# Rosemary Dunsmore

Rosemary Dunsmore (born July 13, 1952) is a Canadian TV, film, and theatre actress, director, and educator. She was awarded a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her 1982 performance in Straight Ahead/Blind Dancers. In 2009 she won the ACTRA Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film The Baby Formula. She has starred in some well-known Canadian productions, including The Campbells, Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, Road to Avonlea, Mom P.I., Murdoch Mysteries and Orphan Black.

## Life and career

Born on July 13, 1952, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Dunsmore was trained in drama at York University from which she graduated in 1973. She began her professional career in 1975 touring in Cedric Smith and George Luscombe's play Ten Lost Years. She soon appeared in productions in several important Canadian theatres, including the Stratford Festival, the Centaur Theatre. and the Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts. For her 1982 performance in Straight Ahead/Blind Dancers she was awarded both a Dora Mavor Moore Award and the best performer award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
A prolific television actress, Dunsmore began her screen career with appearances in The Littlest Hobo in 1980. She became well known for her portrayal of Katherine Brooke in the 1987 miniseries Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (more widely known as Anne of Avonlea outside Canada). She later appeared in the recurring role of Abigail MacEwan in Road to Avonlea (1990–1996). From 1990–1992 she starred as the central character of Sally Sullivan in two seasons of the Canadian television comedy-drama series Mom P.I.. She has guest starred on the Canadian television programs Being Erica, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Hangin' In, Lost Girl, Murdoch Mysteries, and ReGenesis. On American television she has appeared in Beauty and the Beast , L.A. Law, Queer as Folk, and The Twilight Zone.
In film, Dunsmore had roles in the Hollywood films Twins (1988), Total Recall (1990) and Cliffhanger (1993). In 2009, she won the ACTRA Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film The Baby Formula.
She was formerly married to actor Peter Dvorsky.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1988 | Twins | Miss Busby | |
| 1990 | Total Recall | Dr. Renata Lull | |
| 1993 | Cliffhanger | Treasury Secretary | |
| 1995 | Bach's Fight for Freedom | Gerta | |
| 1996 | Natural Enemy | Judy | Video |
| 1998 | Strike! | Page Sawyer | AKA, All I Wanna Do |
| 2001 | Good Stuff | Doctor | Short film |
| 2003 | Dreamcatcher | Roberta Cavell | |
| 2004 | White Knuckles | Victoria Conrad | |
| 2006 | Citizen Duane | Mayor Kelly Milton | |
| 2007 | Bonded Pairs | Rosemary | Short film |
| 2008 | The Baby Formula | Wanda | |
| 2009 | Orphan | Grandma Barbara | |
| 2009 | At Home by Myself...With You | Bessie | |
| 2010 | Empty | Margaret Burke | Video short |
| 2011 | Faces in the Crowd | Dr. Langenkamp #2 | |
| 2012 | The Riverbank | Miranda Magos | |
| 2012 | Miskate | Grandma | Short fim |
| 2013 | The Hot Flash | Nana | Short film |
| 2014 | Don't Get Killed in Alaska | Jan | |
| 2015 | How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town | Seth's Mother | |
| 2017 | Blood Honey | Louisa Lippe | |
| 2020 | The Toll | Lorraine | |
| 2020 | Dear Jesus | Sister Bernadette | Short film |
| 2021 | Kicking Blood | Bernice | |
| 2023 | To Catch a Killer | Mrs. Possey | |
| 2024 | Thereby Hangs a Tale | Mary | Short film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1980 | The Littlest Hobo | Dixie | "Ghost Rig" |
| 1981 | The Littlest Hobo | Di Jarrett | "Airport" |
| 1982 | Off Your Rocker | Barbara "Babs" | TV film |
| 1982 | Hangin' In | Jocelyn | "The Reunion" |
| 1983 | As You Like It | Celia | TV film |
| 1985 | ABC Weekend Special | Mrs. Settergren | "Pippi Longstocking" |
| 1986 | The Frantics: Four on the Floor | Various Characters | TV show (Episodes 1.02-1.04) |
| 1986 | Miles to Go... | Cynthia | TV film |
| 1986–1990 | The Campbells | Mary McTavish | Recurring role |
| 1987 | Race for the Bomb | Jean O'Leary | TV miniseries |
| 1987 | Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel | Katherine Brooke | TV miniseries |
| 1987 | After the Promise | Florence Jackson | TV film |
| 1987 | Danger Bay | Agnes Calhoun | "A Tangled Web" |
| 1987 | Street Legal | Samantha Greene | "Romeo and Carol" |
| 1988 | A Father's Homecoming | Dolores | TV film |
| 1988 | Go Toward the Light | Sally | TV film |
| 1988 | Favorite Son | Mrs. Harriet Fallon | TV miniseries |
| 1988 | L.A. Law | Ina Toland | "The Princess and the Pee" |
| 1988 | The Twilight Zone | Elise | "Appointment on Route 17" |
| 1988 | Blades of Courage | Carla LaRoche | TV film |
| 1989 | My Two Dads | Dr. Stuart | "Who's on First?" |
| 1989 | Hunter | Rachel Sands | "Me, Myself & Die" |
| 1989 | Beauty and the Beast | Virginia Sheets | "Trial" |
| 1990 | MacGyver | Dr. Gwen Carpenter | "Deep Cover" |
| 1990 | Personals | Susan Merchant | TV film |
| 1990 | E.N.G. | Kathleen Kenner | "Catch a Falling Star" |
| 1990 | Mom P.I. | Sally Sullivan | TV film |
| 1990 | Street Legal | Marlene Weiss | "Shadow Boxing" |
| 1990–1996 | Road to Avonlea | Abigail MacEwan | 5 episodes |
| 1991 | The Boys | Helene | TV film |
| 1993 | Liar, Liar: Between Father and Daughter | Mary Farrow | TV film |
| 1993 | E.N.G. | Dr. Boyd | "And the Winner Is..." |
| 1993 | Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story | Rose Beckman | TV film |
| 1994 | RoboCop: The Series | Ms. Leachman | "Mother's Day" |
| 1996 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Rachel | "Dragon's Lair" |
| 1996 | Undue Influence | Carla Morgan | TV film |
| 1996 | We the Jury | Dr. Ruth Quintero | TV film |
| 1997 | Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story | Frances Louganis | TV film |
| 1997 | Poltergeist: The Legacy | Dr. Emily Randall | "Fear" |
| 1998 | The Long Way Home | Mrs. Bossert | TV film |
| 1998 | When He Didn't Come Home | Mrs. Blair | TV film |
| 1998 | Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal | Dr. Ruth Godwin | "The Undead, The/Stalker" |
| 1999 | Freak City | Mary Manmouth | TV film |
| 1999 | Dear America: The Winter of Red Snow | Mama | TV short |
| 1999 | At the Mercy of a Stranger | Jan Scott | TV film |
| 2000 | Secret Cutting | Principal Luce | TV film |
| 2001 | Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows | Ida Koverman | TV miniseries |
| 2001 | The Warden | Mrs. Winchwood | TV film |
| 2001 | Hangman | Dr. Natalie Walsh | TV film |
| 2001 | Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series | E.J. Lark (voice) | "A Welcome Hero" |
| 2001 | Blue Murder | Principal Leona Harcourt | "All Saints" |
| 2001 | Dangerous Child | Margo | TV film |
| 2001–2003 | Soul Food | Judge Priscilla Barnes | "Games People Play", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Shades of Grey" |
| 2002 | The Associates | Judge Martin | "Soulmates", "Liar, Liar" |
| 2002 | The Interrogation of Michael Crowe | Dorothy Sorenson | TV film |
| 2003 | Profoundly Normal | Charlotte Johnson | TV film |
| 2003 | Queer as Folk | Judge | "Stop Hurting Us" |
| 2004 | Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story | Warden Woodford | TV film |
| 2004 | Degrassi: The Next Generation | Judge | "Ghost in the Machine" |
| 2004 | The Grid | Lois Avery | TV miniseries |
| 2004 | Wild Card | Mrs. Sutton | "Premonition Mission" |
| 2004 | A Very Married Christmas | Osa Larson | TV film |
| 2004–2005 | ReGenesis | Congresswoman Shuler | Recurring role |
| 2005 | Kevin Hill | Judge Landell | "Occupational Hazard" |
| 2006 | Playing House | Madeline | TV film |
| 2006 | At the Hotel | Marcia Bridge | "Modern Solutions to Modern Problems" |
| 2006 | Covert One: The Hades Factor | Nancy Langford | TV miniseries |
| 2006 | Wedding Wars | Claire Welling | TV film |
| 2007 | St. Urbain's Horseman | Hannah | TV miniseries |
| 2007 | They Come Back | Mrs. Carr | TV film |
| 2007 | The Altar Boy Gang | Kate | TV series |
| 2008 | A Raisin in the Sun | Mrs. Arnold | TV film |
| 2008 | Burn Up | Margo | "1.2" |
| 2008 | For the Love of Grace | Alicia | TV film |
| 2009 | Being Erica | Tania | "Til Death" |
| 2009 | Guns | Janet Patterson | TV miniseries |
| 2009 | The Good Times Are Killing Me | Melanie | TV film |
| 2009 | Too Late to Say Goodbye | Narda Barber | TV film |
| 2009 | Cra$h & Burn | Mrs. McCutcheon | "Trust" |
| 2009 | Nureyev | Diane | TV film |
| 2010 | Murdoch Mysteries | Bernice Taylor | "Me, Myself and Murdoch" |
| 2010 | When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story | Matilda Burnham | TV film |
| 2010 | Living in Your Car | Mira Shaw | "Chapter 3" |
| 2010 | Unnatural History | Mrs. Elaine Dunsmoor | "Public School Enemies" |
| 2010 | Red: Werewolf Hunter | Grandmother Sullivan | TV film |
| 2010–2012 | Ruby Skye P.I. | Ava O'Deary | Recurring role |
| 2011 | The Santa Suit | Marge | TV film |
| 2011 | Little Mosque on the Prairie | Mrs. Harper | "Love at First Fight" |
| 2012 | Guidestones | Jacqueline Glenndenning | "The Truth: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 2012 | Fugitive at 17 | Grandmother | TV film |
| 2013 | The Surrogacy Trap | Beth Franklin | TV film |
| 2013 | Cracked | Mrs. Dunlow | "How the Light Gets In" |
| 2014 | Remedy | Violet Patterson | "Shadow of Doubt" |
| 2015–2016 | Between | Minister Miller | Recurring role |
| 2015 | The Plateaus | Nun #1 | Recurring role |
| 2015–2017 | Orphan Black | Professor Susan Duncan | Recurring role |
| 2018 | PAW Patrol | Ms. Marjorie (voice) | Recurring role |
| 2019 | Coroner | Mrs. Panych | "Black Dog", "Bridges" |
| 2019 | Street Legal | Renee Darling | Recurring role |
| 2019 | The Hot Zone | Nancy's Aunt | "Arrival", "Expendable", "Hidden" |
| 2021–2022 | Chucky | Dr. Mixter | Recurring role |
| 2021–2022 | Chucky | Chucky | Episode: "Chucky Actually" |
| 2022 | Good Sam | Helen Fletcher | "Attachments", "To Whom It May Concern" |
| 2022 | Three Pines | Irene Morrow | "The Murder Stone: Part One", "The Murder Stone: Part Two" |
| 2023 | Fellow Travelers | Estelle Fuller | Episode: "Bulletproof" |

## Awards and nominations

Awards :
| Year | Award | Category | Production | Result |
| 1988 | Gemini | Best Performance by a Supporting Actress | Blades of Courage | Nominated |
| 2001 | Gemini | Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series | Blue Murder | Nominated |
| 2008 | ACTRA Awards | Best Female Performance | The Baby Formula | Won |