Vanessa King (born September 19, 1980) is a Canadian actress from

Coquitlam, British Columbia Coquitlam ( ) is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Mainly suburban, Coquitlam is the sixth-largest city in the province, with a population of 148,625 in 2021, and one of the 21 municipalities comprising Metro Vancouver. ...

, known for her role as Anika in the television series '' Edgemont'', a role for which she was nominated in the category Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series for the

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 ...

in 2001, a

Leo Awards The Leo Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry. Held each May or June in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the Leo Awards were founded by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of British C ...

'Best Performance' nomination in 2002 and a Leo Awards win in 2003.

Recognition

As an eleven-year-old actress, previously having acted only in two commercials,Barrett, Tom (23 January 1993). "Emotional First Aid: Liar, Liar Starring Art Hindle and Vanessa King", ''

The Vancouver Sun The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. Published si ...

'', p. D8. she received acclaim for her starring role in the 1993 TV movie '' Liar, Liar'', including a Gemini Award nomination in the category Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-series. She plays a troubled girl who accuses her father of sexually abusing her. Tom Barrett of ''

'' wrote that King's performance "is remarkable, showing a poise and subtlety beyond the range of most child actors." Critic Ray Loynd of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' wrote that the role was "very well played ... in a believably spiteful, hateful way". John Haslett Cuff of ''

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 ...

'' wrote that she "so effectively captures the confusion and rebelliousness of the young girl that viewers' doubts about her story are genuine from the beginning." The ''

Austin American-Statesman The ''Austin American-Statesman'' is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is owned by Gannett. The paper prints Associated Press, ''New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', and ''Los Angeles Times'' internation ...

'' stated, "The acting is low-key and honest, with young King turning in a powerful performance as the enigmatic child." Critic Victor Dwyer, writing in ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...

'', said that King "does a convincing job as Kelley, portraying the young girl as equal parts crafty and oddly naive, her measured performance giving nothing away." The ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

s TV critic, Greg Quill, called King's performance "a stunning debut".Quill, Greg (24 January 1993). "Cast, script make incest drama powerful", ''

'', p. C6.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:King, Vanessa 1980 births Living people People from Coquitlam Canadian film actresses Actresses from British Columbia Canadian television actresses