrol

| Ms. Marjorie (voice)

| Recurring role

2019

| Coroner

| Mrs. Panych

| "Black Dog", "Bridges"

2019

| Street Legal

| Renee Darling

| Recurring role

2019

| data-sort-value="Hot Zone, The" | The Hot Zone

| Nancy's Aunt

| "Arrival", "Expendable", "Hidden"

rowspan="2" | 2021–2022

| rowspan="2" | Chucky

| Dr. Mixter

| Recurring role

Chucky

|Episode: "Chucky Actually"

2022

| Good Sam

| Helen Fletcher

| "Attachments", "To Whom It May Concern"

2022

| Three Pines

| Irene Morrow

| "The Murder Stone: Part One", "The Murder Stone: Part Two"

2023

| Fellow Travelers

| Estelle Fuller

| Episode: "Bulletproof"

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Awards

Year

! Award

! Category

! Production

! Result

1988

|Gemini

|Best Performance by a Supporting Actress

|Blades of Courage

|{{nom}}

2001

|Gemini

|Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series

|Blue Murder

|{{nom}}

2008

|ACTRA Awards

|Best Female Performance

|The Baby Formula

|{{won}}

References

{{Reflist}}