Sonja Smits (born September 8, 1958) is a Canadian actress. She was nominated for two

Genie Awards The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for scu ...

: for ''

Videodrome ''Videodrome'' is a 1983 Canadian Science fiction film, science fiction body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring James Woods, Sonja Smits, and Debbie Harry. Set in Toronto during the early 1980s, it follows the CEO o ...

'' (1983) and '' That's My Baby!'' (1984). On television, she starred in '' Street Legal'' (1987-1992) and '' Traders'' (1996-2000).

Life and career

Smits was born in

Ottawa Valley The Ottawa Valley is the valley of the Ottawa River, along the boundary between Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais, Quebec, Canada. The valley is the transition between the Saint Lawrence Lowlands and the Canadian Shield. Because of the surroundi ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada. She went to Bell High School in

Bells Corners Bells Corners is a suburban neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located along Richmond Road west of downtown, within Ottawa's western Greenbelt, in College Ward. As of the Canada 2016 Census, the community had a population of 9,2 ...

, she also attended

Woodroffe High School Woodroffe High School is a secondary school located in the west end of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, situated at the western end of the Kichi Zibi Mikan near Lincoln Fields Station. The school is under the jurisdiction of the Ottawa-Carleton District S ...

and

South Carleton High School South Carleton High School is a high school situated in the southwestern sector of the city of Ottawa, in the town of Richmond, Ontario. The school is under the jurisdiction of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. The SCHS attendance boun ...

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, a village outside

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

. She studied acting at Ryerson Polytechnic Institute until she was invited to join the Centre Stage theatre company in

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

. Smits has played roles in many television series, including ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...

'', ''

Airwolf ''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series that centers on a high-technology military helicopter, code-named ''Airwolf'', and its crew. The show follows them as they undertake various exotic missions, many involving esp ...

'', ''

Odyssey 5 ''Odyssey 5'' is a Canadian science fiction series, which was shown in 2002 on Space in Canada and on Showtime in the United States. The premise involves five space travelers who witness the destruction of the Earth; they are given the opportun ...

'', '' The Outer Limits'', '' Street Legal'', '' Traders'', ''

The Best Laid Plans ''The Best Laid Plans'' is a 1997 novel by Sidney Sheldon. The story details the rise of a handsome, charismatic attorney named Oliver Russel, to political fame, while his jilted fiancée, Leslie Stewart, grows a media empire to eventually destro ...

'' and '' The Eleventh Hour''. Smits also played Bianca O'Blivion in the

David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation ...

horror movie ''

'' (1983) and was lead actress in 2021 drama film '' Drifting Snow''. Smits is married to

Atlantis Films Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. (commonly known as Alliance Atlantis and commonly shortened to simply Alliance or Atlantis and formerly traded as TSX:AAC) was a Canadian media company that operated primarily as a specialty service opera ...

co-founder

Seaton McLean Seaton McLean is a Canadian film and television producer. He co-founded Atlantis Films. He oversaw all production activity for the Atlantis Films Limited, producing television series like ''White Fang'', ''Traders'', '' Earth: Final Conflict'' ...

with whom she has two children. They live in the Rosedale neighbourhood of Toronto and are the owners of the Closson Chase winery in Prince Edward County. They also own a farm close to the winery. In 2009, Smits was elected president of the board of directors of the

Harbourfront Centre Harbourfront Centre is a key cultural organization on the waterfront of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at 235 Queens Quay West. Established as a crown corporation in 1972 by the Government of Canada to create a waterfront park, it became ...

. Smits has been nominated for five

Gemini Awards 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 a ...

, winning in 1988, and two

. She has also received the

ACTRA The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) is a Canadian trade union representing performers in English-language media. It has 25,000 members working in film, television, radio, and all other recorded media. The org ...

Toronto Award of Excellence.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smits, Sonja 1958 births Living people Best Actress in a Drama Series Canadian Screen Award winners Canadian television actresses Canadian people of Dutch descent Actresses from Ontario Toronto Metropolitan University alumni