Mary Elizabeth Rubens is a Canadian film, stage, and television actress, who made her feature film debut in Paul Lynch's slasher film '' Prom Night'' (1980). She subsequently appeared in ''

Firebird 2015 AD ''Firebird 2015 AD'' is a 1981 Canadian science fiction film directed by David M. Robertson and starring Darren McGavin and Doug McClure. Plot In the year 2015, the US government outlaws the distribution of gasoline to the public, reserving it o ...

'' (1981). She worked throughout the 1980s in television, guest-starring on ''

Night Heat ''Night Heat'' is a Canadian police crime drama series that aired on both CTV in Canada and CBS in the United States. Original episodes were broadcast from 1985 to 1989. ''Night Heat'' was the first Canadian original drama series that was sim ...

'' (1985–1987) and ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'' (1987–1988). From 1989 to 1993, she had a leading role on the series ''

E.N.G. ''E.N.G.'' is a Canadian television drama, following the staff of a fictional Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capi ...

'', for which she was nominated for 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 ...

. After a

traumatic brain injury A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as an intracranial injury, is an injury to the brain caused by an external force. TBI can be classified based on severity ranging from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI/concussion) to severe traumati ...

in the 1990s left Rubens with a permanent disability, she shifted focus from acting, and subsequently earned a degree in law & society from

York University York University (), also known as YorkU or simply YU), is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, and it has approximately 53,500 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, ...

. In 2018, she appeared in

Judith Thompson Judith Clare Thompson, OC (born September 20, 1954) is a Canadian playwright. She has twice been awarded the Governor General's Award for drama, and is the recipient of many other awards including the Order of Canada, the Walter Carsen Performi ...

's stage production of ''After the Blackout'', a play about, and starring, people with various disabilities.

Career

Rubens made her feature film debut in Paul Lynch's slasher film '' Prom Night'' (1980). She subsequently had a supporting role in ''

'' (1981). In 1987, she appeared in ''Souvenirs'' with

Theatre Calgary Theatre Calgary, is a theatre company in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, established as a professional company in 1968. It was preceded by Workshop 14, a theatre study group founded in 1944 by Betty Mitchell. Calgary's ''Betty Mitchell'' awards are nam ...

. In 1990, Rubens was nominated for a

for her performance in the pilot of ''E.N.G.''. In 1995, she appeared in the film ''

The Michelle Apartments ''The Michelle Apartments'' is a 1995 Canadian black comedy film directed by John Pozer and written by Ross Weber. The film stars Henry Czerny as Alex Hartwell, a government auditor sent to the small town of Walton to review the books of a chemic ...

''. After suffering a

in the 1990s, Rubens was left with a permanent disability and temporarily retired from acting. She subsequently enrolled at

, graduating with an

honours degree Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, ...

in law & society. In 2018, she returned to theater in the RARE Theatre Company's ''After the Blackout'', a play by

, which featured a cast of performers with varying disabilities. Isabelle Perrone of ''

BroadwayWorld BroadwayWorld is a theatre news website based in New York City, New York. Launched in 2003, the site covers Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional, and international theater productions, with sections devoted to particular countries, cities, or regi ...

'' noted that Rubens "approached her character seemingly with ease, playing the aged starlet with elegance."

Filmography

Film

Television

Select stage credits

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rubens, Mary Beth Actresses from Kingston, Ontario Canadian film actresses Canadian stage actresses Canadian television actresses People with traumatic brain injuries York University alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Living people