Wendy Crewson

Wendy Jane Crewson (born May 9, 1956) is a Canadian actress and producer. She began her career on Canadian television, before her breakthrough role in the 1991 dramatic film The Doctor.

Crewson has appeared in many Hollywood films, including The Good Son (1993), The Santa Clause (1994) and its sequels The Santa Clause 2 (2002) and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006), To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996), Air Force One (1997), Bicentennial Man (1999), What Lies Beneath (2000), The 6th Day (2000), The Covenant (2006) and Eight Below (2006). She also starred in a number of independent movies, such as Better Than Chocolate (1999), Suddenly Naked (2001), Perfect Pie (2002), Away from Her (2006), Into the Forest (2015) and Room (2015).

Crewson has won six Gemini Awards, two Canadian Screen Awards and an ACTRA Award for her performances on television. She played leading roles in a number of television films, include playing Joanne Kilbourn in six movies based on novels by Gail Bowen. She had recurring roles on American television series 24 and Revenge, and the Canadian television series Frankie Drake Mysteries. From 2012 to 2017, Crewson co-starred in the CTV medical drama Saving Hope.

Career When she returned to Canada, Crewson landed a leading role in the television movie War Brides (1980) directed by Martin Lavut, for which she received her first ACTRA Award nomination. From 1980 to 1983, she starred in the CBC drama series, Home Fires, a family saga set in Toronto during World War II. For the final season, she won the ACTRA Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series in 1984. In 1982, she made her American debut starring alongside Tom Hanks in the television drama film Mazes and Monsters. In 1993, she starred in the psychological thriller The Good Son (1993), and in 1994 appeared opposite Whoopi Goldberg in Corrina, Corrina. Also in 1994, Crewson starred alongside Tim Allen in the financially successful Christmas comedy film The Santa Clause. The film grossed $189 million and its two sequels, The Santa Clause 2 (2002) and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006) also grossed $283 million worldwide together.

In 1996, Crewson co-starred in the romantic drama film To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday as Peter Gallagher's unfortunate blind date, and the following year played Grace Marshall, First Lady to President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) in the political thriller Air Force One directed by Wolfgang Petersen. She also appeared in Gang Related (1997), played a leading role in Sleeping Dogs Lie (1998), and co-starred opposite Robin Williams in the science fiction film Bicentennial Man (1999). In 2000, she played Arnold Schwarzenegger's wife in The 6th Day, and appeared in What Lies Beneath.

Crewson starred in independent movies Better Than Chocolate (1999) and Suddenly Naked (2001), both directed by Anne Wheeler. In 2002, she starred in drama film Perfect Pie, for which she received ACTRA Award nomination. She had leading roles in a number of made for television movies. She starred opposite Robert Urich in Lifetime movies Spenser: The Judas Goat (1994) and Spenser: A Savage Place (1995), and opposite Susan Lucci in Ebbie (1995). In 1998, she played Faye Stafford, wife of Thomas Stafford, in the Sally Field-directed episode of HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon. Other credits including Lives of Girls & Women (1996), Summer's End (1999), The Matthew Shepard Story (2002), An Unexpected Love (2003), Twelve Mile Road (2003), and The Path to 9/11 (2006). From 2000 to 2002, she played Joanne Kilbourn, a single mom of three and an ex-cop who teaches criminology and solves crimes in her spare time, in six movies based on novels by Gail Bowen. Also in 2012, Crewson began playing Dr. Dana Kinny in the CTV medical drama Saving Hope, for which she received Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Program or Series in 2013. The series ended in 2017. Also in 2017, she won another Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress for her recurring role on Slasher.

In 2015, Crewson was inducted to Canada's Walk of Fame. In 2016, she received the Earle Grey Award, which recognizes actors for their contributions to the international profile of Canadian TV or for their significant body of work.

From 2017 to 2021, Crewson played a recurring role lead character's mother and assisting her in investigations in the CBC drama series, Frankie Drake Mysteries. She received two nominations for Canadian Screen Award for Best Guest Performance, Drama Series. Also that time, she had a recurring role on the CBC sitcom Workin' Moms, receiving another Canadian Screen Award nomination in 2020. In 2018, she starred in the CTV crime drama series, The Detail, for which she was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role. In 2019, she starred in the Hallmark series When Hope Calls, and in 2020 starred in the Netflix horror series October Faction. In 2021, she starred in the second season of Peacock series Departure, and in 2022 starred as title character' mother in the CBS medical drama Good Sam. She later was cast in the third season of CBC Television police drama Pretty Hard Cases and the internationally produced thriller Gray.

Crewson has appeared on the CBS drama series Tracker in February 2024, replacing Mary McDonnell in recasting.

Personal life She married actor Michael Murphy in 1988, and they have two children. They divorced in January 2009, but remain friends and worked together on the film Fall (2014). In 2015, it was reported that Crewson was in a relationship with Julie Bristow, president of Bristow Global Media in Canada.

She resides in Rosedale, Toronto.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1983 Skullduggery Barbara / Dorigen 1986 Whodunit? Elizabeth Mark of Cain Dale 1991 The Doctor Dr. Leslie Abbott 1992 Folks! Audrey Aldrich 1993 The Good Son Susan Evans 1994 Corrina, Corrina Jenny Davis The Santa Clause Laura Calvin Miller 1996 To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday Kevin Dollof 1997 Air Force One First Lady Grace Marshall Gang Related District Attorney Helen Eden The Eighteenth Angel Norah Stanton 1998 Where's Marlowe? Dr. Ninki Bregman Sleeping Dogs Lie Theresa Small 1999 Better Than Chocolate Lila Question of Privilege Gail Sterling Escape Velocity Billie Bicentennial Man Rachel "Ma'am" Martin 2000 Mercy Bernadine Mello What Lies Beneath Elena The 6th Day Natalie Gibson 2001 Suddenly Naked Jackie YorkAlso executive producer 2002 Between Strangers Amanda Trent Perfect Pie Patsy WilletsNominated — ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance - Female The Santa Clause 2 Laura Calvin Miller 2004 The Clearing Louise Miller A Home at the End of the World Isabel Morrow 2005 Niagara Motel Lily 2006 Eight Below Eve McClaren The Covenant Evelyn Danvers Away from Her Madeleine Montpellier Who Loves the Sun Mary Bloom The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause Laura Calvin Miller 2007 The Seeker Mary Stanton 2009 Formosa Betrayed Susan Kane 2010 A Beginner's Guide to Endings Goldie White 2011 Winnie Mandela Mary Botha 2012 The Vow Dr. Fishman Antiviral Mira Tesser 2014 Fall Sheila 2015 Into the Forest Mom Room Talk Show Hostess 2018 Death Wish Dr. Jill Klavens Kodachrome Aunt Sarah On the Basis of Sex Harriet Griswold 2019 From the Vine Marina Gentile 2020 The Nest Allison's Mum The Kid Detective Mrs. Applebaum 2023 Backspot Suzanne Close to You Miriam Nominated — Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film

Television films

Television series

Awards and nominations Gemini Awards 1992 — Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role for Getting Married in Buffalo Jump (Nominated) 1994 — Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role for I'll Never Get to Heaven (Nominated) 1998 — Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series for Due South 1999 — Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries for At the End of the Day: The Sue Rodriguez Story 2002 — Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role for A Killing Spring (Nominated) 2002 — Humanitarian Award 2003 — Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role for The Many Trials of One Jane Doe 2005 — Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role for Sex Traffic (Nominated) 2006 — Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role for The Man Who Lost Himself 2007 — Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for The Robber Bride (Nominated) 2007 — Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for ReGenesis 2008 — Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for ReGenesis (Nominated) 2010 — Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for The Summit (Nominated) Canadian Screen Awards 2013 — Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for Saving Hope 2017 — Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Series for Slasher ACTRA Award 2007 - ACTRA Toronto Award of Excellence