# Jo Vannicola

Jo Vannicola (born 20 April 1968), formerly known as Joanne Vannicola, is a Canadian actor. They are most noted for their roles as Dr. Naadiah in Being Erica, Dr. Mia Stone in PSI Factor, Jerri in Love and Human Remains, Sam in Stonewall, Renee in Slasher: Guilty Party, Amber Ciotti in Slasher: Solstice and Slasher: Flesh and Blood, as well as voice roles in Crash Canyon and My Dad the Rock Star.
Vannicola came out as non-binary in their 2019 memoir All We Knew But Couldn't Say.

## Background

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Vannicola began their career as a child, and moved to Toronto, Ontario in their teens to attend the Toronto School for the Performing Arts.

## Career

Vannicola had their first prominent role in the teen drama series 9B, for which they received a Gemini Award nomination for Best Actress in a Continuing Dramatic Role in 1989. In 1991, they won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance in a Children's Special in Maggie's Secret, and in 1994 they received a Genie Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the film Love and Human Remains.
Vannicola has also appeared in films and television series such as Common Ground, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Rookie Blue, Slasher, Degrassi, Stardom, Betrayal of Silence, The Ultimate Betrayal, Relic Hunter, Mutant X, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Night Heat and Derby. In 2019, they appeared in the Street Legal reboot as Sam, a non-binary supporting character who was planned to have a more prominent storyline in the second season, although the reboot was cancelled after six episodes.
Joanne received an ACTRA Award nomination for Best Voice Performance in 2009.
They wrote and directed their first short film, SNIP, in 2017.
In 2019, Vannicola published their memoir, All We Knew But Couldn't Say, with Dundurn Press.

## Personal life

Vannicola founded a non-profit organization to raise awareness about child abuse, Youth Out Loud, in 2004. An out lesbian prior to coming out as non-binary, Vannicola was a prominent campaigner for same-sex marriage in Canada and is the current chair of outACTRAto, ACTRA's advocacy and support committee for LGBTQ performers.
Vannicola holds a certificate from the creative writing program at University of Toronto, and was selected for the Diaspora Dialogues program in Toronto in 2013.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1982 | Hard Feelings | Claudia Hergruder |
| 1986 | Toby McTeague | Parker |
| 1993 | Love and Human Remains | Jerri |
| 1995 | Iron Eagle on the Attack | Wheeler |
| 1997 | Hysteria | Blair |
| 2000 | Stardom | Rosie |
| 2013 | The Animal Project | Morag |
| 2015 | Stonewall | Sam |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | 9B | Mary Neissbrkor | TV film |
| 1987 | Taking Care of Terrific | Enid / Cynthia | TV film |
| 1987 | Street Legal | Mrs. Flanigan | Episode: "Mr. Nice Guy" |
| 1988 | Night Heat | Ella | Episode: "Forgive Me Father" |
| 1988 | No Blame | Laura | TV film |
| 1988 | Betrayal of Silence | Karen | TV film |
| 1988 | T. and T. | Betty | Episode: "And Baby Makes Nine" |
| 1988 | Street Legal | Joanie | Episode: "Cat and Mouse" |
| 1989 | Men | Kimberly | Episode: "Cupid Ms...Takes" |
| 1989–90 | My Secret Identity | Cassie Martin | Episode: "Secret Code", "Long Shot", "White Lies" |
| 1990 | T. and T. | Martina | Episode: "Cry Wolf" |
| 1990 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Maggie Kingston | Episode: "Maggie's Secret" |
| 1991 | Katts and Dog | Mariana | Episode: "Desperate Hours" |
| 1991 | Tarzán | Nikki Robinson | Episode: "Tarzan and the Killer Lion" |
| 1992–93 | Street Legal | Barbara Jacobson | Episode: "Affairs of the Heart", "Hasta La Vista" |
| 1994 | Ultimate Betrayal | Karla | TV film |
| 1994 | To Save the Children | Melanie Young | TV film |
| 1995 | Derby | Katie Woods | TV film |
| 1996 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Claire | Episode: "Phoenix" |
| 1999–2000 | Psi Factor | Dr. Mia Stone | Main role (season 4) |
| 2000 | Common Ground | Max | TV film |
| 2000 | The Stalking of Laurie Show | Tabitha | TV film |
| 2001 | The Wandering Soul Murders | Mieka Kilbourn | TV film |
| 2001 | What Makes a Family | Melissa | TV film |
| 2002 | Relic Hunter | Zanda Wilkes | Episode: "Warlock of the Nu Theta Phi" |
| 2002 | Mutant X | Maddie Conlan | Episode: "Double Vision" |
| 2003 | Train 48 | Sue | Episode: "1.13", "1.40" |
| 2003 | In the Dark | Sadie Speller | TV film |
| 2003 | Thoughtcrimes | Terri Merriweather | TV film |
| 2009–2011 | Being Erica | Dr. Naadiah | Recurring role |
| 2014 | Degrassi: The Next Generation | Chef Kaz | Episode: "How Bizarre", "My Hero" |
| 2015 | Rookie Blue | Jasmine | Episode: "Ninety Degrees" |
| 2015 | Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce | | Episode: "Don't Blow the Bubble" |
| 2016 | Slasher: The Executioner | Debbie | Episode: "Ill-Gotten Gains" |
| 2017 | Sea Change | Nick Colley | TV film |
| 2017 | Slasher: Guilty Party | Renée | Main role |
| 2019 | Slasher: Solstice | Amber Ciotti | Main role |
| 2019 | Street Legal | Sam | |
| 2021–22 | The Expanse | Nico Sanjrani | Recurring role (season 6) |
| 2023 | Slasher: Ripper | Enid Jenkins | Main role |

### Voice work

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1999 | Medabots | Koji Karakuchi | TV series |
| 2000–01 | Timothy Goes to School | Claude | Recurring role |
| 2000–2003 | Seven Little Monsters | One | TV series |
| 2001–2003 | Beyblade | Various | TV series |
| 2003 | My Dad the Rock Star | William 'Willy' Zilla | Main role |
| 2005 | Gerald McBoing-Boing | Jacob | Main role |
| 2006 | Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks | Hook | "Race Relations" |
| 2006 | The Great Polar Bear Adventure | Asak | TV film |
| 2007 | Bakugan Battle Brawlers | Marucho | TV series |
| 2007–2010 | Busytown Mysteries (Hurray for Huckle!) | Huckle | Main role |
| 2008–09 | Toot & Puddle | Toot | Main role |
| 2009 | The Dating Guy | Stephanie Stephanie | "Captain Petard" |
| 2010–2012 | The Adventures of Chuck & Friends | Biggs | TV series |
| 2011–2013 | Crash Canyon | Jake Wendell / Emily Butane | Main role |
| 2011–2016 | Super Why! | Woofster | Main role (seasons 2–3) |