Michael Therriault

Michael Therriault
Photography by: Tom Sandler, 2014
Born
NationalityCanadian
OccupationActor

Michael Therriault is a Canadian actor. He attended Etobicoke School of the Arts in Toronto,[2] Sheridan College in Oakville,[3] and was a member of the inaugural season of the Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre Training in Stratford, Ontario.

Life and career

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After spending seven seasons at the Stratford Festival,[4] Therriault left the classical repertoire theatre for musical theatre, starring as Leopold Bloom in the short-lived Toronto production of The Producers.[5] For the performance Therriault won a Dora Award for Principal Actor in a Musical.[6][7]

In 2006, Therriault portrayed Tommy Douglas in the CBC Television special Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story. He was subsequently nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series. The show received a total of nine nominations, including Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series and Best Dramatic Mini-Series. However, it was also heavily criticised for its historical inaccuracies, leading the CBC to pull it from future broadcasts.[8]

While on Broadway in a revival of Fiddler on the Roof, Therriault got news that he had secured the role of Gollum in the Toronto premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Musical. He received his second Dora[9] for the performance.[10]

When it closed, he returned to Saskatchewan to film the made-for-television adaptation of Guy Vanderhaeghe's The Englishman's Boy (it aired in two parts on March 2 and 9, 2008, and is now available on DVD).

In May 2007, The Lord of the Rings moved to London, with Therriault reprising the role he originated. The production closed on July 19, 2008, after 492 performances.[11]

On Monday, October 20, 2008, Therriault took part in a tribute to the late Richard Monette, former artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.[12]

Therriault performed in The Sound of Silence, a tribute to Paul Simon at the Bathurst Street Theatre in Toronto on April 20, 2009.[13]

On April 27, 2009, it was announced that Therriault will appear as Irving Berlin, alongside Michael Boatman as Scott Joplin, in The Tin Pan Alley Rag,[14] which centers around the imagined meeting of the two great musicians. The Tin Pan Alley Rag is presented by Roundabout Theatre Company in New York, June 12 to September 6, 2009.[15]

Therriault has been a recurring actor in the Chucky franchise, having played the main human villain in the 7th film Cult of Chucky and two separate characters on episodes of the TV series Chucky.

He appeared as Dr. Doheny in the 2023 film Fitting In.[16]

Stratford Shakespeare Festival credits

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Other credits

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See also

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Sources

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References

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  1. ^ Michael Therriault's bio at www.northernstars.ca
  2. ^ "“Shine” Gala – introducing guest artist/alumni Michael Therriault!" at www.esainfo.ca
  3. ^ "It's showtime" by Michael Posner at www.theglobeandmail.com
  4. ^ The Producers review: "Michael Therriault, a seven-season veteran of the Stratford Festival" by Richard Ouzounian at variety.com
  5. ^ "Small actor in big demand" by Richard Ouzounian at www.thestar.com
  6. ^ TAPA – Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts – Doras Archived 2008-12-02 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "The Producers lost at box office but wins big at Dora awards" by Kamal Al-Solaylee at www.theglobeandmail.com
  8. ^ "CBC Pulls Tommy Douglas Movie", June 12, 2006. Archived from the original.
  9. ^ TAPA – Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts – Doras Archived 2008-12-02 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "Gollum to follow Rings to London" by Guy Dixon at www.theglobeandmail.com
  11. ^ Summer curtain for Lord of the Rings musical in London
  12. ^ "On Stratford Stage: Friends Make Tributes to Monette". 2 October 2008.
  13. ^ "NAN Member Events – Arts Events in Toronto - Neighbourhood Arts Network".
  14. ^ "Therriault to star in White Christmas in Hamilton" by J. Kelly Nestruck at www.theglobeandmail.com
  15. ^ "Playbill News: Therriault, Boatman, Speros, McCormick, Fellner Will Star in Tin Pan Alley Rag Off-Broadway". Archived from the original on 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
  16. ^ Harvey, Dennis. "Bloody Hell Review: A Teen Sex Comedy Thrown a Curveball by Mother Nature", Variety, March 14, 2023
  17. ^ "Stratford Shakespeare Festival: The return of Michael Therriault, Evan Buliung and... Nikki M. James?" by J. Kelly Nestruck at www.theglobeandmail.com
  18. ^ "Oscar Remembered", Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
  19. ^ Fiddler on the Roof review by David Rooney at variety.com
  20. ^ "Shaw Festival’s Tim Carroll poaches major talent from Stratford Festival" by J. Kelly Nestruck at www.theglobeandmail.com
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