Ella Ballentine

Last updated

Ella Ballentine
Ella Ballentine Portrait.jpg
Photo by Tim Leyes
Born
Ella Hope Ballentine

(2001-07-18) July 18, 2001 (age 22)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
OccupationActress
Years active2011–present

Ella Hope Ballentine [1] (born July 18, 2001) [2] is a Canadian actress of Sicilian and Hungarian descent. She began her acting career as a child actress on the Toronto stage, before appearing on television and in films. Ballentine's portrayal of Anne Shirley in the television film adaptation of the classic Canadian novel, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery was a critical success, receiving a Joey Award in 2016 and a Canadian Screen Award in 2018.

Contents

Career

Ballentine was born in Toronto, Canada to parents Eva and Blake Ballentine. She is a graduate of the Etobicoke School of the Arts in Toronto. [3] She began her acting career as a child actor on the Toronto stage production of The Railway Children , directed by Damian Cruden (2011) for Mirvish Productions. [4] She went on to appear in other stage performances, including the lead role in Numbers, at the Toronto Fringe Festival (2013), [5] [6] and as Little Cosette / Young Eponine [7] in the 25th Anniversary production of Les Misérables (2013), directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell for Mirvish Productions. Also in 2013, she was invited to the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction Gala as one of the performers to read from one of the five prize-nominated titles. [8]

Her first TV role came in a Hallmark Channel movie, Baby's First Christmas (2012), in which she played Karen, a primary character with Casper Van Dien in a lead role. [9] She took on her first film role in Atom Egoyan's feature, The Captive (2013), an official selection for the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. [10] She went on to share the screen with Susan Sarandon, Gil Bellows and Christopher Heyerdahl, in The Calling. In her next larger TV movie role for Lifetime's Clara's Deadly Secret [11] (2013), she played Kate [11] alongside co-stars Emmanuelle Vaugier and Richard Ruccolo.

In the 2015 feature film Standoff, Ballentine portrays one of the lead characters, Bird, a young girl who finds protection with an ex-soldier (played by Thomas Jane) from a hit-man (played by Laurence Fishburne). Although the movie received mixed reviews, [12] Rene S. Garcia, Jr. of Workingauthor.com wrote "And let’s not forget Ella Ballentine. I typically have no faith in child actors, but Ella strikes the perfect tone with her burgeoning independence, but emotional and physical dependency." [13] Eoin Friel from ActionElite felt that "Ella Ballentine almost steals the movie as Bird, the girl being pursued by Sade. The poor thing goes through an absolute nightmare and manages to never be the "annoying kid" in the film; she brings genuine heart to proceedings and is essential for Carter's redemption." [14] In an interview on Collider, Jane stated "[Ella] was pretty wonderful. She was fun, too." [15]

Ballentine's next big role cast her as co-lead in writer/director Bryan Bertino's horror film, The Monster (2016) with co-stars Zoe Kazan, and Scott Speedman . The Monster became an independent success and Ella received Fangoria magazine's 2017 Fangoria Chainsaw Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. "If horror movie performances were given Oscars, [Kazan] would be a shoo-in. Same with Ballentine. These two are so believable," wrote Staci Layne Wilson in Dread Central. [16] Bloody Disgusting, an American horror genre website, [17] called Ballentine "The Most Badass Horror Hero of 2016". [18] According to critics, in the horror movie, The Monster "the spooky-good Ella Ballentine" [19] came up as "a minor revelation." [20] According to the Los Angeles Times ' Justin Chang "Ballentine gives a fine, fierce performance as a child wise beyond her years and unafraid of confrontation", [21] and Matt Donato from We Got This Covered writes "Ballentine rolls with the punches well for an actress her age, and this shouldn’t be understated". [22]

In 2016 Ballentine began her role as Anne Shirley in the three-part TV movie adaptation of the classic Canadian novel, Anne of Green Gables . L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables (2016) was the first instalment, followed by The Good Stars (2017), [23] then Fire & Dew (2017). [24] The other main characters were portrayed by Martin Sheen as Matthew Cuthbert and Sara Botsford as Marilla Cuthbert. Ballentine's performance again received critical success and landed her a Canadian Screen Award (2018). "Ballentine is charming as Anne," wrote Francesca Rudkin in the New Zealand Herald. [25] Louise Keller in Urbancinefile states "[Ballentine] is outstanding. Wide-eyed and innocent, she proffers just the right amount of worldliness as the orphan who asks for just two things as she prays for the first time. That is a lovely scene." [26] "I was absolutely delighted by actress Ella Ballentine’s portrayal of Anne Shirley. She was a worthy Anne." wrote Sarah M. Miduski. [27] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly , Sheen says "I adore [Ella]...She’s an extraordinary talent...She’s remarkable. And she’s very funny as well. We have great fun on the set and she’s got a great sense of humor. She’s a joy to work with." [28]

In 2019 Ballentine plays the lead, Jackie in Nicole Dorsey's Black Conflux (2019) with Ryan McDonald as her co-lead. Stephan Dalton of The Hollywood Reporter praised Ballentine's "luminous acting". [29]

In 2021 Hallmark Movies & Mysteries cast Ballentine as Gemma, as one of the leads in their television movie Rise and Shine Benedict Stone, based on author Phaedra Patrick's novel of the same name. [30] [31] [ failed verification ]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2012The Intergalactic Space Adventures of Cleo and AnoukAnouk
2013Lunchbox LoserMissy
2014 The Captive Jennifer
The Calling Rose Batten
2015 Standoff Bird
2016Against the Wild 2: Survive the SerengetiEmma Croft
The Monster Lizzya.k.a. There Are Monsters
Milton's Secret Anna
2019 Black Conflux Jackie
2020 The Dark and the Wicked Young Girl

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2012Baby's First ChristmasKaren PendrellTelevision film
2013Clara's Deadly SecretKateTelevision film
Time TremorsMedie RenoMain role
2014 Reign Voland GirlEpisode: "The Plague"
Saving Hope Rachel StewartEpisode: "The Other Side of Midnight"
2016 L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables Anne Shirley Television film
2017The Good StarsAnne ShirleyTelevision film
Fire & DewAnne ShirleyTelevision film
2018 The Detail AnnabelleEpisode: "It Takes a Village"
2021Rise and Shine, Benedict StoneGemma StoneTelevision film

Video games

Stage

YearTitleRoleNotes
2011 The Railway Children Francis Perks Roundhouse Theatre
2012NumbersFelicia Factory Theatre
2013–2014 Les Misérables Little Cosette / Young Eponine Princess of Wales Theatre

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2014 Dora Mavor Moore Award Outstanding Performance - Ensemble in a Musical [32] Les MisérablesNominated
2016Joey AwardsYoung Actress - MOW [33] L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green GablesWon
2017 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Best Supporting Actress [34] [35] The MonsterRunner-up
2018 Canadian Screen Awards Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series [36] [37] L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables: Fire & DewWon
2019 Whistler Film Festival Best Performance in a Borsos Competition Film Award [38] Black Conflux Honorable Mention

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katharine Isabelle</span> Canadian actress

Katharine Isobel Murray, known professionally as Katharine Isabelle, is a Canadian actress. She has been described as a scream queen due to her roles in various horror films. She started her acting career in 1989, playing a small role in the television series MacGyver. She gained fame for the role of Ginger Fitzgerald in the films Ginger Snaps, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, and Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Burroughs</span> Canadian actress (1939–2010)

Jacqueline Burroughs was a British-born Canadian actress. Burroughs starred in over 100 films and television shows over her career including Heavy Metal, The Care Bears Movie, The Grey Fox, Anne of Green Gables and was most well-known for her role as Hetty King in the TV series Road to Avonlea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eva Green</span> French actress (born 1980)

Eva Gaëlle Green is a French actress. The daughter of actress Marlène Jobert, she began her career in theatre before making her film debut in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers (2003). She portrayed Sibylla, Queen of Jerusalem in Ridley Scott's historical epic Kingdom of Heaven (2005). The following year, she played Bond girl Vesper Lynd in the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006), for which she received the BAFTA Rising Star Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Follows</span> Canadian actress and director

Megan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows is a Canadian-American actress and director. She is known for her role as Anne Shirley in the 1985 Canadian television miniseries Anne of Green Gables and its two sequels. From 2013 to 2017, she starred as Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France, in the television drama series Reign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logan Marshall-Green</span> American actor (born 1976)

Logan Marshall-Green is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the television series 24, The O.C., Traveler, Dark Blue and Quarry, as well as his roles in the films Devil, Prometheus, The Invitation, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Upgrade and When They See Us.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debbie Rochon</span> Canadian actress

Debbie Ann Rochon is a Canadian actress and former stage performer, best known for her work in independent horror films and counterculture films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Lowe</span> Canadian actress and model

Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe is a Canadian actress. She is known for her scream queen roles in horror films such as Children of the Corn: Revelation (2001), Final Destination 3 (2006), Black Christmas (2006), and Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007). She played Rita Haywith in Hallmark Channel's television and television film series Signed, Sealed, Delivered (2013–2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa McBride</span> American actress

Melissa Suzanne McBride is an American actress. She made her acting debut in 1993, and went onto appear in Walker, Texas Ranger (1997) and Dawson's Creek (1998). In 2007, she also starred in the box office film The Mist (2007). Her breakout role was Carol Peletier on the AMC series The Walking Dead (2010–2022), and later the series' spinoff The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (2023–present). She has garnered critical acclaim and received multiple awards and nominations for her role on the show. Originally cast in a minor role, McBride's role expanded over time to a main cast member and as of 2020, she is the second billed cast member in the opening credits of the show, and one of only two cast members to appear in every season.

The Fangoria Chainsaw Awards is an award ceremony focused on horror and thriller films. Beginning in 1992, the awards were expanded and an annual ceremony was inaugurated to give out the awards. As of 2015, Fangoria also delivers awards to television series.

<i>Starry Eyes</i> 2014 film directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer

Starry Eyes is a 2014 American horror film directed and written by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer. The film had its world premiere on March 8, 2014 at South by Southwest and features Alexandra Essoe as a hopeful young starlet who finds that fame's price is not always easily paid. Funding for the movie was partially raised through a successful Kickstarter campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pollyanna McIntosh</span> Scottish-born actress

Pollyanna McIntosh is a Scottish actress and director known for her roles in films Exam (2009), The Woman (2011), Let Us Prey (2014), the first season of Joe R. Lansdale's Hap and Leonard (2016), a starring role in The Walking Dead (2017–2018) and The Walking Dead: World Beyond (2021), and social issue horror film Darlin' (2019) which she wrote, directed and starred in. McIntosh also portrays Queen Ælfgifu of Denmark in the Netflix series Vikings: Valhalla (2022) and voices Kris in the Max adult animation series Scavengers Reign (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Izzy Lee</span> American filmmaker and writer

Izzy Lee is an American filmmaker and writer, known for her short films Re-Home (2019), The Obliteration of the Chickens (2019), My Monster (2018), and Innsmouth, which she produced through her company Nihil Noctem. She has written for multiple outlets such as Birth.Movies.Death, Rue Morgue, TwitchFilm, and Fangoria and has also helped program and curate film festivals like the Boston Underground and the Boston Sci-Fi Fest.

<i>L.M. Montgomerys Anne of Green Gables</i> 2016 Canadian TV series or program

L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables is a Canadian television film based on Lucy Maud Montgomery's 1908 novel of the same name. It first aired on YTV on February 15, 2016 and starred Ella Ballentine, Martin Sheen and Sara Botsford. Montgomery's granddaughter, Kate Macdonald Butler, was one of the film's executive producers. The film's world premiere was held February 2, 2016 at the Canadian Museum of History.

<i>Raw</i> (film) 2016 film by Julia Ducournau

Raw is a 2016 coming-of-age body horror drama film written and directed by Julia Ducournau, and starring Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, and Rabah Nait Oufella. The plot follows a young vegetarian's first year at veterinary school, where she tastes meat for the first time and develops a craving for human flesh.

<i>The Monster</i> (2016 film) 2016 film by Bryan Bertino

The Monster is a 2016 American monster horror film written and directed by Bryan Bertino, and starring Zoe Kazan and Ella Ballentine. The film was released through DirecTV Cinema on October 6, 2016, before opening in a limited release on November 11, 2016, via A24. Its plot follows a troubled mother and her adolescent daughter who find themselves stranded at night on a country road with a malicious creature hunting them.

Amybeth McNulty is an Irish actress. She is known for her starring role as Anne Shirley-Cuthbert in the CBC/Netflix drama series Anne with an E (2017–2019), based on the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

The following is a list of Fangoria Chainsaw Award winners for Best Actor. It is awarded annually to an actor for his work in a horror or thriller film.

The following is a list of Fangoria Chainsaw Award winners for Best Actress. It is awarded annually to an actress for her work in a horror or thriller film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miranda de Pencier</span> Canadian film and TV director (born 1968)

Miranda de Pencier is a Canadian film and television director, producer, and actress. She is most noted for her 2011 film Throat Song, which won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Live Action Short Drama at the 1st Canadian Screen Awards.

References

  1. ↑ "Ella Ballentine Biography". TV Guide . Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Ella Ballentine Biography & Movies". Tribute.ca . Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Anne of Green Gables". ESA. February 13, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  4. ↑ "The Railway Children (2011)". The Toronto Theatre Database.
  5. ↑ "Toronto Fringe Festival", Ontario Arts Review, retrieved May 7, 2014
  6. ↑ "Numbers portrays the Holocaust through dance sequences", The Canadian Jewish News, July 9, 2012, retrieved July 16, 2012
  7. ↑ "Les Miserables, Toronto: Cast and Creatives", Les Miserables Official Website, archived from the original on June 7, 2014, retrieved May 8, 2014
  8. ↑ "Hon. Hilary M. Weston and the Writers' Trust Present $60,000 Literary Award to Graeme Smith for Account of Afghan War" (Press release). The Writers' Trust of Canada. October 21, 2013 – via Cision.
  9. ↑ Baby's First Christmas at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  10. ↑ "Cannes Unveils 2014 Official Selection Lineup", Variety, April 17, 2014, retrieved May 8, 2014
  11. 1 2 Kondoloy, Amanda (October 10, 2013). "LMN Presents New Original Movie 'Clara's Deadly Secret'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 25, 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Standoff", Rotten Tomatoes, Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  13. ↑ Garcia, René S. Jr. "Standoff (2016) Review", "Workingauthor", August 9, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2017
  14. ↑ Friel, Eoin. "Standoff (2016 Review)", The Actionelite, March 5, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  15. ↑ Radish, Christina. "Thomas Jane on Working with Laurence Fishburne for the Indie Thriller 'Standoff'", Collider , February 12, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  16. ↑ Wilson, Stacy Jayne. "The Monster (2016)" Dread Central November 9, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  17. ↑ Graser, Marc "Collective nabs Bloody-Disgusting" Variety September 12, 2007. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  18. ↑ Squires, John. "‘The Monster’: The Most Badass Horror Hero of 2016 May Be a Child" Bloody Disgusting November 17, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  19. ↑ Whitty, Stephen. "'The Monster' review: Zoe Kazan faces her fears" NJ.com November 9, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2017
  20. ↑ Lyles, Jeffrey. "The Monster review – dark and stormy horror is rarely this good" Lyles Movie Files. November 15, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  21. ↑ Chang, Justin. "Mother-daughter drama raises goosebumps in 'The Monster'" Los Angeles Times November 10, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  22. ↑ Donato, Matt "The Monster Review" Wegotthiscovered.com. November 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  23. ↑ The Good Stars at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  24. ↑ Fire & Dew at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  25. ↑ Ruskin, Francesca "Movie review: Anne of Green Gables" The New Zealand Herald , July 7, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  26. ↑ Keller, Louis. "Anne of Green Gables" Archived March 4, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Urbancinefile. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  27. ↑ Miduski, Sarah M. "An 'Anne Of Green Gables' Superfan Watches The Latest Adaptation" "Biff Bam Pop" November 28, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  28. ↑ Raynor, Madeline. "Martin Sheen on PBS' Anne of Green Gables, the 1985 version, and farm animals" Entertainment Weekly November 21, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  29. ↑ Dalton, Stephen. "'Black Conflux': Film Review | TIFF 2019" Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  30. ↑ Rise and Shine Benedict Stone at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  31. ↑ Phaedra Patrick's website
  32. ↑ "awards database". tapa.ca. Archived from the original on January 17, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  33. ↑ "Joey Awards" (PDF). Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  34. ↑ "Never mind Oscar, here's the 2017 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards Nominees Ballot!". FANGORIA. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  35. ↑ "The 2017 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards Winners and Full Results!". FANGORIA. Archived from the original on June 3, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  36. ↑ "Winners Announced: 2018 Canadian Screen Awards". eBoss. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Canadian Screen Awards – Take Two". Northernstars.ca. March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Whistler Film Festival Announces 2019 Winners". Whistler Film Festival. December 8, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2019.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.