TORONTO, Nov. 25, 2013 /CNW/ - ACTRA Toronto is proud to announce R.H. Thomson as the recipient of the 2014 ACTRA Toronto Award of Excellence. The award will be presented at the ACTRA Awards in Toronto ceremony and show to be held at The Carlu on Saturday, February 22, 2014.
Thomson trained at LAMDA and the National Theatre School, which honoured him with the Gascon-Thomas Award in 1997. He is a leading actor who has been dedicated to working in Canada for the past 30 years. His film honours include a Genie Award for If You Could See What I Hear and nominations for Ticket to Heaven, Samuel Lount and The Lotus Eaters. His television awards include a Gemini Award for playing Dr. Frederick Banting in Glory Enough for All and nominations for The Englishman's Boy; Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks; Ford and the Machine; Screen Two; And Then You Die and for his continuing role as Jasper Dale in Avonlea. He has provided voice narration on a number of projects and was the host of Man Alive for three seasons. His performances on stage have also been recognized, with a Dora Award for Hand to Hand and a nomination for Someone Who Will Watch Over Me.
Thomson developed work of his own for television, winning a Gemini for Best News and Current Affairs in 2003 for Lost Boys based on his great-uncles' experiences in World War I. His installation, Vigile 1914-1918 Vigil, commemorated the 68,000 Canadians who lost their lives in that war.
He was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2010 and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Toronto, Trinity College.
Said Dave Sparrow, President of ACTRA Toronto, "R.H. has been an arts activist for decades. I've ridden the lobby bus to Ottawa with him and his ACTRA colleagues since 2003 to talk culture with politicians. Until 2010, that is, when Thomson convinced us to start taking the train for environmental reasons."
The annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto recognize outstanding performances by ACTRA Toronto members and celebrate accomplishment and excellence in our industry. Three juried awards will be presented in addition to the Award of Excellence: the ACTRA Awards for Outstanding Performance: Female, Male, and Voice.
ACTRA Toronto is the largest organization within ACTRA, representing over 15,000 of Canada's 22,000 professional performers working in the English-language recorded media in Canada. As an advocate for Canadian culture since 1943, ACTRA is a member-driven organization that continues to secure rights and respect for the work of professional performers.
Image with caption: "R.H. Thomson (CNW Group/ACTRA Toronto)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131125_C4812_PHOTO_EN_33820.jpg
SOURCE: ACTRA Toronto
For media inquiries please contact:
Karen Woolridge
Public Relations Officer, ACTRA Toronto
Dir: (416) 642-6710
[email protected]
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