| THE TOMMY DOUGLAS STORY JOHN N. SMITH DIRECTS MICHAEL THERRIAULT (Toronto, January 24, 2005) Dora Award winning Michael Therriault has captured the lead role in the Minds Eye Entertainment production The Tommy Douglas Story. John N. Smith will direct the four-hour miniseries from Bruce Smith’s script. With Kevin DeWalt as producer, The Tommy Douglas Story is scheduled for telecast on CBC Television. The miniseries will be filmed in Saskatchewan from February 16 to May 15. “My friends, watch out for the little fellow with an idea." - Tommy Douglas 1961. For more than 50 years, his unwavering commitment to social justice, his brilliant political acumen and pugnacious charm earned Tommy Douglas both the love and respect of millions of Canadians. Many of the things we now take for granted – a Bill of Rights, government insurance, the 8 hour work day, government funding for the arts and, most importantly, universal health care – were first introduced in Canada by Tommy Douglas. “A dynamic young actor, Michael Therriault is one of the major talents of his generation,” said director John N. Smith. “He comes to us with exceptional training from Stratford which allows him to not only incarnate Tommy’s charm but also his strength and his commitment to progressive ideas.” Michael Therriault most recently played Leo Bloom in the Canadian premiere of Mel Brooks' The Producers. For his sparkling performance, Therriault received the Dora Award- Best Actor in a Musical. Prior to that, he spent seven seasons at the acclaimed Stratford Festival of Canada where he worked with such respected directors as Martha Henry, Diana Leblanc, William Hutt and Richard Monette. His Shakespearian roles include: Henry VI in both Henry VI: Revenge in France and Henry VI: Revolt in England, Silvius in As You Like it, Ariel in The Tempest, Francis Flute in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He has been seen at Stratford in the modern classics The Seagull, Oscar Remembered, Fiddler on the Roof; and Camelot. With the Stratford Company, he toured to New York in The Miser and Much Ado About Nothing. Therriault was a member of the inaugural season of the Stratford Festival's Conservatory for Classical Theatre Training. Among his television credits, Therriault counts Ken Finkleman’s highly inventive The Newsroom. John N. Smith directed the touchstone miniseries The Boys of St. Vincent. Dealing with sexual abuse of boys by priests, the provocative miniseries won numerous international awards including a Peabody Award, three Gemini Awards, two gold medals and two bronze medals at the New York Festival of Broadcasting as well as awards in Italy, France and Germany. His other television credits include the miniseries Dieppe, Revenge of the Land and Random Passage. Smith has an enviable reputation as an actor’s director. Artists such as Michelle Pfeiffer, John Turturro, Mary-Louise Parker, Nicholas Campbell and Henry Czerny speak of him with the highest respect. “The Tommy Douglas Story is a project that is close to the heart of all of us in western Canada,” said producer Kevin DeWalt. “And, we are extremely proud that the country recently voted Tommy Douglas the Greatest Canadian. We certainly think that he his.” - 30 - For further information
|