Wendell Smith (actor)

Originally based in Nova Scotia, Wendell Smith co-founded the Mulgrave Road Theatre Co-op in Guysborough in 1977.{{Cite book|last=Benson|first=Eugene|title=The Oxford Companion to Canadian Theatre|url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00bens|url-access=registration|last2=Conolly|first2=L.W.|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1989|isbn=9780195406726|pages=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00bens/page/352 352]|chapter=Mulgrave Road Co-op Theatre}}{{Cite news|last=Perkins|first=Don|date=November 21, 1981|title=Saskatoon Attracts Nova Scotia Actor|page=9|work=Saskatchewan Star-Phoenix}} Smith has worked more frequently as a stage actor, although he has also appeared in several Canadian feature films, especially television films.{{Cite book|last=Day|first=Moira Jean|title=West-words: Celebrating Western Canadian Theatre and Playwriting|publisher=University of Regina Press|year=2011|isbn=9780889772359|pages=214, 244|chapter=Alberta Report vs. Prairie Report: The City of God vs. The City of Man on the Canadian Prairies, 1973-2003}}{{Cite book|last=Burnett|first=Linda Avril|title=Theatre in Atlantic Canada|publisher=Playwrights Canada Press|year=2010|isbn=9780887548901|pages=61}}{{Cite book|last=Knowles|first=Richard Paul|title=The Theatre of Form and the Production of Meaning: Contemporary Canadian Dramaturgies|publisher=ECW Press|year=1999|isbn=9781550223996|pages=91}}

In 1978, Smith played the role of Antonio in the Citadel Theatre's production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.{{Cite news|date=January 25, 1978|title=Twelfth Night Opens at Citadel|page=15|work=The St. Albert Gazette|url=http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/newspapers/SGE/1978/01/25/22/}} In 1980, Smith played both the part of Dr. Patrick and the part of the defense lawyer in Sharon Pollack's play Blood Relations.{{Cite book|last=Cotton|first=Elise|title=Mediation and Mediators in the History Plays of Sharon Pollock and Jovette Marchessault|publisher=Universite de Sherbrooke|year=2004|isbn=9780612948228|pages=43–47}}{{Cite web|title=Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia - Blood Relations|url=http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Blood%20Relations|website=www.canadiantheatre.com|access-date=2020-05-09}} In 1983, Smith began workshopping plays with Theatre Calgary in Calgary, Alberta.{{Cite news|last=Brennan|first=Brian|date=December 16, 1983|title=Acting Duo Drop Out From ATP Play|page=C9|work=The Calgary Herald|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/483277497}} In 1985, Smith played the lead role in Lyle Victor Albert's play White on White.{{Cite news|last=Nicholls|first=Liz|date=April 15, 1985|title=Play Makes Powerful Statement About Bigotry|page=B9|work=The Edmonton Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/472584018/}}

In the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, Wendell Smith became heavily involved in the theater scene in Edmonton, Alberta; by 1988 the Edmonton Journal had described Smith as one of the "mainstays of the local acting scene."{{Cite news|last=Swanson|first=Doug|date=October 29, 1988|title=Saturday Night Fever|page=H1|work=The Edmonton Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/473225406}} Smith was frequently involved, both as an actor and director, with Edmonton International Fringe Festival, North America's oldest and largest fringe theatre festival; for example, in 1987 Smith directed the play Ba Ba Ha at the Edmonton Fringe and in 1997 he acted in Gordon Pengilly's play Seeds at the Edmonton Fringe.{{Cite news|last=Peterson|first=Karen|date=August 12, 1987|title=Ba Ba Ha Debut at Fringe: Vic Albert's Architectural Comedy|page=19|work=The Edmonton Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/473100666}}{{Cite news|last=Levesque|first=Roger|date=August 23, 1997|title=At The Fringe|page=C2|work=The Edmonton Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/475482738}} Wendell Smith also appeared in the Citadel Theatre's annual production of A Christmas Carol on multiple occasions; in 1987 he played Bob Cratchit and in 1993 he played Mr. Fezziwig.{{Cite news|last=Nicholls|first=Liz|date=December 7, 1987|title=Please, Santa, Spare Us This Humbug. Luv, Liz|page=F1|work=The Edmonton Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/473044274/}}{{Cite news|last=Nicholls|first=Liz|date=December 19, 1993|title=Clowning Aside, This Is A Well-Known Story Told Well|page=E5|work=The Edmonton Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/474456479/}}

In 1999, Wendell Smith played False Arkansas Tom in the TV movie You Know My Name.{{Cite book|last=Marill|first=Alvin H|title=Movies Made for Television, 1964-2004: 1990-1999|url=https://archive.org/details/moviesmadefortel00mari_616|url-access=limited|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2005|isbn=9780810851740|pages=[https://archive.org/details/moviesmadefortel00mari_616/page/n1278 583]}} Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Smith was noted for the gravelly voice he employed as an actor.{{Cite news|last=Nicholls|first=Liz|date=August 18, 1983|title=Furry Bedroom Slipper Captures Crowd|page=C7|work=The Edmonton Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/472635741/}}{{Cite news|last=Brochu|first=Brenda|date=September 18, 1984|title=Plenty of Skeletons in this Closet|page=11|work=The Gateway|url=http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/newspapers/GAT/1984/09/18/11/}}{{Cite news|last=Nicholls|first=Liz|date=October 20, 1990|title=Input from Actors Rates Highly With This Playwright|page=B4|work=The Edmonton Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/474130274/}}{{Cite news|last=Nicholls|first=Liz|date=December 12, 1993|title=Clowning Aside, This is a Well-Known Story Told Well|page=E5|work=The Edmonton Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/474456479}}

In 1979, Keith Ashwell wrote that "Smith acts his part marvelously," and in 1985, journalist Liz Nicholls described Smith as "indisputably a gifted comedian."{{Cite news|last=Ashwell|first=Keith|date=November 16, 1979|title=Intimate Sketch of Family Meeting Crisis is Endearing|page=H1|work=The Edmonton Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/471837133}}{{Cite news|last=Nicholls|first=Liz|date=October 27, 1985|title=Ham Outweighs Beef|page=19|work=The Edmonton Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/472584477/}}

In 1996, Smith won the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award in the category of Best Supporting Actor for his work in Jim Guedo's play Simpatico.{{Cite news|last=Nicholls|first=Liz|date=June 25, 1996|title=Stage Polaris Takes Home Bouquets for Secret Garden|page=C5|work=The Edmonton Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/473013559}}

Wendell Smith is the older brother of Canadian actor Stephen McHattie.{{Cite web|url=https://www.northernstars.ca/mchattie_stephen/|title=Stephen McHattie|last=Lucas|first=Ralph|date=2020-03-25|website=Northernstars.ca|language=en-CA|access-date=2020-04-24}}

{{reflist}}

• {{imdbname|0810327}}
• [https://www.allmovie.com/artist/wendell-smith-p153199 Allmovie page]

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Category:Canadian male film actors

Category:Canadian male television actors

Category:Canadian male voice actors

Category:Living people

Category:Male actors from Nova Scotia

Category:People from Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)