Wendell Smith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1970s—2010s |
| Family | Stephen McHattie (brother) |
| Awards | Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role (1996) |
Wendell Smith is a Canadian actor born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. [1]
Originally based in Nova Scotia, Wendell Smith co-founded the Mulgrave Road Theatre Co-op in Guysborough in 1977. [2] [3] Smith has worked more frequently as a stage actor, although he has also appeared in several Canadian feature films, especially television films. [4] [5] [6]
In 1978, Smith played the role of Antonio in the Citadel Theatre's production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. [7] In 1980, Smith played both the part of Dr. Patrick and the part of the defense lawyer in Sharon Pollack's play Blood Relations. [8] [9] In 1983, Smith began workshopping plays with Theatre Calgary in Calgary, Alberta. [10] In 1985, Smith played the lead role in Lyle Victor Albert's play White on White. [11]
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." [12] 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. [13] [14] 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. [15] [16]
In 1999, Wendell Smith played False Arkansas Tom in the TV movie You Know My Name. [17] Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Smith was noted for the gravelly voice he employed as an actor. [18] [19] [20] [21]
In 1979, Keith Ashwell wrote that "Smith acts his part marvelously," and in 1985, journalist Liz Nicholls described Smith as "indisputably a gifted comedian." [22] [23]
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. [24]
Wendell Smith is the older brother of Canadian actor Stephen McHattie. [25]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Kill Syndrome | Ricketts |
| 1999 | Question of Privilege | Tavern Owner |
| 1999 | You Know My Name | False Arkansas Tom |
| 1998 | Mentors | McSween |
| 1997 | Heart Full of Rain | Old Doyle |
| 1993 | Ordeal in the Arctic | Major Blair |
| 1988 | Cowboys Don't Cry | Matt Wiley |
| 1987 | The Gunfighters | Sheriff Burrows |
| 1987 | Prom Night 2 | Walt Carpenter |
| 1983 | Running Brave | Chris Mitchell |
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