Mary Cynthia Walsh (born May 13, 1952) is a Canadian actress, comedian, and writer."Mary Walsh"
''

The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage. Available f ...

'', January 1, 2012. She is known for her work on '' CODCO'' and '' This Hour Has 22 Minutes.''

Early life

Walsh was born in

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...

, the daughter of Mary and Leo Walsh. Leo was a merchant marine turned firefighter on commercial vessels. She is the seventh of eight children, and is of Irish ancestry. She is a past member of

Girl Guides of Canada Girl Guides of Canada (GGC; french: Guides du Canada) is the national Guiding association of Canada. Guiding in Canada started on September 7, 1910, and GGC was among the founding members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts ...

Career

Walsh studied theatre in Toronto at Ryerson University but dropped out to work with the CODCO comedy troupe on a series of stage shows, which eventually evolved into a sketch comedy series. The ''CODCO'' series ran from 1988 to 1993 on

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- ...

''This Hour Has 22 Minutes''

In 1992, she began to work with former co-star

Rick Mercer Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer (born October 17, 1969) is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and author. He is best known for his work on the CBC Television comedy shows '' This Hour Has 22 Minutes'' and ''Rick Merc ...

and former ''CODCO'' co-stars

Cathy Jones Catherine Frederica "Cathy" Jones (born April 6, 1955) is a Canadian actress, comedian and writer. She is known for her work for 28 years on the Canadian television series ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes''. Jones left the show in 2021. CODCO Jones w ...

and Greg Thomey to create a new television series called '' This Hour Has 22 Minutes''. The show was a parody of the nightly news, and poked fun at Canadian and international politics. ''22 Minutes'' received strong ratings during its earlier seasons and Walsh's character Marg Delahunty became famous for buttonholing politicians and submitting them to satirical interviews. Usually Marg Delahunty would recite a scripted piece intended to humiliate the politician, often by providing criticism and "grandmotherly" advice. Sometimes Marg appeared as "Marg, Princess Warrior", a parody of the title character of '' Xena: Warrior Princess'' portrayed by

Lucy Lawless Lucille Frances Lawless (; born 29 March 1968) is a New Zealand actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Xena in the television series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'', as D'Anna Biers on the re-imagined ''Battlestar Galactica'' seri ...

. Walsh is also noted for her comical segment chronicling the Canadian Auto Workers Union's tense blockade of the Volvo Halifax Assembly plant in 1998. In 2007, she revived Marg Delahunty for the Royal Canadian Air Farce's 300th episode. On October 24, 2011, Walsh was once again in the spotlight as she reprised the role of Marg Delahunty conducting an ambush interview of Toronto Mayor

Rob Ford Robert Bruce Ford (May 28, 1969 – March 22, 2016) was a Canadian politician and businessman who served as the 64th mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014. Before and after his term as mayor, Ford was a city councillor representing Ward 2 Etobi ...

at his home. Ford's reaction and alleged verbal abuse directed at a 911 operator made national headlines. She also reprised Marg, Princess Warrior for an episode of the 25th season of ''22 Minutes'' in December 2017. In 2020, Walsh reprised her longtime ''22 Minutes'' character of Miss Eulalia in the

CBC Gem 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 ...

web series '' Broad Appeal: Living with E's'', for which she received a

Canadian Screen Award The Canadian Screen Awards (french: link=no, Les prix Écrans canadiens) are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media ( web series ...

nomination for Best Lead Performance in a Web Program or Series at the

10th Canadian Screen Awards The 10th Canadian Screen Awards were held on April 10, 2022, to honour achievements in Canadian film, television and digital media production in 2021.Etan Vlessing"Maitreyi Ramakrishnan to Receive Canadian Screen Awards Special Honor" ''The Holly ...

in 2022.

Other work

Walsh's other television work included the short-run sitcoms ''

Dooley Gardens ''Dooley Gardens'' is a Canadian television sitcom, which aired on CBC Television in 1999."And the beat goes on at CBC". ''Ottawa Citizen'', March 2, 1999. The series was set in a hockey rink in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, inherited ...

'' (1999); ''

Hatching, Matching and Dispatching ''Hatching, Matching and Dispatching'' is a Canadian television sitcom, which aired on CBC Television on 2006. The show starred Mary Walsh as Mamie Lou Furey, the matriarch of a family in Cats Gut Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador who owns a combin ...

'' (2006); and a guest starring role as Miranda Cahill on the CBC television series ''

Republic of Doyle ''Republic of Doyle'' is a Canadian comedy-drama television series set in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, which aired on CBC Television from January 6, 2010, to December 10, 2014. The show stars Allan Hawco as private investigator and f ...

''. She currently has a recurring role on CBC's ''Little Dog''. She created the CBC program '' Mary Walsh: Open Book'', a talk show about books and literature, in 2003. Walsh revived the Fury family from ''Hatching, Matching, and Dispatching'' by writing and starring in ''A Christmas Fury'' in 2017''.'' Besides TV acting, she has worked on movies such as '' Mambo Italiano'', ''

Geraldine's Fortune ''Geraldine's Fortune'' is a 2004 Canadian comedy-drama film. It was directed by John N. Smith, written by Tim Burns and based on the play '' Les Belles-sœurs'' by Michel Tremblay. Plot Geraldine Liddle (Curtin) is a small town woman from New ...

'', ''Rain, Drizzle and Fog'', '' Buried on Sunday'', ''

The Divine Ryans ''The Divine Ryans'' is a 1999 Canadian film directed by Stephen Reynolds, written by Wayne Johnston as an adaptation of his novel, and starring Robert Joy and Pete Postlethwaite.Gerald Pratley, ''A Century of Canadian Cinema''. Lynx Images, 2003 ...

'', '' Young Triffie,'' ''Violet,'' and ''The Grand Seduction''. 2004 saw Walsh host a segment on the CBC documentary series ''

The Greatest Canadian ''The Greatest Canadian'' is a 2004 television series consisting of 13 episodes produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to determine who is considered to be the greatest Canadian of all time, according to those who watched and p ...

'', in which she championed the case for Sir

Frederick Banting Sir Frederick Grant Banting (November 14, 1891 – February 21, 1941) was a Canadian medical scientist, physician, painter, and Nobel laureate noted as the co-discoverer of insulin and its therapeutic potential. In 1923, Banting and Joh ...

(the

Nobel Nobel often refers to: *Nobel Prize, awarded annually since 1901, from the bequest of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel Nobel may also refer to: Companies *AkzoNobel, the result of the merger between Akzo and Nobel Industries in 1994 *Branobel, or ...

prize-winning discoverer of

insulin Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the ''INS'' gene. It is considered to be the main anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabolism ...

) as the greatest Canadian who ever lived. In June 2007, she hosted the

Pride Toronto Pride Toronto is an annual event held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in June each year. A celebration of the diversity of the LGBT community in the Greater Toronto Area, it is one of the largest organized gay pride festivals in the world, fea ...

Gala & Awards ceremony. On December 15, 2007, Walsh made national news with a story about her upcoming special, ''Nudity, Sexuality, Violence and Coarse Language'', in which a large group of people who went and stripped

naked Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to h ...

standing next to St. John's

Harbour A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is ...

in −11 °C (12 °F) weather to be filmed as a part of the show's closing. Walsh herself did not go nude. In 2017, Walsh published her debut novel, ''Crying for the Moon''.

Directing

Walsh made her feature directorial debut with the 2007 movie '' Young Triffie''. She was the first Newfoundlander in six years to have a film in general release across Canada.

Personal life

Walsh has battled alcoholism. ''The Toronto Star'' reported that the end of CODCO coincided with the end of Walsh's active alcoholism, with Walsh stating "which was a damn good thing because I could have never done ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'' if I'd been drinking."

Honours

Performing arts

She won Best Supporting Actress at the Atlantic Film Festival in 1992 for her performance in Mike Jones' ''

Secret Nation ''Secret Nation'' is a 1992 political thriller written by Edward Riche, directed by Mike Jones and starring Cathy Jones. The film tells the story of Frieda Vokey, a graduate history student working to complete her history thesis on confederati ...

''. On November 4, 2006, Walsh and Ed MacDonald picked up a

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 ...

for the best writing in a comedy or variety program for their work in ''Hatching, Matching and Dispatching''. She has won 18

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 ...

. She won the

for Best Supporting Actress at the

9th Canadian Screen Awards The 9th annual Canadian Screen Awards were held in the week of May 17 to 20, 2021, to honour achievements in Canadian film, television, and digital media production in 2020.Barry Hertz, "How one Canadian arts institution is rebuilding amid the p ...

in 2021, for the film '' Happy Place''. Walsh received a

Governor General's Performing Arts Award A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts, in 2012.

Charity and activism

A sufferer of

macular degeneration Macular degeneration, also known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD), is a medical condition which may result in blurred or no vision in the center of the visual field. Early on there are often no symptoms. Over time, however, so ...

, she has served from time to time as a spokesperson for the

Canadian National Institute for the Blind The CNIB Foundation (french: Fondation INCA) is a volunteer agency and charitable organization dedicated to assisting Canadians who are blind or living with vision loss, and to provide information about vision health for all Canadians. Founded ...

(CNIB). In 1993, Walsh was chosen to deliver the prestigious Graham Spry lecture which was broadcast nationally on

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined belo ...

. In 1994, Walsh addressed the United Nations Global Conference on Development in New York. She has also served as a spokesperson for

Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. History Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...

, Canada's human rights campaign, and in 2010 received

's Spirit of Change Award, in recognition of her years of dedication to eradicating poverty and ensuring public services for all. On May 29, 1998, Mary Walsh received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from

Trent University Trent University is a public liberal arts university in Peterborough, Ontario, with a satellite campus in Oshawa, which serves the Regional Municipality of Durham. Trent is known for its Oxbridge college system and small class sizes.

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Univer ...

honoured Walsh with an honorary doctorate during the November 2008 convocation ceremony. Her speech to the class of 2008 focused on political satire.

Filmography

Film

Television

Bibliography

''Crying for the Moon: A Novel'' (April 18, 2017

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News C ...

, )

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, Mary 1952 births Living people Canadian film actresses Canadian stage actresses Canadian television actresses Canadian television personalities Canadian Screen Award winners Members of the Order of Canada Actresses from Newfoundland and Labrador Canadian women comedians This Hour Has 22 Minutes Governor General's Performing Arts Award winners Canadian sketch comedians 20th-century Canadian actresses 21st-century Canadian actresses Canadian people of Irish descent Canadian women novelists 21st-century Canadian novelists Writers from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 21st-century Canadian women writers Canadian women television personalities Comedians from Newfoundland and Labrador Best Supporting Actress Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Canadian Comedy Award winners