Gordon Pinsent


Gordon Edward Pinsent was a Canadian actor, writer, director, and singer. He was known for his roles in numerous productions, including Away from Her, The Rowdyman, John and the Missus, A Gift to Last, Due South, The Red Green Show, and Quentin Durgens, M.P. He was the voice of King Babar in the Babar the Elephant television and film productions from 1989 to 2015.
Category:Writers from Newfoundland and Labrador

Early life

Pinsent, the youngest of six children, was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland. His mother, Florence "Flossie", was originally from Clifton, Newfoundland and his father, Stephen Arthur Pinsent, was a papermill worker and cobbler originally from Dildo, Newfoundland. His mother was "quiet spoken" and a religious Anglican; the family was descended from immigrants from Kent and Devon in England. He was a self-described "awkward child" who suffered from rickets.
Pinsent began acting on stage in the 1940s at the age of 17. He soon took on roles in radio drama on the CBC, and later moved into television and film as well. In the early 1950s, he took a break from acting and joined the Canadian Army, serving for approximately four years as a private in the Royal Canadian Regiment.

Career

Pinsent's professional acting career began in 1957 at Winnipeg's Theatre 77 under the direction of John Hirsch. In the years that followed, he performed in many theatrical productions in Winnipeg, in Toronto at the Crest Theatre and at the Stratford Festival.
In the early 1960s, he appeared in Festival, Scarlett Hill and The Forest Rangers. He later became a staple of Canadian television with roles including the series Quentin Durgens, M.P., A Gift to Last, The Red Green Show, Due South, Wind at My Back, and Power Play.
Pinsent's film roles included The Thomas Crown Affair, The Rowdyman, Who Has Seen the Wind, John and the Missus, The Shipping News and Away from Her. He wrote the screenplays for The Rowdyman and John and the Missus. Perhaps his best known early film role was that of the president of the United States in the 1970 science fiction cult classic Colossus: The Forbin Project. His other plays include Easy Down Easy and Brass Rubbings.
One of Pinsent's largest roles was playing the character of Hap Shaughnessy on The Red Green Show from 1991 to 2006. Hap was notorious for telling largely exaggerated stories about his past. He was frequently called out on his fabrications by his friend Red Green or others.
His first memoir, By the Way, was published in 1992 by Stoddart Publishing. His second, Next, was published in 2012 by McClelland and Stewart.
On March 8, 2007, it was publicly announced in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that Pinsent had accepted the appointment of honorary chairman of the "Building for the Future" fundraising campaign for The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum.
During the 2008, 2010, and 2011 summer periods of CBC Radio One, Pinsent presented a radio documentary series called The Late Show featuring extended obituaries of notable Canadians whom the producers believed deserved attention.
Pinsent appeared in one of Canadian director Stephen Dunn's early short films titled Life Doesn't Frighten Me, which won various awards, including the CBC Short Film Face-Off, with a cash prize of C$30,000. The film also won awards at the Toronto Student Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival in 2013.
He had a guest starring role as Maurice Becker on the February 3, 2010, episode of Canadian television series Republic of Doyle. He was also a featured guest reader on Bookaboo.
He attained notoriety when a comedic segment of him reading dramatically from Justin Bieber's autobiography on This Hour Has 22 Minutes went viral on October 20, 2010.

Personal life and death

Pinsent married actress Charmion King in 1962. They remained together until her death in 2007. Their daughter, Leah Pinsent, is also an actress. Pinsent also had two children, Barry and Beverley, from a previous marriage.
On February 25, 2023, Pinsent died at a hospital in Toronto at age 92, from complications of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Awards

In 1979, he was made an officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 1998. In 2006, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. In 2007, it was announced that Pinsent would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.
In 1997, he won the Earle Grey Award for lifetime achievement in television.
Pinsent received an LL.D from the University of Prince Edward Island in 1975, and honorary doctorates from Queen's University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Lakehead University and the University of Windsor.
Pinsent received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award in 2004, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts.
It was on July 12, 2005, in his hometown of Grand Falls-Windsor, and in honour of his 75th birthday, that the Arts & Culture Centre was renamed The Gordon Pinsent Centre for the Arts.
On September 25, 2008, at a "Newfoundland- and Labrador-Inspired Evening" at The Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto, the Company Theatre presented Pinsent with the inaugural Gordon Pinsent Award of Excellence.
Pinsent received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
Pinsent received acting and writing awards, which included five Gemini Awards, three Genie Awards, two ACTRA Awards, and a Dora Award.

Filmography

Film

Shorts

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1961–1966Festival6 episodes
1963Scarlett HillDavid BlackRegular cast
1963–1965The Forest RangersSergeant Brian ScottRegular cast
1968–1969Quentin Durgens, M.P.Quentin DurgensMain Character
1970Hogan's HeroesCapt. Steiner1 episode
1972BanacekJohn Weymouth1 episode
1973Incident on a Dark StreetJoe – MayorTV movie
1973CannonPhillip Trask1 episode
1974The Play's The ThingHost
1978–1979A Gift to LastSgt. Edgar SturgessTV movie
1979The Suicide's WifeAllan CraneTV movie
1980Up at OursTV miniseries
1981Escape from Iran: The Canadian CaperAmbassador Ken TaylorTV movie
1982The Life and Times of Edwin Alonzo BoydEdwin Alonzo BoydTV movie
1983Ready for SlaughterWill Hackett1 episode
1984A Case of LibelDennis CorcoranTV movie
1984Seeing ThingsEnglander1 episode
1988Two MenTV movie
1989–1991BabarKing Babar Regular cast
1989–1993 Street LegalHarold Vickers5 episodes
1989Friday the 13th: The SeriesDesmond Williams1 episode
1991–2006The Red Green ShowHap ShaughnessyRecurring cast
1992In the Eyes of the StrangerLt. Ted BurkTV movie
1992CounterstrikeCol. Jack DevonEpisode: "Death SEAL"
1993Bonds of LoveLeonTV movie
1994–1999Due SouthRobert FraserRecurring seasons 1-2, Main 3-4
1995A Vow to KillFrank WaringTV movie
1997–2000Wind at My BackLeo McGinty7 episodes
1998, 2003Made in Canada Myron Kingswell / Walter Franklin, Sr.2 episodes
1998–2000Power PlayDuff McArdle26 episodes
1999Win, Again!Win MorrisseyTV movie
2001Blind TerrorMartin HowellTV movie
2003Hemingway vs CallaghanMorley CallaghanTV movie
2003Fallen AngelWarren WentworthTV movie
2004H2O: The Last Prime MinisterMichael Cameron2 episodes
2009Corner GasCorky Dillems1 episode
2010The Pillars of the EarthArchbishopTV miniseries
2010–2012Republic of DoyleMaurice BeckerRecurring cast
2010–2015Babar and the Adventures of BadouKing Babar Regular cast
2012Sunshine Sketches of a Little TownElder Stephen LeacockTV movie
2013SatisfactionDr Faskin1 episode
2019Private EyesNevin Ainslie1 episode