Bernard Behrens (September 28, 1926 – September 19, 2012) was a British-Canadian actor. He was most noted as a two-time

Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States ...

winner, winning Best Actor in a Television Film or Miniseries at the 6th Gemini Awards in 1992 for his performance in the dramatic anthology series '' Saying Goodbye'', and Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Program or Series at the 9th Gemini Awards in 1995 for the television film ''

Coming of Age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...

''. Born and raised in London, England, he moved to Canada at the start of World War II. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he cofounded a theatre company there with Bill Walker, Helene Winston and Peggy Green in 1951.Herbert Whittaker, "Behrens: the trouble with Canadian theatre". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', January 30, 1971. Although he often had supporting or guest roles in film and television, he was principally associated with stage roles, for theatre companies such as the Dominion Drama Festival, the Canadian Players and the

Stratford Festival The Stratford Festival is a theatre festival which runs from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shakespearean Festival ...

, as well as sometimes returning to the United Kingdom to perform at the Bristol Old Vic. In addition to his two Gemini wins, he was also a nominee on two other occasions, being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Program or Series at the 1st Gemini Awards in 1986 for the television film ''

Turning to Stone ''Turning to Stone'' is a Canadian docudrama television film, which was broadcast by CBC Television in 1986.Gerald Pratley, ''A Century of Canadian Cinema''. Lynx Images, 2003. . p. 226. Directed by Eric Till and written by Judith Thompson, the fi ...

'', and Best Guest Actor in a Drama at the

20th Gemini Awards The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 20th Gemini Awards were held on November 19, 2005, to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was co-hosted by several celebrities, took place at the John Bassett Theatre an ...

for an appearance on '' This Is Wonderland''. In 1981 he voiced the role of

Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the Star Wars original trilogy, original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinn ...

in a radio dramatization of ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...

'' for National Public Radio.Elina MacNiven, "Star Wars zaps the air waves". ''

'', July 3, 1981. He was married to Canadian actress Deborah Cass.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Behrens, Bernard 1926 births 2012 deaths 20th-century British male actors 20th-century Canadian male actors 21st-century British male actors 21st-century Canadian male actors British male film actors British male radio actors British male stage actors British male television actors British emigrants to Canada Canadian male film actors Canadian male radio actors Canadian male Shakespearean actors Canadian male stage actors Canadian male television actors Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Canadian Screen Award winners Male actors from London