Nicholas Campbell (born 24 March 1952) is a Canadian actor and filmmaker. He is a four-time
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 ...
winner, a three-time
Genie Award
The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978), known as the "Etrog Awards" for sculptor ...
nominee, and a
Canadian Screen Award
The Canadian Screen Awards () are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media ( web series) productions. Given annually by the Academy ...
nominee. He is known for his portrayal of coroner Dominic Da Vinci, on the crime drama television series ''
Da Vinci's Inquest
''Da Vinci's Inquest'' is a Canadian crime drama television series which originally aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005. While never a ratings blockbuster, the critically acclaimed show did attract a loyal following, and ultimately seven se ...
'' (1998-2005) and its spin-off ''
Da Vinci's City Hall
''Da Vinci's City Hall'' is a Canadian drama television series that premiered on CBC Television on 25 October 2005 and ended on 28 February 2006. It is a spin-off of the long-running Canadian series ''Da Vinci's Inquest''. The creator, writer and ...
'' (2005-2006).
In film, Campbell is known for his collaborations with director
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is a principal originator of the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation, infectious diseases, and ...
, starring in ''
Fast Company
''Fast Company'' is an American business magazine published monthly in print and online, focusing on technology, business, and design. It releases six print issues annually.
History
''Fast Company'' was founded in November 1995 by Alan Webb ...
'' (1979), ''
The Brood
''The Brood'' is a 1979 Canadian psychological body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, and Art Hindle. Its plot follows a man and his mentally ill ex-wife, who has been sequestered by a ...
'' (1979), ''
The Dead Zone'' (1983), and ''
Naked Lunch
''Naked Lunch'' (first published as ''The Naked Lunch'') is a 1959 novel by American author William S. Burroughs. The novel does not follow a clear linear plot, but is instead structured as a series of non-chronological "routines". Many of thes ...
'' (1991). He has also notably appeared in ''
A Bridge Too Far'' (1977), ''
The Boys Club
''The Boys Club'' is a 1996 Canadian crime drama thriller film directed by John Fawcett, written by Doug Smith (story) and Peter Wellington (writer), and starring Chris Penn, Devon Sawa, Dominic Zamprogna, and Stuart Stone. It was released th ...
'' (1996), ''
New Waterford Girl
''New Waterford Girl'' is a 1999 Canadian comedy-drama film directed by Allan Moyle, and written by Tricia Fish. It stars Liane Balaban as Agnes-Marie "Mooney" Pottie, a teenager in New Waterford, Nova Scotia, who dreams of life beyond her small- ...
'' (1999), ''
Prozac Nation'' (2001), ''
Turning Paige'' (also 2001), ''
Cinderella Man
''Cinderella Man'' is a 2005 American biographical drama film directed by Ron Howard. The film stars Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger and Paul Giamatti. It tells the true story of heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock, who was dubbed ...
'' (2005), and ''
Goon
Goon, gooner, or gooning may refer to:
Slang
* Humans:
** People noted for brutality, or otherwise as targets of contempt:
*** A guard in a prisoner of war camp (British World War II usage)
*** An enforcer (ice hockey)
*** A hired thug, in a g ...
'' (2011). As a director, he made the acclaimed music documentary ''
Stepping Razor: Red X''.
Early life
Campbell 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 ...
and raised in
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
. He went to Toronto's
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College (UCC) is an independent day and boarding school for boys in Toronto, Ontario, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The college is widely described as Canada's most prestigious preparatory school, and ha ...
and
Kingston
Kingston may refer to:
Places
* List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated:
** Kingston, Jamaica
** Kingston upon Hull, England
** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia
** Kingston, Ontario, Canada
** Kingston upon Thames, ...
's
Queen's University where he originally studied Political Studies but later switched to English and Drama. He continued his studies in England studying five years at
Drama Studio London
Drama Studio London (often abbreviated as DSL) is a British drama school in London. It is accredited by the Federation of Drama Schools. The principal is Emma Lucia Hands.
The Drama Studio London was started in 1966 by Peter Layton. It focus ...
and at the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...
(RADA).
Career
Campbell started his acting career in the United Kingdom. He spent 40 weeks touring the country with the
York Theatre Royal
York Theatre Royal is a theatre in St Leonard's Place, in York, England, which dates back to 1744. The theatre currently seats 750 people. Whilst the theatre is traditionally a proscenium theatre, it was reconfigured for a season in 2011 to off ...
Repertory Company.
His debut film role was in ''
The Omen
''The Omen'' is a 1976 supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, it stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Sp ...
,'' released in 1976.
He subsequently played small roles in ''
The Eagle Has Landed'' (1976),
the
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
movie ''
The Spy Who Loved Me'' (1977),
and the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
epic ''
A Bridge Too Far'' (1977).
His co-starred in the 1977
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including:
**ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
televised play ''
Come Back, Little Sheba,'' opposite
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...
,
Joanne Woodward
Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward (born February 27, 1930) is an American retired actress. She made her career breakthrough in the 1950s and earned esteem and respect playing complex women with a characteristic nuance and depth of character. ...
and
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the Star Wars original trilogy, original ''Star Wars'' films (1977–1983) and reprised the role in'' Star Wars: The F ...
. He returned to Canada in 1979.
His starring film and television credits include series leads on ''
Diamonds
Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of electricity, and insol ...
''
and ''
The Hitchhiker.''
Campbell was third-billed in the 1985 movie ''Certain Fury.'' Playing Billy Quinn in CBC's ''Major Crime'' (1997) he won a Gemini Award for best actor for his work.
[Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television official site](_blank)
, retrieved 5 February 2008 His television credits also include the role of
Bobby Kennedy
Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968), also known as RFK, was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 64th United States attorney general from January 1961 to September 1964, and as a U.S. senator from New Yor ...
in ''
Hoover vs. The Kennedys'' (
Gemini
Gemini most often refers to:
* Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac
* Gemini (astrology), an astrological sign
Gemini may also refer to:
Science and technology Space
* Gemini in Chinese astronomy, the Gemini constellat ...
nominee for best actor in a miniseries), ''Going Home'' (nominated for BAFTA Award), and ''The Valour and the Horror''.
Other works include ''The Sleep Room'', ''Diana Kilmury: Teamster'' (Gemini nomination for best supporting actor in a drama) and ''The Diary of Evelyn Lau''.
Campbell has also worked extensively with
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is a principal originator of the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation, infectious diseases, and ...
, appearing in such films as ''
Naked Lunch
''Naked Lunch'' (first published as ''The Naked Lunch'') is a 1959 novel by American author William S. Burroughs. The novel does not follow a clear linear plot, but is instead structured as a series of non-chronological "routines". Many of thes ...
'', ''
The Dead Zone'', ''
Fast Company
''Fast Company'' is an American business magazine published monthly in print and online, focusing on technology, business, and design. It releases six print issues annually.
History
''Fast Company'' was founded in November 1995 by Alan Webb ...
'', and ''
The Brood
''The Brood'' is a 1979 Canadian psychological body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, and Art Hindle. Its plot follows a man and his mentally ill ex-wife, who has been sequestered by a ...
''. Campbell has made guest appearances on TV shows including ''
Space: 1999'', ''
Airwolf
''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series. It centers on a high-technology attack helicopter, code-named '' Airwolf'', and its crew. They undertake various exotic missions, many involving espionage, with a Cold War the ...
'', ''
Blue Murder'', (Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role Dramatic Series in 2001)
''
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
''Nero Wolfe'' is a television series adapted from Rex Stout's series of detective stories that aired for two seasons (2001–2002) on A&E. Set in New York City sometime in the 1940s–1950s, the stylized period drama stars Maury Chaykin as Ne ...
'', ''
Street Legal'', ''
Republic of Doyle
''Republic of Doyle'' is a Canadian comedy-drama television series set in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, which aired on CBC Television from January 6, 2010, to December 10, 2014.
The show stars Allan Hawco as private investigator and f ...
'', and ''
Highlander: The Series''.
In addition to his acting career, Campbell is also an accomplished filmmaker. He wrote and directed the 1992 documentary film ''
Stepping Razor: Red X'', which received a
Genie Award
The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978), known as the "Etrog Awards" for sculptor ...
nomination for
Best Feature Length Documentary at the
14th Genie Awards
The 14th Genie Awards were held on December 12, 1993 to honour Canadian films release in 1992. This year's event was dominated by two Vancouver productions: Paul Shapiro (director), Paul Shapiro's ''The Lotus Eaters (film), The Lotus Eaters'', and ...
.
''Da Vinci's Inquest''
Campbell's role as coroner Dominic Da Vinci in ''
Da Vinci's Inquest
''Da Vinci's Inquest'' is a Canadian crime drama television series which originally aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005. While never a ratings blockbuster, the critically acclaimed show did attract a loyal following, and ultimately seven se ...
'' brought him critical acclaim. ''Da Vinci's Inquest'' was nominated for many Gemini Awards. Of the 11 Geminis the show won, it received three for best writing in a dramatic series and three for best dramatic series. Campbell received the Gemini Award for best performance in a continuing leading dramatic role for his work on the series.
Campbell also directed a number of episodes of ''Da Vinci’s Inquest'', being nominated in 2003, for the
Directors Guild of Canada
The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC; ) is a Canadian labour union representing more than 5,500 professionals from 48 different occupations in the Canadian film and television industry. Founded in 1962, the DGC represents directors, editors, assist ...
team drama award.
Personal life
Controversy
In October 2022, Campbell was suspended from the CBC television series ''
Coroner
A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
,'' after an incident where he referred to a Black grip technician as a "
nigger
In the English language, ''nigger'' is a racial slur directed at black people. Starting in the 1990s, references to ''nigger'' have been increasingly replaced by the euphemistic contraction , notably in cases where ''nigger'' is Use–menti ...
" on a different production.
The grip, Andre Mike, stated he was clearing stones for Campbell's path, he heard the actor say, "You winter niggers are used to this kind of weather." When the director of photography asked for clarification, Campbell said, "Well, you know, you northern niggers are used to it."
Campbell apologized in a statement to CBC News, but claimed he did not say any slurs, and was repeating a story secondhand. "That word should never be spoken aloud, certainly not by the likes of me, a white guy who is old enough to know better. It doesn't matter the context in which it was said. It doesn't matter that I was retelling a story, or that I was actually quoting someone else's usage of that word. That horrible and divisive word should never come out of my mouth. And it never will again." Mike stated he didn't accept Campbell's apology. After Mike complained to the producers, CBC announced they would suspend Campbell from the show.
Filmography
Films
Television
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Nicholas
1952 births
Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Canadian male film actors
Canadian male stage actors
Canadian male television actors
Canadian male voice actors
Living people
Male actors from Toronto
Queen's University at Kingston alumni
Upper Canada College alumni
Best Actor in a Drama Series Canadian Screen Award winners
20th-century Canadian male actors
21st-century Canadian male actors
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Canadian Screen Award winners
Alumni of the Drama Studio London