(From 2008)
At 5’10 ½ “, the Toronto born, strikingly leggy Ellen Dubin started her performing career as a ballet dancer. Due to a temporary knee injury, she began acting in theatre demonstrating a wide range of skills in drama, farce, musicals and the classics.
Her professional stage career began in the musical FIDDLER ON THE ROOF as the eldest daughter Tzeitel at a popular Toronto dinner theatre. Not only was she a triple threat performer, she even waited on tables at intermission.
During that show's run, she auditioned with a blonde wig, push-up bra, stiletto heels and a tight leopard print jumpsuit for the role of the ditzy, sexy blonde with the squeaky voice in NO NO NANETTE. When she landed this comedic role of Flora, it began her fascination with changing her looks, voice and movements depending on what she was playing. She loves inspiring her audiences with her chameleon-like character choices.
Favorite critically acclaimed stage roles: the statuesque Irish farm girl Josie in O' Neill's A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN; the kooky redhead Judy in the touring company of A CHORUS LINE; Beatrice, the woman disguised as a man in A SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS and twice as the passionate, sexy Italian maid Emilia in TAMARA; once in the New York Circles' Award winning production in Los Angeles and the second time at the recent World Theatre Festival, Toronto and various roles in COMEDYLIGHT at LA’S SECOND CITY.
Diverse TV and film roles: the devoted daughter of Academy Award Winner Olympia Dukakis in NEVER TOO LATE, the sexy, aggressive cannibal Giggerota the Wicked, as well as three other unusual characters for four seasons of the currently running world wide cult hit, LEXX. She has the distinction of being the first female Pope in Sci-Fi history.
Other unique roles: the blind healer Aunt Beast in the Miramax /ABC miniseries A WRINKLE IN TIME; the dying producer in Roddenberry's EARTH: FINAL CONFLICT, the evil British heiress in RELIC HUNTER , a devoted doctor with telempathic powers on MUTANT X and a severe Cockney housekeeper in the recent EXCEPT THE DYING for BRAVO.
Recently Ellen shot the following projects back to back – DEADZONE opposite ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL for USA NETWORK, SWARMED for the SCI FI NETWORK with Michael Shanks, the thriller JEAN’S FATE on LIFETIME, PUPPETS WHO KILL for COMEDY CENTRAL and PAX/NBC’S new period comedy YOUNG BLADES.
The versatile Ellen can be seen in the hugely successful comedy NAPOLEON DYNAMITE . The Preston, Idaho based independent has the distinction of being one of 16 films in competition at SUNDANCE 2004 and is distributed by FOX SEARCHLIGHT, PARAMOUNT in association with MTV. It has been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, a Satellite International Critic’s Award and a Critic’s Choice Award for Best Comedy and is the number one dvd/video rental in North America . The film just won best feature film of the year at the 2005 MTV awards.
Ellen Dubin recently starred as Jeri Slate, a determined investigative journalist with an autistic son in the exciting award winning supernatural drama THE COLLECTOR, which has been sold in 65 countries. She has been nominated for a 2005 Gemini Award (equivalent of an Emmy) for her leading role.
This gutsy beauty divides her time between Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto and is a member of Women in Film in Canada and the US and a member of the Academy of Canadian Television and Film. She does charity work feeding the homeless at the Los Angeles Mission.
KH - Tell us a little bit about BLOOD TIES and the character you played on the show?
ED- The first episode aired on the LIFETIME CHANNEL last March.
It was a hotand sexy vampire show.
I played FELICIA, a shape shifter who can turn into a sleek jaguar. My episode was number 14 called WILD BLOOD, It is written by show creator PETER MOHAN and ANDY MIKITA directed it.
The role was a very emotional intense one. A lot of scenes were along the lines of a LAW and ORDER type of show - heavy interrogation scenes with the male lead DYLAN NEAL who is a wonderful actor. We had great chemistry.
KH - Most US fans would recognize you from your many roles on such shows as Lexx, Earth Final Conflict, The Dead Zone and the quirky comedy hit Napoleon Dynamite. From a quick glance at your filmography it would seem that you appeared in almost every form of sci-fi and fantasy. Have you always been a fan of the genre?
ED - I have been very fortunate to get a wide variety of roles in all kinds of genres. What is interesting for me is that I don't generally get recognized by my fans on the street. I am one of those actors who can be a chameleon at times. I change with the roles - I love to change physically. Of course, in shows where you are playing someone more real, you look more like yourself.I usually get - "your eyes look familiar" - or you are "taller in person"
Most actors are shorter in person. I go the other way being five foot ten and a half!I had never been a fan of genre programming .
As I started to work in these type of shows, I became a fan and started watching and appreciating the work that goes into making sci fi / supernatural type shows.
I am a big researcher when I do a role - no matter what type. So I watch every show to see the style of acting, the costuming, the direction etc. SO if I audition for that show, I have a heads up on what they are looking for.
KH -You seem to have really embraced the character Giggerota that you played on Lexx. The character appears on both your online persona and your web site. Was that a fun role for you?
ED - I am so grateful to have had the chance to play Giggerota the Wicked. That character that I originated with the help of show creator Paul Donovan has put me on the map in the sci fi genre.
I never ever forget where I started . Fans continually email me and write me letters about her. The show has become a huge underground cult hit and continues to air worldwide so new fans are popping up all the time. They love the combination of comedy/ aggressiveness and sexuality in Giggerota.
When doing the role I made sure that there was a lot of humour.
What a great combo platter -sex and comedy! The audiences embrace Giggerota because she is a no holds barred character.I loved playing Giggerota - it was very freeing for me as an actor.
Her appetite (excuse the pun) for life was wonderful! I am very similar to Giggy and that we both are like tourists in life - we love to explore and dive in . NO I am not a cannibal in real life.
KH - Giggerota wasn't the only character you played on Lexx. You had several other roles including the first female Pope in TV history. Tell us a little about those characters.
ED - I was very fortunate to be brought back in all four seasons. I was the only recurring character to have this challenge. I played Queen on the show - which was a wild wacky character who had no body but was only a bobbing head in a tub shaped like woman's genitalia. It was a huge physical challenge , I spent hours in this hot tub with a long curly black wig, heavy headpiece, a scuba diving wet suit with a weighted belt so I wouldn't float to the top of the tub and it was freezing cold outside. So I never left that tub. We shot that in a bunker outside of Berlin, Germany. It snowed like crazy outside so I never wanted to leave that tub. I was going nuts in that episode as the character Queen so I used all my discomfort as an actress to add to the absolute craziness of Queen. That episode was called GIRLTOWN.
I also had a cameo as a Florida real estate agent who finds out that she becomes the Pope.This Pope worshipped golf . Yes ,a very irreverent Pope. We shot this episode APOCALEXX NOW (a spoof and homage to Apocalypse Now) in fabulous Thailand.
What a great time I had doing this show. I had the opportunity to play four different characters and work in Potsdam and Berlin Germany, Halifax and Thailand with an incredible cast (who I still keep in touch with ) and crew. An experience that has been life changing personally and professionally!
KH - In the 2003 mini series "A Wrinkle In Time" you played "Aunt Beast", a character that required you to wear a rubber mask and a rather large body suite. What was it like to be the person behind the mask?
ED - I have to tell you , I had started after Lexx to become the actress where producers would say - "mm who do we get that would take a lot of risks and would be easy to get along with and we could put in the most uncomfortable outfit possible?". And this is precisely what happened with WRINKLE IN TIME. I became the actress known for wearing weird outfits and doing my job with absolute dedication and giving one billion percent!
I was in Los Angeles and had heard they were going to do this big mini series. I read the book and realized that this could be a Wizard of Oz type classic movie to do. I had just finished playing the villains in LEXX and I thought what a great piece to do - playing a healing compassionate character - the total opposite of LEXX. WRINKLE IN TIME was a very well known classic novel so I thought why not. This could be a real challenge. Well, little did I know what kind of show I was getting myself into!I put myself on tape- Believe it or not, I had to do a ballet dance on tape ( they wanted Aunt Beast to have had dance training which I had) and then recite some text.
I got the role and then the huge challenge began.
Without a doubt this was the most difficult role I have ever encountered physically. I wore two heavy fat suits. My breast were lowered with these fat suits. I was covered from head to toe with itchy hair . I had huge hairy feet that I kept tripping over.
The hardest thing, however, was that I didn't have use of my EYES. Aunt Beast is blind. So in a movie, for example, like PLANET OF THE APES , at least they had use of their sight. I DIDN'T . I also had four arms . The extra set , I had to puppeteer myself with strings.
AND they wanted a graceful performance .
It was hot sweaty itchy and to eat and go to the bathroom was no picnic. I had a few assistants - one to help me walk onto set because I couldn't see and the other to feed me pieces of food with a toothpick because if I ate regular food it got stuck in my "beard".Yikes!
I also had a room with a cooling hose. So on a break, they would stick a hose on my stomach to cool me off.It was a physical nightmare.BUT , I wanted to do a classic novel . I am glad I did it because it was a complete opposite to Giggerota.I looked like Mrs. Chewbacca.
My dance and voice training definitely came in handy for playing this character because when you are behind the mask , you have to have the ability to project or else no one can read your emotions on camera. All I had were my movements and my voice. My stage training really helped here.
KH - Most recently you have had a regular role on the Canadian supernatural series "The Collector". Many American fans may not be familiar with that series. Tell us a little about the show and your character Jeri Slate?
ED - I hope American fans will see the show soon. This wonderful award winning ( won best new drama series last year in Canada) has been sold in 65 countries. I was also nominated this year for a GEMINI AWARD (equivalent of a US EMMY AWARD) for my strong supporting lead work in the show. I felt truly honoured for this recognition.
The show is about a man who collects souls for the devil. I play Jeri Slate , a driven passionate journalist who is trailing the lead character ( played by the wonderful and handsome CHRIS KRAMER). Every time, he is around something strange happens.I also have a little boy (played by the fabulous AIDAN DRUMMOND) who is autistic and may have ties with the devil.The devil is played by a different actor every week which the audience relishes. The show is compelling, thought provoking, sexy and unique. I am very fortunate in that I get to play a very intense character who is on the heels of the male lead but also get to show a softer side with my son.
If the fans check their local listings, THE COLLECTOR might be in their city. For example, season one just started airing in Australia. France, Italy, Hong Kong, Serbia, Israel, India etc are airing the show soon.
THE COLLECTOR will be airing sometime in the FALL on various US Stations.
As soon as I have exact times and dates, I will keep the fans posted.KH - Do you think that your career, and that of most of your fellow Canadian actors, has been aided by the influx of American productions that have begun setting up shop in Canada over the last decade?
ED - Every little bit helps . But the reverse is more applicable to me. I moved to Los Angeles so I could get more work in Canada and it has definitely paid off for me. If you get a movie of the week or film in the US, it helps your career immensely in Canada.Los Angeles or New York is still the apex of acting!
KH - You have played a variety of roles that range from the serious to the comedic. Do you feel more comfortable in a drama or is it more fun to play it for laughs?
ED - I am very comfortable in both genres. I actually try and find humour even in drama because if a big tragic moment is about to occur and you find a subtle moment of humour before that , it makes the dramatic moment more profound.I don't even think of the genre when I am working in it. I just do the best possible focused work I can and listen to my fellow actors .
KH - I read that you are a big fan of the "Golden Age" of films. What do you think the older films bring to the table that modern films seem to be lacking?
ED - A lot of times, in classic films, the roles for women were ballsy and more intricate. The writing was snappy , sexy and funny . Hard to find great scripts nowadays.I also loved the look and style of the movies then.The actors were unique. So many people on television and film are interchangeable. Then , they kept their sense of self and embraced being different. That is what made them stars!
KH - You honestly didn't start out in life to become an actress. In fact you actually were a dancer at an early age (For some reason most fantasy genre actresses start out as dancers or vocalists for some reason.). How did your ballet training lead to an acting career?
ED - I never started out wanting to be an actress. My parents put me in ballet class because I was a very shy child with bad posture and flat feet. While I was studying ballet, I loved doing the end of year recitals- hearing the live response of an audience whetted my appetite to be a performer. SO I started to do a lot of stage. I became known for playing a lot of ditzy sexy blondes. I played a lot of characters on stage in a blonde wig. I am a brunette in real life. That begun my fascination with changing my look, my walk my voice to suit the characters I was playing. I studied singing and jazz dance lessons and began doing musicals. But, I never wanted to be typecast in musicals so I continually worked on improving and honing my skills as an actress. I studied improvisation and acting - Shakespeare and the classics, farces , drama - I performed in all kinds of plays . Theatre training definitely helped me in genre roles - If you notice, a lot of sci fi actors are classically trained. We tend to handle the material better and move and use our voice properly.
KH - What projects are you presently working on and what future plans do you have for your career?
ED - I would love to produce an interesting film . I naturally tend to put people together so I would like to get together some of my favourite actors and get a film made.
Marcy Anna Rutter is a 18-year-old model from Santa Monica, California. Presently Marcy has been modeling localy in Santa Monica but she feels that it time to expand into the mainstream.
Golden Globe winner and Emmy-nominee, Joan Collins, possesses a star quality that circles the globe. In five decades, she has come to define what it means to be a living legend. As an accomplished actor, author, producer, humanitarian and entrepreneur, Joan Collins has built a career that places her in the unrivaled ranks of international superstar and icon. In recognition of a lifetime of contributions to the arts, culture and charitable causes, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II honored Joan Collins with an O.B.E. title in 1997, making her an Officer of the British Empire.
An attractive, wavy-haired brunette Londoner, Lilian Bond graduated from Brompton Oratory School and began her show business career in pantomimes and revues as a teenager. She travelled to America in 1926 to appear on Broadway in the 'Ziegfeld Follies' and for Earl Carroll's 'Vanities', as well as playing Rosamanda in 'Fioretta' with Fanny Brice. One of her subsequent roles was in 'Stepping Out' (1929) with Lionel Atwill, a part she later reprised on screen. Her film roles generally saw her as the 'other woman', except for a notable performance as Gladys DuCane, one of the temporary lodgers at The Old Dark House (1932) and, of course, Lily Langtry in The Westerner (1940). A beauty in her time, once photographed in the nude by Alfred Cheney Johnston and later romantically linked to Howard Hughes, she retired from films at the age of 50. - I.S.Mowis 
Source: Warner Bros
Source: Warner Bros
Written By: Ken Hulsey
