Colleen Rennison (born December 2, 1987) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
singer/songwriter and actress.
Early life and education
Colleen Rennison is of Irish, Scottish and French descent. She was born to Pat, a mortgage underwriter, and Cecilia Rennison, a television researcher, and was raised in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
.
Career
In 1994, Rennison began her acting career with a role in the Canadian indie film ''
Max'' (1994). This was closely followed by appearances in a handful of television movies and a guest-starring role on the television series ''
The Outer Limits ''The Outer Limits'' or ''Outer Limits'' may refer to:
Television
* ''The Outer Limits'' (1963 TV series), a black-and-white science fiction series that aired from 1963 to 1965
* ''The Outer Limits'' (1995 TV series), a revival of the older series ...
''. ''
Carpool
Carpooling (also car-sharing, ride-sharing and lift-sharing) is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car, and prevents the need for others to have to drive to a location themselves.
By having more people usi ...
'' (1996), starring
Tom Arnold Tom Arnold may refer to:
* Tom Arnold (actor) (born 1959), American actor
* Tom Arnold (economist) (born 1948), Irish CEO of Concern Worldwide
* Tom Arnold (footballer) (1878–?), English footballer
* Tom Arnold (literary scholar) (1823–1900), B ...
,
David Paymer
David Emmanuel Paymer (born August 30, 1954) is an American actor, comedian, and television director. He has been in films such as ''Mr. Saturday Night'', ''Quiz Show'', '' Searching for Bobby Fischer'', ''City Slickers'', '' Crazy People'', '' ...
and
Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook (born October 4, 1979) is an American actress and model. She has starred in the films '' The Baby-Sitters Club'' (1995), ''She's All That'' (1999), and '' Josie and the Pussycats'' (2001), and in the television series '' Into ...
, was her first major American feature.
Rennison then landed a role in the
John Dahl
John Dahl (born December 11, 1956) is an American film and television director and writer, best known for his work in the neo-noir genre.
Life and career
John Dahl was born in Billings, Montana, the second of four children (his brother is film ...
-directed ''
Unforgettable
Unforgettable may refer to:
Film
* ''Unforgettable'' (1996 film), a thriller starring Ray Liotta
* ''Unforgettable'' (2014 film), a Bollywood film
* ''Unforgettable'' (2016 film), a South Korean film
* ''Unforgettable'' (2017 film), an America ...
'' (1996), with
Ray Liotta
Raymond Allen Liotta (; December 18, 1954 – May 26, 2022) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Shoeless Joe Jackson in '' Field of Dreams'' (1989) and Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese's ''Goodfellas'' (1990). He was a Pri ...
and
Linda Fiorentino
Clorinda "Linda" Fiorentino (born March 9, 1958 or 1960) is an American former actress. Fiorentino made her screen debut with a leading role in the 1985 coming-of-age drama film '' Vision Quest'', followed that same year with a lead role in the ...
, followed by the first of two ''
Stargate SG-1
''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is ...
'' appearances as "Ally" in the episode 'Bane' (1998; S02E10), with
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson (born January 23, 1950) is a retired American actor and producer. He began his television career in 1976, playing Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series '' General Hospital'', and then rose to prominence as the lead ...
and
Christopher Judge
Douglas Christopher Judge (born October 13, 1964) is an American actor best known for playing Teal'c in the Canadian- American military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1,'' and Kratos in the 2018 video game ''God of War'' and it ...
.
In ''
The Story of Us'' (1999), directed by
Rob Reiner
Robert Norman Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitcom '' All in the Family'' (1971–1979), a perform ...
and featuring
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series '' Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero ...
and
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer. A prolific performer whose screen work spans over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and popular sex symbols during the 1980s ...
, Rennison portrayed their daughter Erin. Her next major role was playing Mona Hibbard as a young girl (
Minnie Driver
Amelia Fiona Jessica "Minnie" Driver (born 31 January 1970) is an English actress. She rose to prominence with her break-out role in 1995's '' Circle of Friends''. She went on to star in a wide range of films including the cult classic '' Grosse ...
played the character as an adult) in the film ''
Beautiful
Beautiful, an adjective used to describe things as possessing beauty, may refer to:
Film and theater
* ''Beautiful'' (2000 film), an American film directed by Sally Field
* ''Beautiful'' (2008 film), a South Korean film directed by Juhn Jai-h ...
'' (2000), directed by
Sally Field
Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film F ...
, also starring
Joey Lauren Adams
Joey Lauren Adams (born January 9, 1968) is an American actress and director. Adams starred in '' Chasing Amy'', for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and played smaller rol ...
and
Kathleen Turner
Mary Kathleen Turner (born June 19, 1954) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, and two Tony Awards.
Turner became widely k ...
.
Rennison continued to work on more Canadian projects such as the short lived but critically acclaimed ''
These Arms of Mine'' for
CBC, which landed her 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 State ...
nomination, and the
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
winning casting director
Coreen Mayrs' independent film ''
A Feeling Called Glory'' (based on the short story "
The Presbyterian Sidewalk" by
Barbara Gowdy
Barbara Gowdy, CM (born 25 June 1950) is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. Born in Windsor, Ontario, she is the long-time partner of poet Christopher Dewdney and resides in Toronto.
Literary career
Gowdy's novel '' Falling Angels ...
), for which Rennison won a Gemini in 2001, making her the youngest ever winner at 13. In 2005, Chris Haddock (of Canadian drama ''
Da Vinci's Inquest
''Da Vinci's Inquest'' is a Canadian dramatic television series which originally aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005. While never a ratings blockbuster, the critically acclaimed show did attract a loyal following, and ultimately seven seaso ...
''), who was familiar with her work, hand selected her to play a variation of Kelly Ellard (convicted killer of Reena Virk) for a recurring role in ''
Da Vinci's City Hall
''Da Vinci's City Hall'' is a Canadian dramatic television series, which premiered on CBC Television on 25 October 2005 and ended on 28 February 2006. It is a spin-off of the long-running Canadian series ''Da Vinci's Inquest''. The creator, write ...
''. Most recently Rennison has appeared in the films ''
American Venus
''American Venus'' is a 2007 Canadian drama film directed by Bruce Sweeney and starring Rebecca De Mornay, Jane McGregor, and Matt Craven.
Plot
Jenna is a teenaged competitive skater who has been coached by her overprotective, high-strung, gun-o ...
'', ''
Boot Camp Boot camp may refer to:
Training programs
* Boot camp (correctional), a type of correctional facility for adolescents, especially in the U.S. penal system
* Boot camp, a training camp for learning various types of skills
** Dev bootcamp, a de ...
'', ''
Down River'' and ''
What Goes Up''. Rennison has also appeared in the television series ''
Highlander: The Series'', ''
Poltergeist: The Legacy'', ''
Millennium
A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannus, kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...
'', and
The Sentinel.
For her second of two appearances on ''
Stargate SG-1
''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is ...
'', in the episode "Rite of Passage" (2001; S05E06), Rennison was cast in a different role as "
Cassandra
Cassandra or Kassandra (; Ancient Greek: Κασσάνδρα, , also , and sometimes referred to as Alexandra) in Greek mythology was a Trojan priestess dedicated to the god Apollo and fated by him to utter true prophecies but never to be believe ...
", who had previously been played as a child by
Katie Stuart
Katherine Anne Stuart (born March 22, 1985) is a Canadian actress and stunt performer, born in Vancouver. She played the lead character Meg Murry in the 2003 television film '' A Wrinkle in Time''. She is also known for her recurring role of Zo ...
in the episode "Singularity" (1997; S01E14).
In 2005, Rennison's mother submitted a recording of Rennison to
CityTV
Citytv is a Canadian television network owned by the Rogers Sports & Media subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The licence of the original Citytv station, granted the callsign of CITY-TV by the CRTC on November 25, 1971 to Cable Television A ...
, a local station holding a contest. Out of thousands of entries, she was selected along with two other girls to meet with
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
-winning and multi-platinum-selling producer/composer/songwriter
David Foster
David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
at his
Malibu, California
Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Mali ...
, home (featured on the
reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
series ''
Princes of Malibu
''The Princes of Malibu'' is an American reality television series which premiered on Fox on July 10, 2005. There were six episodes broadcast; the first two aired on Fox, and the remaining four aired on Fox Reality Channel. It starred Brody Jenner ...
'' with stepsons
Brody Jenner
Sam Brody Jenner (born August 21, 1983) is an American television personality, model and disc jockey. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. In 2005, Jenner appeared in the reality television series, ''The Princes of Malibu'', which ...
and Brandon Jenner). This meeting led to a performance later that year at the David Foster and Friends Celebrity Gala to support The David Foster Foundation in Vancouver.
In 2008, Rennison relocated to New York City to begin training at the
Circle in the Square Theatre
The Circle in the Square Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 50th Street, in the basement of Paramount Plaza, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It is one of two Broadway theaters that use a thrust stage that extend ...
in their two-year acting program, which she left halfway through after they refused to allow her into their musical theatre track because of her low range and untrained voice. While still in New York, she signed with a management team at
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label founded by rapper Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg, after the highly successful release of Eminem's '' The Slim Shady LP'' (1999).
Shady has seen negative times when being part of the unsuccessful ...
, but after six months terminated the relationship due to conflicting musical views.
After moving back home to Vancouver, she met Parker Bossley and began writing songs, which soon led to the formation of
No Sinner, a rock/soul/blues outfit with drummer Ian Browne and guitarist Eric Campbell. Since the release of their debut EP, ''Boo Hoo Hoo'', No Sinner has gained wide acclaim and national radio play, performing at music festivals across the country. Their first full-length album (also entitled ''Boo Hoo Hoo'') was released in 2014, with a second album, ''Old Habits Die Hard'', released in May 2016.
No Sinner - An interview with Colleen Rennison by Darcy Nybo
, Darcy Nybo, Gonzo Online! She also released a solo album in 2014, entitled ''See the Sky About to Rain''.
Personal life
Rennison splits her time between Vancouver, New York, and Los Angeles.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rennison, Colleen
1987 births
Canadian child actresses
Canadian film actresses
Canadian television actresses
Living people
Musicians from Vancouver
Actresses from Vancouver
21st-century Canadian women singers
20th-century Canadian actresses
21st-century Canadian actresses
Black Hen Music artists