Bio
Acting has always been a great life passion and I have been very privileged to have worked with many great people, both instructors and actors alike. My career started in Ontario (Canada) and has ended up on the beautiful west coast in Vancouver, British Columbia. My background is in Theatre and it wasn't until landing in Vancouver that I made the full time switch to Film & TV. Vancouver is one of the busiest hubs in North America for Film & TV and with that comes a great need for talented actors from around the world. For me that's a blessing as almost 99% of everything we shoot here is set in the US. And that means that these actors all have to have an American dialect, and although that's what I've specialized in, coaching actors from other countries to 'talk American', I also get to teach a wide variety of other dialects when called on. There are constantly new challenges and an opportunity to work with actors at all different levels of their careers. I love it!
I'm still very active with acting, voice work, but in recent years have been focusing more on my dialect / acting coaching services. My wealth of experience, acquired skill sets and deep passion for perfection have led me to be highly sought after as a coach. It's always challenging and always very rewarding. I look forward to going to work every day...and not everyone can honestly say that.
My interest in dialects began a long time ago. My earliest recollection was when my Mom and Dad took my sister, brother and I to church on Sunday mornings where the Reverend Jenkinson filled the church with his rich, mellow Scottish brogue. I would try to mimic his tones. That carried on with every new dialect I’d hear, which also made story and joke telling a lot more fun. By the time my acting career started it came in very handy to be able to reproduce so many different dialects. That progressed from other actors asking for help, to agents looking for someone to coach their clients, and finally to a call from a production company who’d heard of my work and my methods of teaching.
It’s tough to say which side of the camera I prefer. I love getting my teeth into a good role, but I also love seeing an actors’ face light up when they finally ‘get it’ when we are working on a dialect. I feel very fortunate to have two fields in which I both enjoy working and have a passion for. I look forward to it every day!