# Canadians are lousy actors... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 14, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019 "2003-02-14T07:22:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/1 "2003-02-14T07:22:01Z")
Hold your fire, this is not my claim, [Robert Duval said it](http://www.canada.com/entertainment/story.asp?id=%7B5A229CE0-38C5-409E-89B9-AD1D74FD9CAB%7D). Don’t feel too bad, you guys produce more than your share of good comedians. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Atom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@Atom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atom)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/2 "2003-02-14T07:31:42Z")
But they sure make good horor flicks. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/3 "2003-02-14T07:55:34Z")
I love the smell of poutine in the morning. Smells like … VICTORY! ---
**Author:** ![Mothchunks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@Mothchunks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mothchunks)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/4 "2003-02-14T08:54:08Z")
The finest living actor in history, William Shatner, is Canadian. ---
**Author:** ![Feynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@Feynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feynn)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/5 "2003-02-14T09:03:54Z")
My condolences go out to the Duvall family… senility is a terrible thing. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/6 "2003-02-14T11:38:20Z")
Aw Geez - he’s playing General Robert E. Lee (honourable graduate of West Point). > [@](#): > > Mr. Duvall may not have been impressed with Canadian actors, but he had high praise for the scenery. “I can’t say I’ve seen every mountain range in the world, but those Rocky Mountains are the most spectacular I’ve ever seen.” At worst, it was an ornery comment from a fine old actor (71 - wow!). At best it was Duvall in character as General Lee. play on ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/7 "2003-02-14T16:08:17Z")
Besides Shatner, there’s Pamala Anderson, Jason Priestley and Jim Carrey. Hmmmm… What’s really got to hurt Canadians is not Duvall’s dissing them, but Costner’s praising them 🙂 Seriously though, what a foolish thing to say. Sarah Polley anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/8 "2003-02-14T16:10:18Z")
Oh I forgot Tom Greene! ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/9 "2003-02-14T17:11:43Z")
Mike Myers! Martin Short! What’s this guy thinking? ---
**Author:** ![greck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ab992/32.png) [@greck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greck)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/10 "2003-02-14T17:29:14Z")
perhaps he never saw the Norm show ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_Sandwhich)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/11 "2003-02-14T18:47:37Z")
Don’t forget Donald Sutherland. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/12 "2003-02-14T19:36:43Z")
Tom Greene and William Shatner aside, Robert Duvall has had the opportunity to work with at least one Canadian with talent. According to [imdb.com](http://imdb.com)\*, Duvall has appeared with Donald Sutherland in these 4 movies: The Eagle Has Landed Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) Lady Ice MASH But he’s never acted alongside Christopher Plummer or Raymond Massey. That’s the website that helps you find old classmates. Oh, and it also has stuff about movies, if you click past the classmates stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/13 "2003-02-14T20:37:34Z")
Norma Shearer . . . Mary Pickford . . . Bea Lillie . . . ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/14 "2003-02-14T21:02:54Z")
Michael J Fox John Candy Hayden Christensen (was pretty good in Life as a House) Whether or not Canadians can act, the certainly have comedy covered that’s for sure… ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/15 "2003-02-14T21:16:24Z")
Well, the greatest live Shakespearean performance I’ve ever seen was Christopher Plummer as Iago, in “Othello.” I’d like to see Duvall try that role, before he shoots his mouth off again. ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/16 "2003-02-14T21:28:59Z")
To be fair, I assume he was referring to secondary players rather than stars. Still foolish on his part to make the comment, he knows full well that such statements will be blown out of proportion by the press. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/17 "2003-02-14T23:11:12Z")
Well, he’s entitled to his opinion, wrong as it may be. I can’t really judge smaller Canadian actors because I avoid watching CBC like the plague, but I’m sure Calgary has no worse actors around here than any other city this size (850 000 approx.). Or maybe it does, because they’re all in LA and New York trying to make it big. Anyway, thanks for the cudos on our scenery. That’s what we’re here for. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/18 "2003-02-15T18:06:29Z")
Other famous Canadian actors: Michael Moriarty Jill Hennessey Dan Ackroyd Harold Ramis Martin Short Lorne Greene Tommy Chong Rae Dawn Chong Graham Greene Tom Jackson James Doohan Kiefer Sutherland Elisha Cuthbert John Candy Nia Vardalos Mia Kirshner Rick Moranis Eugene Levy Peter Ustinov Jennifer Tilley Meg Tilley Matthew Perry David James Elliott Kristen Kreuk Brendan Fraser Mike Myers Neve Campbell Well, that’s a partial list, to be sure, but I think we can safely say Mr. Duvall is talking out his ass. I respect much of his work, but like most actors, I don’t have much respect for the things they say on the record. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Brian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@I\_Brian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Brian)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/19 "2003-02-15T18:45:51Z")
Who was that fine moubtie in “Due South”? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019/20 "2003-02-15T23:14:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by I, Brian \* > \*\*Who was that fine moubtie in “Due South”? \*\* Paul Gross. Leslie Nielson (also Canadian) had a recurring role as a Mountie on _Due South_, too. Jimbo: Peter Ustinov? [IMDB.com](http://IMDB.com) says he was born in England, of mostly Russian descent. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-are-lousy-actors/155019.md?page=2)