To read more: http://cbc.ca/1.5638577\r\r Subscribe to CBC News to watch more videos: http://bit.ly/1RreYWS\r\rConnect with CBC News Online:\r\rFor breaking news, video, audio and in-depth coverage: http://bit.ly/1Z0m6iX\rFind CBC News on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1WjG36m\rFollow CBC News on Twitter: http://bit.ly/1sA5P9H\rFor breaking news on Twitter: http://bit.ly/1WjDyks\rFollow CBC News on Instagram: http://bit.ly/1Z0iE7O\r\rDownload the CBC News app for iOS: http://apple.co/25mpsUz\rDownload the CBC News app for Android: http://bit.ly/1XxuozZ\r\r\rFor more than 75 years, CBC News has been the source Canadians turn to, to keep them informed about their communities, their country and their world. The Tony Award-nominated Broadway actor, 41, died in a hospital in Los Angeles after suffering severe medical complications after contracting the coronavirus. I had the pleasure of working with her. Alberta Watson, a Canadian actress who had roles in the 24 and Nikita dramas over a four-decade movie and TV career, has died. Born in Toronto, Watson began performing in theatre and on television while still in her teens. She moved south and worked for many years in New York and Los Angeles. In her final performance, Watson played Senator Madeline Pierce when La Femme Nikita was rebooted as Nikita in 2010. .more .more Comments 405 Add a. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. avalanche lost father, brother-in-law, family friend in slide, Trudeau says probes into foreign election interference ongoing, Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murder of wife, son, Heated debate in B.C. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In 2010, Watson guest-starred in Heartland, a series on CBC Television, and she won a 2011 Gemini Award for her portrayal of Sarah Craven. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Her Gary Goddard Agency . lp In 2010, Watson guest-starred in Heartland, a series on CBC Television, and she won a 2011 Gemini Award for her portrayal of Sarah Craven. Alberta Watson, Canadian actress, dies after battle with cancer | CBC News Loaded. [About her portrayal of the mother in, Choice: The Henry Morgentaler Story (2005). [10], Watson lived in New Jersey for eight years[11] with her husband until they divorced. After living in the New YorkNew Jersey area for eight years, she returned to Canada and starred in Shoemaker (1996), an early production for the Canadian Film Centres Feature Film Project, which earned her a Genie Award nomination. She moved to Los Angeles and landed her first Hollywood role in Michael Manns 1983 horror film, The Keep. Watsons final credits included such Canadian and independent films as Some Things That Stay (2004), Citizen Duane (2006), A Lobster Tale (2006), and Sarah Polleys Genie-winning Away from Her (2006) opposite Gordon Pinsent, with whom she performed in Chris Landreths Genie-nominated animated short The Spine (2009). Watsons list of credits includes 24, The Newsroom and The Border as well as movies like Away from Her and The Sweet Hereafter. Watson died on March 21, 2015, due to complications from cancer at Kensington Hospice in Toronto fifteen days after her 60th birthday.[14]. Youll be missed :'(, Dylan Matthews (@iHeyes) March 23, 2015. Updates? I have such wonderful memories, and I cant believe shes gone. A decade later, she had a recurring role as a different character (with the same first name) on the seriesNikita. Watson died at Toronto's Kensington Hospice with her husband Ken at her side.. street, Chinese Canadian parliamentarians among greater targets for interference: Trudeau, Markham caregiver plans to travel, possibly buy new home after $60M lottery win, RCMP believe Slave Lake toddler Jeffrey Dupres, missing for 43 years, is still alive, Survivor of B.C. CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. Watson died on Saturday at age 60 after a long battle with cancer. Want to discuss? She was 60. She was 60. Renowned for her consistency and reliability, Watson was perhaps best known for the TV series La Femme Nikita (1997-2001) and 24 (2004-05), but she also gave memorable performances in David O . She was 60. zh. The Canadian actress, who also had roles in the 'La Femme Nikita' and 'Nikita' TV series, passed away after a long battle with cancer. Watson played Erin Driscoll, head of the fictional intelligence agency that employs operative Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland). [7] She then returned to Toronto and focused on finding roles in independent films. Yeeeehaaaa! When I had to talk to Alberta Watson on set of THE BORDER I was always nervous. She balanced her work in La Femme Nikita with roles in Canadian films including The Life Before This (1999), Desire (2000), and Deeply (2000). Oh! Watson later expressed disappointment with her early television work, but these roles inevitably shaped her career, pushing her to pursue strong, complex characters in projects that challenged her. Lovely woman. She underwent treatment but continued to act prolifically, often wearing wigs to conceal the effects of chemotherapy. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. A year later she received the Best Actress award at the Yorkton Film Festival for "Exposure". Handout TORONTO Canadian actress Alberta Watson passed away Saturday after a battle with cancer. Alberta Watson, in full Faith Susan Alberta Watson, (born March 6, 1955, Toronto, Canadadied March 21, 2015, Toronto), Canadian film and television actress whose career spanned four decades. Several high-profile actresses declined the role, including Susan Sarandon, Faye Dunaway, Jessica Lange, and Isabella Rossellini, but Watson relished it, later calling it her best performance and her favourite role. [4], In Spanking the Monkey, Watson plays her favourite character,[12] a mother who has an incestuous relationship with her son. She played the role of Madeline in La Femme Nikita for four seasons from 1997 to 2001 (with guest appearances in the short fifth season). Watson eventually returned to Canada and landed a leading role in La Femme Nikita, which ran from 1997 to 2001. Alberta Watson, well known to television audiences for her Gemini It didn't scare me at all. She followed La Femme Nikita with a string of notable independent films, including The Art of Woo (2001), John Cameron Mitchells Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001), Thom Fitzgeralds The Wild Dogs, (2002) and Jeremy Podeswas TV movie, After the Harvest (2001), which brought her another Gemini nomination. . - YouTube 0:00 / 1:49 Video unavailable This video contains content from Adrev Affiliate, who has blocked it in your country. Watson came closer to fame with the role of Madeline, the cunning force on the Canadian syndicated spy series La Femme Nikita, adapted from the 1990 Luc Besson film. (Surnow was such a fan that he not only hired her again but also named a character in the series, Alberta Green, after her.) Watson re-teamed with La Femme Nikita co-creator Joel Surnow for season four of his hit action-drama 24. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Watson began acting at age 15 with the Theater House of God at the Bathurst Street United Church in Toronto. Watson shared the National Board of Review award for Best Ensemble and helped bring the film international recognition. Watson died at Torontos Kensington Hospice with her husband Ken at her side. Corrections? Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. She also appeared in The Lookout (2007) with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as well as in the TV series Angelas Eyes (2006), The Border (2008), and Heartland (2010), for which she won a Gemini Award. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. The provocative film was controversial when it premiered at the Toronto Festival of Festivals (now the Toronto International Film Festival), but it earned 10 Canadian Film Award nominations, including one for Watson for Best Supporting Actress. Through regional and national programming on multiple platforms, including CBC Television, CBC News Network, CBC Radio, CBCNews.ca, mobile and on-demand, CBC News and its internationally recognized team of award-winning journalists deliver the breaking stories, the issues, the analyses and the personalities that matter to Canadians. Watson continued acting with the hit CBC TV series The King of Kensington and such tax shelter films as Stone Cold Dead (1979), Dirty Tricks (1981), and The Soldier (1982). Her Gary Goddard Agency rep, Pam Winter, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Watson passed away on Saturday at Torontos Kensington Hospice after a long battle with cancer. Her first major credit was in Robert Lantos and Claude Hrouxs In Praise of Older Women (1978). Watson starred in four seasons of La Femme Nikita, along with a return appearance in its fifth season, and earned a Gemini nomination for season two. Watson gambled by playing the seductive mother in David O. Russells incest-tinged first feature, Spanking the Monkey (1994). Renowned for her consistency and reliability, Watson was perhaps best known for the TV series La Femme Nikita (19972001) and 24 (200405), but she also gave memorable performances in David O. Russells Spanking the Monkey (1994), Atom Egoyans The Sweet Hereafter (1997), and John Cameron Mitchells Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001). The Canadian Encyclopedia And I'm not a name with an image to protect. Omissions? In a nod to her La Femme Nikita role, Alberta played a recurring character Madeline Pierce in Nikita, the CW's 20102013 reboot of the film and TV series. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). I seized the character and made her something. Id loved her in so many things, I was star struck. Watson earned a Gemini Award in 2011 for her guest role on Heartland. Faith Susan Alberta Watson (March 6, 1955 March 21, 2015), better known as Alberta Watson, was a Canadian film and television actress. TV Actresses. She was a deeply disturbed woman with a roller coaster of emotions. It didn't scare me at all. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. She amassed some devoted fans and engaged with them frequently on fan sites. Watson died on March 21, 2015 due to complications from cancer at Kensington Hospice in Toronto; she was 60 years old. The subject was incest. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alberta-Watson, The Canadian Encyclopedia - Biography of Alberta Watson. Watson's first name inspired the character Alberta Green in the first season of 24. heartland actor dies alberta watson. Alberta Watson, a Canadian actress who had roles in the 24 and Nikita dramas over a four-decade movie and TV career, has died. Watson was diagnosed with lymphoma in 1998. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. I think Im still in shock about @Alberta_Watsons death. Incredible char and actor. And I'm not a name with an image to protect. The subject was incest. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Courtesy of Everett Collection. After a long battle with cancer, Watson died at the age of 60 from complications of the disease. The original version of this entry was published by [1], Watson was born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1955. Alberta Watson, well known to television audiences for her Gemini award-nominated role as Madeline on La Femme Nikita (1997), enjoys a long and diverse career in television and film. The Tony Award-nominated Broadway actor, 41, died in a hospital in Los Angeles after suffering severe medical complications after contracting the coronavirus. Outside acting, Watson championed more production in Canada and more opportunities for Canadian actors. Please read our Commenting Policy first. Deeply saddened to hear the wonderful @Alberta_Watson has died. Her final film role was in the Vancouver-shot Helen (2009), starring Ashley Judd. Watson's agent Pam Winter says the La Femme Nikitastar died Saturday in Toronto. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. She was 60. WARNING: Major spoilers for the Season 14 premiere of Heartland are ahead!. During the show's second season (in 1998), Watson was diagnosed with lymphoma, for which she had to undergo chemotherapy treatment which caused her to lose her hair. He has used his social media skills to transform his past interest in blogging about Canadian film Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. TORONTO Canadian actress Alberta Watson passed away Saturday after a battle with cancer. ALBERTA WATSON won a Gemini (pretty much, a Canadian Emmy) to Best Performance by an Actress, Guest Role in a Dramatic Series, for her portrayal of Sarah Craven ('Where the Truth Lies', S4 E05, CBC's series Heartland). Winter says Watson "died in the arms of her beloved Ken after a long and incredibly courageous battle.". Born in Toronto, Watson started out in acting with a local theater group, and by the 1970s had regular Canadian film and TV roles. #cdntv, Denis McGrath (@DMcWriterboy) March 23, 2015, I had the pleasure of working with @albertawatson on my first film #alobstertale rent the movie on iTunes to see Albertas great performance, Adam Massey (@lee_adam_massey) March 23, 2015. The role was turned down by several actresses such as Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange and others. [2] She grew up in Toronto with her mother Grace, a factory worker, and her brother. Patrick Mullen is a writer, blogger, film critic, film festival programmer, and social media coordinator. Besides her turn as the operative Madeline Pierce on La Femme Nikita,Watson became known to TV audiences through roles on 24,The Newsroom,Heartlandand The Border. Died (60) Add to list Awards 3 wins & 6 nominations Photos 28 Known for Hedwig and the Angry Inch 7.7 [7], Watson got her first role at age 19 in a CBC movie called Honor Thy Father. No details are available on a memorial service for Watson. Watson found additional strong TV work playing Detective Denise McGoohan in Chasing Cain (2001) and Chasing Cain: Face (2002). Her Canadian TV series credits include roles in Heartland, The Newsroom, The Border and Show Me Yours. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Get a roundup of the most important and intriguing national stories delivered to your inbox every weekday. The offbeat black comedy proved to be a defining moment in her career; the film won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and drew largely positive reviews. Canadian actress Alberta Watson dies at 60, Ex-husband of Edmonton soldier who tried to kill their children plans to sue Canadian military on Facebook, Ex-husband of Edmonton soldier who tried to kill their children plans to sue Canadian military on Twitter. After performing the lead role of Madelaine on the Canadian-made La Femme Nikita series between 1997 and 2001, Watson later played the recurring role of Senator Madeline Pierce on the CWs follow-up Nikita series, also shot in Toronto. She began performing with a local Toronto theatre group, T.H.O.G. Death [ edit] Best as Madeline in La Femme Nikita/Nikita. All Rights Reserved. Although the film received mostly negative reviews, Watsons performance led to appearances on such American television series as Hill Street Blues, The Equalizer, and Law & Order and a continuing role on the short-lived ABC drama Buck James. io. "A Conversation with Alberta Watson". [citation needed] In 2005, Watson joined the cast of 24, playing CTU Director Erin Driscoll for 12 episodes of the show's fourth season. [13] Watson wore wigs in the show when she lost her hair. Congrats, Alberta!! . Her film credits include Atom Egoyan's The Sweet Hereafter,Sarah Polley's Away from Her,David O. Russell's Spanking the Monkeyand George Kaczender's In Praise of Older Women. U.K. agency missed chance to stop attack at Ariana Grandes Manchester concert: report, Travis Scott accused of assaulting nightclub worker, calls incident a misunderstanding.