Don McKellar

Don McKellar has been described as a modern Renaissance Man, and it’s easy to see why. He holds the triple-threat credentials of writer, actor and director, and as the 20th century waned he seemed to be everywhere. On television, writing and acting in what Maclean’s called “the best homage to television on television,” Twitch City. On film, acting in David Cronenberg’s eXistenZ. Behind the scenes, as screenwriter (with collaborator François Girard) of the acclaimed Thirty-two Short Films About Glenn Gould and The Red Violin. Ahead of the millennial ethos, with his 1998 feature film directorial debut, Last Night, a dramatic comedy set against the backdrop of the end of the world. His sly comedic style is almost absurdly intellectual – with a straight face, he acted his way through a short film adaptation of the Michael Ondaatje poem Elimination Dance.

Mr. McKellar’s first film was an auspicious start: a short drama entitled Blue starring David Cronenberg, made while he was a resident at the Canadian Film Centre in 1991-92. His career has included a longtime acting and writing partnership with director Bruce McDonald, with whom he co-wrote the screenplays forRoadkill, Highway 61, and Dance Me Outside. He has received Genie Awards for Best Supporting Actor in Atom Egoyan’s Exotica, Best Actor in Highway 61, Best Short Film for Peter Lynch’s Arrowhead, and Genie nominations for Best Screenplay and Best Performer in Roadkill.