actress
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
and
comedian
A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...
.
Education
Debra McGrath was born in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
in 1954, where she studied theatre at
Ryerson Polytechnical Institute
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU, or Toronto Met), formerly Ryerson University, is a Public university, public research university located in Toronto, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Gar ...
(now Toronto Metropolitan University).
Career
McGrath first started her career with three years as a member of ''
The Second City
The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...
'' in
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, from 1983 to 1985, where she was a writer and actress, and eventually a director. She was best known for a take-off of
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...
, and the song ''Condoms are a Girl's Best Friend''. During the late 1980s, she appeared with ''Second City'' at anniversary, comedy festival and
Club Soda
Club soda is a form of carbonated water manufactured in North America, commonly used as a drink mixer. Sodium bicarbonate, potassium sulfate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium citrate, or sodium citrate is added to artificially replicate constitu ...
performances.
In 1987, McGrath starred in ''Spoof'', a comedy pilot written by
Brian Cooke
Brian Cooke (born 1937) is a British comedy writer who, with co-writer Johnnie Mortimer, penned scripts for and devised many top 1970s/80s television sitcoms, including '' Man About the House'', '' George and Mildred'', and '' Robin's Nest''.
...
and
Perry Rosemond
Perry Rosemond, CM (born 15 November 1936) is a Canadian television writer, producer and director.Terry Poulton, "The former kid from North Winnipeg does shows he would like to watch". ''The Globe and Mail'', 20 August 1982.
Life and career
B ...
. In 1989, she had a major role in
Allan King
Allan Winton King, (February 6, 1930 – June 15, 2009), was a Canadian film director.
Life
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, during the Great Depression, King attended Henry Hudson Elementary School, in Kitsilano.Termini Station''. She also appeared in
Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy (born December 17, 1946) is a Canadian actor and comedian. Known for portraying flustered and unconventional figures, Levy has won multiple accolades throughout his career including four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and ...
's 1992 TV film ''Partners 'N Love'', in which she played a lawyer whose client's divorce was found to be invalid.
In 1990, with
Linda Kash
Linda Kash (born 17 January 1961) is a Canadian actress.
Career
Kash was born 17 January 1961, in Montreal. She was a cast member of Second City and played Trudy Weissman in the 1998 Jean Smart sitcom '' Style & Substance''; she has also playe ...
, McGrath co-created '' My Talk Show'', a sitcom featuring a talk show broadcast from the host's basement. The series ran for one year, with fifty-nine episodes. Producer Bob Tischler cast
Cynthia Stevenson
Cynthia Stevenson (born August 2, 1962) is an American actress. She first played a leading role in the syndicated parody comedy series ''My Talk Show'' (1990–91), before starring in a number of sitcoms, including ''Bob (TV series), Bob'' (CBS ...
as the host, while McGrath played a local dinner theatre owner, actress and head of the Chamber of Commerce. Initial reviews were very positive, predicting that McGrath would become the
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, author, comedian, director and screenwriter whose career spanned seven decades. He was the List of awards and nominations received by Carl Reiner, recipient of many awards and ...
of the 1990s. However, ratings were low, the host character left the show and McGrath's character became the host. Ratings did not improve (one reviewer considered that McGrath's character was "a grating, overbearing bimbo whose I-have-no-idea-who-my-guests-are routine gets boring fast") and the show folded after one season. McGrath was also a co-writer of the Canadian
Women's Television Network
W Network (often shortened to W) is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts general entertainment programming oriented towards a female audience.
W Network was ...
's ''Go Girl!'', a send-up of a cable TV talk show that debuted in 1997.
In 2002, McGrath appeared in the film ''Expecting'', directed by Deborah Day, which won Most Popular Canadian Film at the 2002
Vancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October.
The festival is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Festi ...
. McGrath played a dermatologist, the childless older sister of the pregnant star, and her performance was noted by several reviewers as "show ngthe wounded heart beneath the careerist's brittle exterior"; "McGrath is the other standout as Anita, by far the richest character in the film. Neurotic and condescending to everyone around her, Anita is quick to deliver zingers, then filled with regret for what she's said. McGrath is sharp and touching, surprisingly substantial in a film that's ultimately fluff." For this role, McGrath won the award for Best Performance in a Feature (Female) at the 2004
Canadian Comedy Awards
The Canadian Comedy Awards (CCA) is an annual ceremony that awards the Beaver for achievements in Canadian comedy in live performance, radio, film, television, and Internet media. The awards were founded and produced by Tim Progosh in 2000.
Th ...
Rebecca Northan
Rebecca Northan is a Canadian actor, improviser, theatre director, and creative artist. She is known for playing the hippie mother Diane Macleod on the CTV & The Comedy Network sitcom '' Alice, I Think'' and for her role as Jane in the independe ...
Peter Oldring
Peter James Edward Oldring (born August 25, 1971) is a Canadian actor and comedian.
Early life
Oldring was born on August 25, 1971, in Drayton Valley, Alberta. He graduated from Sir Winston Churchill High School in 1989 in Calgary, Alberta, ...
, she received a
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in t ...
19th Gemini Awards
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 19th Gemini Awards were held on December 13, 2004, to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was co-hosted by several celebrities, took place at the John Bassett Theatre an ...
Colin Mochrie
Colin Andrew Mochrie (; born November 30, 1957) is a Scottish-born Canadian actor, writer, producer and improvisational comedian, best known for his appearances on the British and American versions of the improvisational TV show ''Whose Line ...
, and Deborah Day, McGrath co-created and starred in the
CBC CBC may refer to:
Media
* Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico
* Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster
** CBC Television
** CBC Radio One
** CBC Music
** ...
television series '' Getting Along Famously'' (2006), about a fictional couple who star in a 1960s TV variety show. The 2005 pilot show of ''Getting Along Famously'' was nominated for two
Gemini Awards
The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in th ...
, including Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series. She also starred in the children's series '' Seven Little Monsters'' (2000–2003), and in ''
Little Mosque on the Prairie
''Little Mosque on the Prairie'' is a Canadian television sitcom created by Zarqa Nawaz and produced by WestWind Pictures, originally broadcast from 2007 to 2012 on CBC. Filmed in Toronto, Ontario, and Indian Head, Saskatchewan, the series was ...
'' (2007–2012) in which she played Mayor Popowitcz. She co-starred with Spencer Rice in ''
Single White Spenny
''Single White Spenny'' was a Canadian mockumentary television series that aired briefly on Showcase (Canadian TV channel), Showcase in 2011. The series chronicles the misadventures of a fictionalized version of Spencer Rice, played by himself, a ...
'' in 2011.
In 2003, she formed a comedy troupe called ''
Women Fully Clothed
Women Fully Clothed is a Canadian live sketch comedy troupe, with a cast of four women, touring throughout the world.
Cast
*Kathy Greenwood (''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'', ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'')
*Robin Duke (''Saturday Night Live'', '' SCT ...
'' with four other Canadian comedy artists. Fellow cast members
Kathy Greenwood
Kathryn Greenwood (born March 21, 1962) is a Canadian actress and comedian. She appeared on the American version of ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' numerous times, and played Grace Bailey on the Canadian television drama series '' Wind at My Back ...
,
Robin Duke
Robin Duke (born March 13, 1954) is a Canadian actress, comedian, and voice actress. Duke may be best known for her work on the television comedy series '' SCTV'' and, later, ''Saturday Night Live''. She co-founded ''Women Fully Clothed'', a ske ...
,
Jayne Eastwood
Jayne Eastwood (born December 17, 1946), also credited as Jane Easton or Jane Eastwood, is a Canadian actress and comedian. She is best known for her film roles as Anna-Marie Biddlecoff in '' Finders Keepers'' (1984), Judy the Waitress in '' The ...
,
Teresa Pavlinek
Teresa Pavlinek (born August 11, 1970) is a Canadian actress, writer, and television producer best known as the creator and star of '' The Jane Show''.
Career
Pavlinek studied at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and became part of Seco ...
and McGrath perform sketches about situations ordinary women face every day. One reviewer considered that "Although all five comedians have performance skills in spades, Kathryn Greenwood and Debra McGrath are standouts, ... the latter for her dancing skills. ... McGrath cuts a mean rug in her tap shoes, and her monologue in the routine about being on the phone with her mum and granny hit very close to the bone." McGrath left the troupe in the first half of 2009.
McGrath played Cornelia in the 2003 live-action films '' Eloise at the Plaza'' and '' Eloise at Christmastime''. She has made numerous guest appearances on a variety of Canadian TV series and had a regular role in seasons one (2001) and two (2004) of ''
Paradise Falls
''Paradise Falls'' is a weekly soap opera television series which aired nationally on the Showcase channel in Canada, starting in 2001. It was filmed in the summer cottage community of Muskoka, Ontario at Grandview Resort.
Like many major soa ...
''. She has also voiced characters in many other animated shows, including ''
The Raccoons
''The Raccoons'' is a Canadian animated television series that ran on CBC from November 11, 1985, to March 19, 1991, in Canada and on Disney Channel from July 4, 1985, to August 28, 1992, in the U.S., with three preceding television specials ...
'' (1991), ''
The Busy World of Richard Scarry
''The Busy World of Richard Scarry'' is an animated children's television series, produced by CINAR Animation and France Animation in association with Paramount Television, that aired from 1994 to 1996, first on Showtime, later on Nickelodeon, ...
'' (1993–1997), ''Stories From My Childhood'' (1998), '' George and Martha'' (Valerie Chuckles, 1999–2000), ''
Babar
Babar (), also variously spelled as Baber, Babur, and Babor is a male given name of Persian language, Persian origin, and a popular male given name in Pakistan. It is generally taken in reference to the Persian language, Persian ''babr'' (Persian ...
'' (2000), ''
George Shrinks
''George Shrinks'' is a Canadian children's animated television series. It is based on the children's book by the well-known author William Joyce, co-produced by Nelvana Limited and Jade Animation, produced in association with PBS. The show p ...
'' (Mrs Lopez, 2000–2001), ''
Peep and the Big Wide World
''Peep and the Big Wide World'' is an Animated series, animated children's television series, preschool television series created by Danish-Canadian animator Kaj Pindal. It revolves around the lives of Peep, Chirp, and Quack, as viewers discover ...
'' and ''
Franklin and the Green Knight
''Franklin and the Green Knight'' (also known as ''Franklin and the Green Knight: The Movie'') is a 2000 Canadian animated adventure film directed by John van Bruggen and written by Betty Quan. The first '' Franklin'' film, ''Franklin and the Gre ...
'' (2000).
Personal life
McGrath was formerly married to Dana Andersen. She married fellow comedian and ''Second City'' alumnus
Colin Mochrie
Colin Andrew Mochrie (; born November 30, 1957) is a Scottish-born Canadian actor, writer, producer and improvisational comedian, best known for his appearances on the British and American versions of the improvisational TV show ''Whose Line ...
in 1989. They live in
Leaside
Leaside (/'liːˌsaɪd/) is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located northeast of Downtown Toronto, in the vicinity of Eglinton Avenue East and Bayview Avenue. It is one of the most expensive and exclusive neighbourhoo ...
, Toronto. They have one child, a daughter, Kinley Mochrie. McGrath collects 1950s Italian
Murano glass
Venetian glass () is glassware made in Venice, typically on the island of Murano near the city. Traditionally it is made with a Soda–lime glass, soda–lime "metal" and is typically elaborately decorated, with various "hot" glass-forming techn ...
.
McGrath and her husband Mochrie are both related to Canadian actor
"I could say many things... my uncle, for one thing, is Colin Mochrie. He's been my inspiration getting into the industry. He's my uncle-in-law; his wife is my dad's cousin. My dad and his cousin, they were kind of like brother and sister growing up, so he’s my uncle by law. We have a good relationship."