# Martha Burns

Martha Burns (born 23 April 1957) is a Canadian actress known for her stage work and youth outreach in Ontario and her leading role as Ellen Fanshaw in the TV dramedy series Slings and Arrows.

## Early life

Burns was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She studied at the University of Alberta and the Vancouver Playhouse's Acting School.

## Career

Burns has had a long career as a character and supporting actress. Her most notable television roles being Shakespearean diva Ellen Fanshaw in Slings and Arrows, for which she won two Gemini Awards, Jasmina Hart on Michael, Tuesdays and Thursdays and Rebecca Baker on Remedy.
Some of her notable film work includes Long Day's Journey into Night and for Love and Savagery, both resulting in Genie Awards for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.

### Theatre

Burns is a founding member and a former associate director of Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre Company., Burns headed up Soulpepper's extensive youth outreach program. She founded the Toronto Arts for Youth Award, and has worked as an instructor for the theatre program at George Brown College.
She has performed leading roles at Stratford, the Shaw Festival, the National Arts Centre and The Company Theatre. She was nominated five times for a Dora Award and won twice: in 1986 for The Miracle Worker and in 1984 for Trafford Tanzi.
In 2005 she was honoured for her career in the theatre with the Barbara Hamilton Award.
In 2016 Burns was awarded ACTRA’s Leslie Yeo Award, an award honouring actors for their volunteer work. She donated her cash prize to the Qaggiq Performing Arts Teacher Training Workshop, a program that works on developing Inuit-specific performing arts programming for children and youth.

## Personal life

Burns is married to director and actor Paul Gross. They have two children, Hannah Gross and Jack.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992 | Passage of the Heart | Kate Ward | |
| 1994 | Paint Cans | Melda | |
| 1995 | Never Talk to Strangers | Maura | |
| 1999 | The Life Before This | Gwen Maclean | |
| 2000 | Hindsight | Trina | Short film |
| 2004 | Siblings | Miss Bradford | |
| 2006 | Screening | Helen Thompson | Short film |
| 2007 | Silk | Mme. Joncour | |
| 2008 | Rewind | Heather Beckett | Short film |
| 2009 | You Might as Well Live | Dr. Elizabeth | |
| 2009 | Dinner at Lucy's | Lucy | Short film |
| 2009 | Love and Savagery | Mother Superior | Won – Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role |
| 2009 | A Wake | Sabina | |
| 2010 | The Reception | Debra | Short film |
| 2011 | French Immersion | Cathy | |
| 2012 | Fury | Gretchen | |
| 2013 | Mad Ship | Judith | |
| 2013 | Hardsell | Sandra Hipps | Short film |
| 2015 | Boxing | Janet | Short film |
| 2016 | A False Sense of Security | Debra | Short film |
| 2021 | We're All in This Together | Kate Parker | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | Backstretch | Kelly | TV series |
| 1987 | Street Legal | Margaret | "Take My Jokes, Please" |
| 1990 | The Last Best Year | Sally | TV film |
| 1991 | E.N.G. | Joanna Miles | "Tyger, Tyger" |
| 1995 | Great Performances | Cathleen | "Long Day's Journey Into Night" Won – Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role |
| 1996 | Side Effects | Andrea Burrows | "Sex, Death and Rock 'N' Roll" |
| 1996 | Traders | Rita Hutchison | "Two Steps Forward" |
| 1997 | Marie Curie: More Than Meets the Eye | Lisette Boudreau | TV film |
| 1997 | Due South | Nadia | "Spy vs. Spy" |
| 1998 | Witness to Yesterday | Amelia Earhart | "Amelia Earhart" |
| 1998 | Thanks of a Grateful Nation | Dr. Rosemary Dove | TV film |
| 1999 | What Katy Did | Aunt Izzie | TV film |
| 1999 | Due South | Caroline Fraser | "Call of the Wild: Part 2" |
| 1999 | Emily of New Moon | Eve Kinch | "Under the Wishing Moon: Part 1", "Bridge of Dreams: Part 2" |
| 1999 | Murder Most Likely | Alice Malinson | TV film |
| 2003 | Profoundly Normal | Dr. Maswell | TV film |
| 2003-06 | Slings & Arrows | Ellen Fanshaw | Main role Nominated – Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (2004) Nominated – Canadian Comedy Award for Best Female TV Performance (2006) Won – Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (2006) Won – Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (2007) |
| 2008 | The Trojan Horse | Mary Miller | "Part One" |
| 2009 | Murdoch Mysteries | Mrs. Burgess | "Convalescence" |
| 2009 | The Foundation | Selena Selkirk | "The Face of Hope", "The African Prince", "Springing Jett" |
| 2011 | Republic of Doyle | Joyce | "Something Old, Someone Blue" |
| 2011 | Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays | Jasmina Hart | Main role |
| 2013 | After All These Years | Phyllis Deitrichson | TV film |
| 2013 | Cracked | Alice Kelly | "The Valley" |
| 2014 | Darknet | Mother | "Darknet 3" |
| 2014-15 | Remedy | Rebecca Baker | Main role Nominated – Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Series (2016) |
| 2017 | Alias Grace | Mrs. Parkinson | 3 episodes |
| 2022 | Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities | Agatha | Episode: "Lot 36" |