Hrant Alianak

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Hrant Alianak
Born (1950-09-15) September 15, 1950 (age 74)
Khartoum, Sudan
Other namesHarant Alianak, Grant Aljanak
Occupation(s)actor and playwright
Known forDr. Jon Mendez in Pontypool

Hrant Alianak (born September 15, 1950 [1] ), also billed as Harant Alianak or Grant Aljanak, is a Sudanese-Armenian-Canadian actor and playwright. [2] He gained notoriety as Dr. Jon Mendez in Pontypool .

Contents

Early life

Alianak was born on September 15, 1950, in Khartoum, Sudan to an Armenian family. [3] At age fifteen, he enrolled in a university in Khartoum, where he studied economics. He moved to Canada when he was 17, and moved to Montreal, Quebec, where he studied business administration. Alianak said he started to write in 1972, and spent most of the 1970s writing plays "nonstop" before entering acting in the 1980s. [4]

Career

In 1988, he was nominated for the Genie Award "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role" for the 1987 film Family Viewing . [5] He played Pete in the 1995 Adam Sandler movie Billy Madison . He portrayed Dr. Mendez in the 2009 Canadian horror film Pontypool . [6] [7] He also played Dr. Marek in "Stay Out of the Basement", a 1996 episode of the TV series Goosebumps .

Alianak's plays include Lucky Strike, [8] The Walls of Africa, [2] and The Blues. [9] Alianak made his debut as a writer in 1972 at Theatre Passe Muraille, with Tantrums.

The Walls of Africa was the 2001 winner of three Dora Awards, [10] including Best New Play, and was published by Scirocco Drama in 2002. Scirocco has also published The Blues (2003).

In 2010, Alianak portrayed Principal Hicks in the movie My Babysitter's a Vampire . In 2011, he reprised the role in the TV series based on the movie. His other television credits include being a member of the repertory cast of the A&E TV series A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2002). [2]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983 Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone Chemist
1984 Best Revenge Elliah
1984One Night OnlyWenko
1985 Head Office President Sanchez
1987 Family Viewing Administrator
1989Destiny to OrderMarlay
1993 Life with Mikey Cereal Commercial Director
1995 Billy Madison Pete
1998 The Secret Life of Algernon Mahir Sulleyman
1998 Dirty Work Kirkpatrick
2001 Full Disclosure Hosni
2008 The Echo Max
2008 Pontypool Dr. Mendez
2012 Inescapable Ali Homs
2014A Trip to the IslandHarry
2017Becoming BurlesqueWaleed Aziz
2019 Guest of Honour Garo
2020 Possessor Lead Technician

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981 Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper Iranian MinisterTelevision film
1983The Sins of Dorian GrayNightclub ManagerTelevision film
1985The UndergradsZookTelevision film
1985Tucker and the Horse ThiefJonahTelevision film
1986 Seeing Things Omar BaheshtiEpisode: "The Eyes of Ra"
1986CourageEddie CubaTelevision film
1986 Sword of Gideon Wael ZwaiterTelevision film
1986, 1987 Adderly Dictator / Grant2 episodes
1987, 1988 Night Heat Varga / Ramos' Associate2 episodes
1988 Mount Royal GomesEpisode: "Royal Wedding"
1988 Inside Stories Episode "Looking for Nothing"
1988 Friday the 13th: The Series SandyEpisode: "Master of Disguise"
1988Spies, Lies & Naked ThighsOmarTelevision film
1988 The Twilight Zone Dr. GreenburgEpisode: "The Trance"
1989 T. and T. CarnaEpisode: "Hunted"
1991 Counterstrike JemalEpisode: "The Millerton Papers"
1991CounterstrikeLopezEpisode: "Fall From Grace"
1992 Street Legal Det. HassonEpisode: "The Phoenix"
1992CounterstrikeDr. Stanley LadnerEpisode: "D.O.A."
1993RaptureChief GalatiTelevision film
1993 Matrix Joseph HaddadEpisode: "Collateral Damage"
1993 Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Sidekick #2Episode: "Illusion"
1993 The Hidden Room MurdockEpisode: "Stark in Love"
1994TekWar: TekJusticeJudge TsurudaTelevision film
1994 RoboCop Stitch Molotov4 episodes
1996 Goosebumps Dr. Marek2 episodes
1997 Psi Factor Hran JamalEpisode: "The Curse/Angel on a Plane"
1997 Earth: Final Conflict Dr. KaplanEpisode: "Avatar"
1997 Ghostwriter Stanley FergusonEpisode: "Broken Window"
1998 More Tears Shaffik1 episode
1998 Thanks of a Grateful Nation Dr. Sid BeriaTelevision film
1999 Total Recall 2070 Dr. Karl Gish2 episodes
1999 La Femme Nikita Salla Vacek2 episodes
1999 Ultimate Deception Dr. AmosTelevision film
1999Love SongsDoctorTelevision film
1999 Foolish Heart JudgeEpisode: "The Trial"
2000 Relic Hunter MoustaffaEpisode: "Afterlife and Death"
2000 The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery GerstnerTelevision film
2000The Deadly Look of LoveDr. DunningTelevision film
2000The Royal Diaries: Cleopatra - Daughter of the NilePharaohTelevision film
2000 Code Name: Eternity Ambassador DumantEpisode: "Not a Bite to Eat"
2001WW 3Abdus HamdoonTelevision film
2001–2002 Nero Wolfe Various roles9 episodes
2002 Monk Judge Hackman2 episodes
2004 Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss Prince HassanTelevision film
2004 This Is Wonderland Mr. BarsumianEpisode #1.13
2004 The Grid Yemeni Colonel5 episodes
2004 H2O Dr. Rafsamjhanni2 episodes
2004 The Eleventh Hour Kamal's father / Ahmad2 episodes
2005–2007 Jeff Ltd. Uncle Kazem12 episodes
2005–2013 Mayday Various roles3 episodes
2006 Covert One: The Hades Factor Al-Fulani2 episodes
2006 At the Hotel Zlawko5 episodes
2006 Angela's Eyes Hrant TosbathEpisode: "Open Your Eyes"
2006 The Wives He Forgot Dr. BajariaTelevision film
2007–2010 Little Mosque on the Prairie Mr. Rashid3 episodes
2008 XIII: The Conspiracy Dr. Kimmler2 episodes
2008, 2009 The Border General Zaki / Sharif Assad2 episodes
2009 ZOS: Zone of Separation Colonel AliEpisode: "Hour One: Welcome"
2009–2010 Cra$h & Burn Yaro Massout5 episodes
2010 My Babysitter's a Vampire Principal HicksTelevision film
2010 Lost Girl KouyoumijianEpisode: "Food for Thought"
2011 InSecurity Arkady BrautmanEpisode: "Spy Bites Dog"
2011–2012 My Babysitter's a Vampire Principal Hicks26 episodes
2012 King Salim AtassiEpisode: "Jamilla Karan"
2012 XIII: The Series Dr. KleinbergEpisode: "Breakout"
2013 Cracked Dr. Karl KarzikEpisode: "No Traveller Returns"
2014 Darknet Plastic SurgeonEpisode: "Darknet 4"
2015Riftworld ChroniclesJeweller8 episodes
2016 Private Eyes Omar TorkiaEpisode: "Disappearing Act"
2016 Designated Survivor Saudi AmbassadorEpisode: "The Traitor"
2016–2017 Kim's Convenience Baran / Garlic Customer4 episodes
2018 Murdoch Mysteries Mr. MorrisseyEpisode: "Mary Wept"
2018 The Detail Judge SafaryanEpisode: "The Long Walk"
2019 Frankie Drake Mysteries ButlerEpisode: "A Sunshine State of Mind"
2019 V Wars DoctorEpisode: "The Junkie Run of the Predator Gene"
2021 Sex/Life Mr. Mann2 episodes
2021 The Lost Symbol Ario FazeliEpisode: "L'Enfant Orientation"

References

  1. ↑ "Confronting memories of genocide" by Richard Ouzounian at www.thestar.com
  2. 1 2 3 "Playing against type" by Michael Posner at www.theglobeandmail.com
  3. ↑ "Playing against type". The Globe and Mail. 2001-09-29. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  4. ↑ Babian, Varak (2018-03-09). "Hrant Alianak: A Tentative Armenian? | Torontohye" . Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  5. ↑ "Stars hard to find at pre-Genie lunch" by Rita Zekas, The Toronto Star (22 March, 1988) [ONT Edition] Retrieved from ProQuest   435731233
  6. ↑ "Bruce McDonald's new film asks what happens when English eats you alive" by Jennie Punter at www.theglobeandmail.com
  7. ↑ "Pontypool: Frightfully Canadian" by Peter Howell at www.thestar.com
  8. ↑ Alianak, Hrant (1989). "Lucky Strike". National Library of Australia . Playwrights Canada. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Passe Muraille unveils upcoming season" at www.theglobeandmail.com
  10. ↑ "Repressed emotion extends to audience" by Kate Taylor at www.theglobeandmail.com
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