Barbara Hamilton (Inducted 2003)
Barbara Hamilton attended BCI during the mid 1940’s and is perhaps the school’s best known show business personality. Her theatrical and screen career which began at an early age, lasted 45 years.
Prior to attending the University of Toronto, she appeared as a drunken butler in "The Tempest". This performance gave her a strong foundation for her debut role at the Royal Alexandra Theatre playing Crazy Agnes in the Canadian production of "The Drunkard". She still holds the Royal Alexandra’s record of 14 different roles, more than any other performer.
Barbara was a pioneer in Canadian Television, where she was a regular in such classic shows as "The Howdy Doody Show", "Forest Rangers", "Razzle Dazzle" and "The Trouble With Tracey". The U.S. networks beckoned and she went south to appear on "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons". Back in Canada she supported Canadian productions and Canadian actors. For years she starred in the satirical revue "Spring Thaw" and formed her own production company which gave us "That Hamilton Woman" at the Crest Theatre. In the 1960’s she earned the sensitive and dramatic part of Marilla in "Anne of Green Gables" at Confederation Centre Theatre in Charlottetown, PEI. She took that show on the road to the World’s Fair in Osaka, Japan, and then on to London’s fabled West End, where she was acclaimed the Best Supporting Actress in 1969. In 1993 the Gemini Awards presented her with the Earl Grey Award for Excellence and Lifetime Achievement in acting. In her later years she filmed several episodes of "Road to Avonlea" and appeared in the movie "Bogus" directed by Norman Jewison and co-starring Whoopi Goldberg.
Her last production was at the Royal Alexandra playing Mrs. Childs in "Crazy For You" from 1994-1996. This was her final performance, as breast cancer claimed her life in February of 1996.