In case you didn't know, I'm Canadian. That being said, I watch tons and tons of American TV, partially because our main English channels -- CTV and Global, just to name two -- mostly air US shows. And, let's admit it, I enjoy a lot the shows created by my friends south of the border. Since there are more TV shows produced in the US and because actors can make more money down south, a lot of Canadian actors go to the USA. to work (or try to get work in a US show shot in Vancouver or Toronto). Here I present you with ten Canadian actors currently starring in lead roles in various primetime US TV shows. Did you know these ten actors were not from the US?
TV Squad: Top Canadians on U.S. TV
1. Sarah Chalke, Scrubs
Sarah Chalke is from Ottawa, Ontario. She made her first TV appearance in a Canadian/UK TV movie titled City Boy. She got her first big US break when she was cast as Becky in the famous sitcom Roseanne. Later, she starred in various movies and TV shows. Chalke's second big US TV break was when she was cast as Doctor Elliot Reid, a role she still plays, in the NBC -- now ABC -- series Scrubs. Chalke also guest starred in seven episodes of How I Met Your Mother in which she played Stella, a character many people thought would turn out to be the show's mother.
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ABC
2. Enrico Colantoni, Flashpoint
The actor, whom many of us remember as Keith Mars from Veronica Mars or Mathesar from Galaxy Quest, is from Toronto, Ontario. His first TV appearance was in an episode of Night Heat, a series that aired in the 1980s. He's appeared in many US TV show, including Just Shoot Me!, in which he was one of the series regulars. He can currently be seen in Flashpoint, a Canadian TV series shot in Toronto which airs on CBS.
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CBS
3. Erica Durance, Smallville
30-year-old Durance comes from Calgary, Alberta. Her first TV appearance was in a Canadian/US TV movie shot in Toronto titled 111 Gramercy Park. Before landing the role of Lois Lane in The CW's Smallville, she appeared in various movies and US TV shows, Stargate SG-1.
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CW
4. Nathan Fillion, Castle
Nathan Fillion, who will play the lead in the new ABC series Castle, premiering on March 9, was born in Edmonton, Alberta. His first TV gig was in a US TV movie titled Ordeal in the Arctic, which was shot in his hometown. His first big TV role was in the sitcom Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, in which he played one of the lead roles. Before landing the role of Captain Malcom Reynolds on the canceled-too-soon Firefly, he guest starred for a few episodes on Pasadena and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Fillion guest starred on Desperate Housewives and Lost, and starred in the made-for-the-web gem Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.
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ABC
5. Shenae Grimes, 90210
19-year-old Grimes was born in Toronto, Ontario. Her first TV appearance was in a biography about singer Shania Twain in which Grimes played a teenage Twain. Grimes' big break came when she was given the role of Darcy Edwards in the critically acclaimed Degrassi: The Next Generation. That role helped pave the way to her first major US TV role: Annie Wilson on the Beverly Hills, 90210 spin-off.
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CW
6. Evangeline Lilly, Lost
Lilly is from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. If you are like me, you had no idea who Lilly was before she got a lead role on ABC's Lost, even though I saw her in episodes of Smallville and Tru Calling. She appeared in a total of 10 movies or shows, which is why we didn't really know her before she was given the role of Kate Austen.
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ABC
7. Eric McCormack, Trust Me
McCormack, who is mostly known for playing Will Truman on Will & Grace, is from Toronto, Ontario. His first TV appearance was in a Canadian TV movie titled The Boys from Syracuse. He appeared in various Canadian and US TV series such as Street Legal, Neon Rider, Silk Stalkings, Lonesome Dove, Townies, Ally McBeal, Dead Like Me and Monk. He can currently be seen in the TNT series Trust Me alongside fellow Canadian Tom Cavanagh.
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TNT
8. Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
Golden Globe winner Oh is from Nepean, Ontario. Her first TV role was in a Canadian TV series titled Denim Blues. Before snagging the role of Cristina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, Oh appeared in many US TV shows such as Popular, Six Feet Under, Judging Amy and Arli$$. Sandra Oh's credits also include many movies like Bean, The Princess Diaries, Sideways and The Night Listener.
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ABC
9. Missy Peregrym, Reaper
26-year-old Peregrym was born in Montreal, Quebec. Her first acting gig was in an episode of FOX's Dark Angel. Between then and landing the role of Andi on The CW's Reaper, Peregrym appeared in various US TV shows, mostly those shot in Vancouver, such as Smallville. TV fans may also remember her from Life As We Know It and Heroes.
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CW
10. Cobie Smulders, How I Met Your Mother
Out of all the actors mentioned in this post, Cobie Smulders is probably the one you knew was a Canadian since she portrays one in How I Met Your Mother. Both Smulders and her HIMYM character hail from Vancouver, Canada. Smulders' first US series role was in an episode of a series titled Special Unit 2. Between that appearance and landing her HIMYM role, Smulders appeared in Jeremiah, Veritas: The Quest, Tru Calling, Andromeda and Smallville.
Related Links
CBS
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-09-2009 @ 5:24PM
Jamie said...
Love it!! I had no idea you were a fellow cannuck!
Reply
3-09-2009 @ 5:24PM
Rufus said...
Not one person from BSG? Are you kidding me? Michael Hogan anyone?
Reply
3-09-2009 @ 5:38PM
LordPaul said...
Yeh, I was waiting right to 1 to be disappointed.
Michael Hogan's portrayal of Tigh is one of the finest in TV-land
missy peregrym though *rubs knees*
3-10-2009 @ 5:14PM
Isabelle Carreau said...
My bad for not watching BSG. I know, I know, I'm missing on a great series but I just can't watch all shows and didn't have the channel that aired it until a year ago. :(
Thanks for mentioning Hogan.
To LordPaul: This list is actually in Alphabetical order which is why Smulders is 10.
3-09-2009 @ 5:35PM
Claire said...
dude, i totally didn't know Nathan Fillion was Canadian. Of course, i was surprised you didn't mention Michael J Fox, but i suppose you were going for more current actors. I heart cobie smulders.
i didn't know flashpoint was a Canadian series either. you learn something new very day.
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 12:43AM
Steve said...
I had no idea Fillion was Canadian either.
3-09-2009 @ 5:58PM
Nathanael B said...
What? No Kiefer Sutherland?
Reply
3-09-2009 @ 6:06PM
Harry said...
Grrr can't you just write a list, even just as an addition to the advertisement-filled, memory-hogging, click-click-click pop-up?
Anyway, sad to see neither Arrested Development's Will Arnett or Michael Cera on the list
Reply
3-09-2009 @ 10:24PM
Donna said...
I think we're just shouting into the wind here. Every time they do these TV Squad 10 video things, we ask for a simple list. And they never listen, because the next week we get another video thing. More often than not, I don't bother. (Obviously I did with this one, though.)
Besides, I'm still miffed that the last one I actually did bother with (the former soap actors turned TV stars) left out Richard Dean Anderson.
Please, TV Squad! Just give us a list! Is that so hard to do?
3-10-2009 @ 10:33AM
Scott said...
As soon as I see the format I go from being interested in seeing the list content to clicking away somewhere else. I won't wade through these things. Multimedia is nice when it serves a purpose--or at least a purpose to the reader. Getting more clicks for advertisers is not a purpose that matters to me.
3-09-2009 @ 6:17PM
Vincent J. Murphy said...
Shatner!
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 5:14PM
Isabelle Carreau said...
I was going for Canadians who are currently starring in a lead role in a US show. Sadly Shatner, and Michael J. Fox, as someone else mentioned in another comment, are not meeting my requirements. However, they are great Canadians who shined on US TV for many years.
3-09-2009 @ 6:56PM
Dorv said...
Yeah, Hogan (or any of the natives from BSG) being left off is just plain silly.
Reply
3-09-2009 @ 7:12PM
KateGee said...
Or Grace Park or Tricia Helfer or Aaron Douglas or almost every other actor on BSG.
Reply
3-09-2009 @ 7:14PM
KateGee said...
Tom Cavanagh from Trust Me is also Canadian.
Reply
3-09-2009 @ 7:25PM
Grover said...
joshua jackson from fringe
Reply
3-09-2009 @ 7:52PM
Cyantre said...
There are some great shows made for CTV, one of which I am currently very much enjoying is "Being Erica".
As for the top ten list, I only knew that a handful were Canadian.
Reply
3-09-2009 @ 9:01PM
debscalper407 said...
I'm a big fan of Corner Gas, unfortunately it has disappeared from WGN.
Reply
3-09-2009 @ 9:04PM
tv junkie said...
considering just about every US tv shows are filmed in Canada nowadays, it might be harder to find americans who shine on US tv.
Reply
3-09-2009 @ 11:13PM
Becky said...
Let's see....Amanda Tapping!
Reply