Robert Holmes Thomson (born 1947), known as R. H. Thomson, is a Canadian television, film, and stage actor. With a career spanning five decades he remains a regular presence on Canadian movie screens and television. He has received numerous awards for his contributions to the arts, and to war veterans.

Life and career

Thomson was born on September 24, 1947, in Richmond Hill, Ontario. He studied at the University of Toronto and the

National Theatre School The National Theatre School of Canada (NTS, french: École nationale de théâtre du Canada) is a private institution of professional theatre studies in Montreal, Quebec. Established in 1960, the NTS receives its principal funding from grants aw ...

. His own play ''The Lost Boys'' was staged at the

Great Canadian Theatre Company The Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) is a professional theatre company based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1975 by a group of professors and graduate students at Carleton University. Riding a wave of cultural nationalism, ...

in March 2000 and at Canadian Stage in February 2002. He has also hosted programming for CBC Radio and

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...

. Thomson has portrayed a number of historical figures including Samuel Lount,

Edsel Ford Edsel Bryant Ford (November 6, 1893 – May 26, 1943) was an American business executive and philanthropist who was the son of pioneering industrialist Henry Ford and his wife, Clara Jane Bryant Ford. He was the president of Ford Motor Company f ...

, Frederick Banting, Duncan Campbell Scott,

Mitchell Sharp Mitchell William Sharp (May 11, 1911 – March 19, 2004) was a Canadian politician and a Companion of the Order of Canada, most noted for his service as a Liberal Cabinet minister. He did, however, serve in both private and public sectors dur ...

, and

James Cross James Richard Cross (29 September 1921 – 6 January 2021) was an Irish-born British diplomat who served in India, Malaysia and Canada. While posted in Canada, Cross was kidnapped by members of the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) durin ...

. In 2010, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. In May 2015 Thomson received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. Eric Peterson performed in his honour at the gala celebrating the laureates at the National Arts Centre.

Personal life

Thomson is married with two sons. Thomson has had a long-standing interest in Canada's military and war veterans. In 1995 he narrated a 3-part documentary series about Canada's involvement in international conflicts. On the 90th anniversary of the

Battle of Vimy Ridge The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions o ...

, in which nearly 3,600 Canadians died, he co-created, with lighting designer Martin Conboy, a commemoration in which the name of each fallen soldier was projected onto the National War Memorial. The following year in 2009, he and Conboy undertook an ambitious project to project the names of the more than 68,000 Canadians who died in World War I onto famous monuments across the country. Projections occurred during the night. In 2010, the Government of Canada honoured Thomson for this effort with a Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation.

Filmography

Film

Television

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Full-Court Miracle ''Full-Court Miracle'' is a 2003 Disney Channel Original Hanukkah Movie. It premiered on November 21, 2003. Inspired by the true story of University of Virginia Cavaliers basketball star Lamont Carr, the film centers on a group of young Jewish b ...

'' , Rabbi Lewis , - , 2004 , ''

Human Cargo ''Human Cargo'' is a 2004 Canadian television miniseries. The series won seven Gemini Awards and two Directors Guild of Canada Awards. It premiered on CBC Television on January 4, 2004 and starred Kate Nelligan, Cara Pifko, Bayo Akinfemi and ...

'' , Peter Fowler , rowspan=4, Miniseries , - , rowspan=2, 2006 , ''

Prairie Giant ''Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story'' is a CBC Television miniseries first aired in two consecutive parts on March 12 and March 13, 2006. It dramatizes and fictionalizes the life and career of Tommy Douglas, the Canadian politician who oversaw ...

'' , Dr. Moulds , - , ''October 1970 (film), October 1970'' ,

, - , 2008 , data-sort-value="Englishman's Boy, The" , ''The Englishman's Boy'' , Tom Hardwick , - , 2010 , ''Republic of Doyle'' , Francis Chafe , Episode: "The Tell-Tale Safe" , - , 2012 , ''King (2011 TV series), King'' , Randall King , Episode: "Freddy Boise" , - , 2013 , ''Cracked (Canadian TV series), Cracked'' , Robert Kelly , Episode: "The Valley" , - , 2016 , ''Love's Complicated'' , Senator , TV movie , - , 2017–2019 , ''Anne with an E'' , Matthew Cuthbert , Main role , - , 2024 , ''Murdoch Mysteries'' , Chief Inspector Francis Stewart , Episodes: "A Heavy Heart" & "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"

Awards

Wins

*1989 : Gemini Award, for ''Glory Enough for All'' *1983 : Gemini Award, for ''If You Could See What I Hear'' *2015: Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement (Theatre) *2018 : Canadian Screen Award, for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama ''Anne with an E''

Nominations

*1982 : Genie Award, for ''Ticket to Heaven'' *1986 : Genie Award, for '' Samuel Lount'' *1986 : Gemini Award, for ''Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks'' *1987 : Gemini Award, for ''Screen Two'' *1987 : Gemini Award, for ''Ford: The Man and the Machine'' *1988 : Gemini Award, for ''And Then You Die'' *1993 : Genie Award, for ''The Lotus Eaters'' *1994 : Gemini Award, for ''Road to Avonlea'' *2008 : Gemini Award, for ''The Englishman's Boy''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, R. H. 1947 births Living people Canadian male film actors Canadian male television actors Canadian male voice actors Best Supporting Actor Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Members of the Order of Canada People from Richmond Hill, Ontario University of Toronto alumni Dora Mavor Moore Award winners Male actors from Ontario Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Canadian Screen Award winners Governor General's Award winners Canadian Screen Award winning writers