Kathy Greenwood
| Kathy Greenwood | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Kathryn Greenwood March 21, 1962 Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Actress, comedian |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Spouse(s) | John Dolan |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Canadian Comedy Award for Best Female Improviser |
Kathryn "Kathy" Greenwood (born March 21, 1962) is a Canadian actress and comedian. She appeared on the American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? numerous times, and played Grace Bailey on the Canadian television drama series Wind at My Back.
Life and career
Greenwood was born in Scarborough, Toronto and from an early age wanted to be a performer; by the time she was in high school at Agincourt Collegiate Institute, she was usually the star of the school plays and concerts. When it came time to graduate in 1980, she feared that she would never get to act again, until a concerned friend gave her a brochure for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where Greenwood spent the next two years studying acting.
In 1987, when she returned to Canada, in Toronto she managed to find work for a small night club act called A Wedge of Night, which led to her five-year stint with the Toronto branch of the famous Second City comedy troupe; where she served as both a writer and a performer - two of her shows won Dora Mavor Moore awards in 1988, and 1992. Shortly afterwards, she and her friends Jonathan Wilson and Ed Sahely developed what she called their "Second City" spin-off, Not to Be Repeated, in which the three would improvise an entire situation comedy in front of a live audience, based solely on ideas and suggestions that are thrown at them from the audience. Other notable appearances in Canada include the popular sketch shows This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Royal Canadian Air Farce.
In 1996, Kathy found regular work on Canadian television on the family drama series Wind at My Back, where she spent five years, full-time, playing Grace Bailey, a junior radio M.C. in the small town of New Bedford in Ontario during the Great Depression; Kathy's portrayal of Grace Bailey was nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Performance By an Actress in a Continuing Leading Role. In 1999, Kathy was cast as Denise Stanton in the TV movie Switching Goals, starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Later that same year, Greenwood crossed the border and commuted to Los Angeles to appear on such shows as The Drew Carey Show, the update version of Hollywood Squares, and the American version of the improvization game show Whose Line Is It Anyway?.
Greenwood is married to television writer John Dolan, with whom she has two daughters, Josephine and Phoebe. Greenwood is also a part of the sketch comedy troupe Women Fully Clothed, featuring what Eugene Levy calls "the five funniest women in Canada." The group saw great success in Canada and even found international acclaim with their appearance in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | This Is My Life | Young Matron | |
| 1994 | Wes Craven's New Nightmare | Nurse in Hospital Room with Heather | |
| 1995 | House | Kathy | |
| 1996 | Brain Candy | Ginny Hurdicure | |
| 2003 | Flip Phone | Katie | Short film |
| 2005 | Man, TheThe Man | Flight Attendant | |
| 2005 | Anne: Journey to Green Gables | Mavis (voice) | Video |
| 2005 | Heidi | Aunt Dete (voice) | |
| 2015 | Poltergeist | Realtor selling the haunted house | |
| 2016 | My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 | Marge |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Street Legal | Jacky Kepler | Episode: "Believe the Children" |
| 1993 | Maniac Mansion | Allanah | Episode: "Love Letters" |
| 1993 | Women on Trial: The Lawrencia Bembenek Story | Sylvia Bonner | TV film |
| 1994 | Hostage for a Day | SWAT One | TV film |
| 1994 | Squawk Box | TV series | |
| 1994 | RoboCop: The Series | Director | Episode: "Midnight Minus One" |
| 1995 | Goosebumps | Ms. Walker | Episode: "The Phantom of the Auditorium" |
| 1996 | High Life, TheThe High Life | Judy | Episode: "Bowling" |
| 1996-2001 | Wind at My Back | Grace Bailey Mainwairing | Main role (65 episodes) |
| 1997 | Once a Thief | Margo | Episode: "Trial Marriage" |
| 1998 | Stories from My Childhood | (voice) | Episodes: "The Twelve Months & the Snow Girl", "The Nutcracker" |
| 1998 | History Bites | Various | Episodes: "The Filthy Stinking Rich", "Sex & Power" |
| 1999 | George and Martha | Frieda | TV series |
| 1999 | Switching Goals | Denise Stanton | TV film |
| 2000 | Pooch and the Pauper, TheThe Pooch and the Pauper | Kim Corbett | TV film |
| 2000 | Drew Carey Show, TheThe Drew Carey Show | Kathryn | Episode: "Drew Live II" |
| 2001 | Broad Side, TheThe Broad Side | TV series | |
| 2001 | This Sitcom Is...Not to Be Repeated | Various roles | TV series |
| 2001 | I Was a Rat | Lucasta Utensil | TV film |
| 2002 | Royal Canadian Air Farce | Senior Citizen #3/Dr. Stilwart | Episode: "10.9" |
| 2003 | Royal Canadian Air Farce | Various | Episode: "Best of #3" |
| 2003-2005 | JoJo's Circus | Dr. Seltzer (voice) | Recurring role (6 episodes) |
| 2004 | XPM | Laura Macdonald | TV series |
| 2004 | Wonderfalls | Ronnie | Episode: "Wax Lion" |
| 2004 | Wrong Coast, TheThe Wrong Coast' | Debbie Sue Ashanti-Melendez | TV miniseries |
| 2004 | Listen Missy | Various | TV series |
| 2004 | This Hour Has 22 Minutes | Various | 3 episodes |
| 2005 | Queer as Folk | Lila | Episode: "5.2" |
| 2005 | Maple Shorts! | Sela Salmon (voice) | Episode: "Eat My Shorts" |
| 2006 | Getting Along Famously | Sister Gregory 'Sister Song' Pechiccino | Episode: "Sister Song" |
| 2006 | Captain Flamingo | TV series | |
| 2007 | Jane Show, TheThe Jane Show | Whitney Johnson | Episode: "The House of Jane" |
| 2009 | Dating Guy, TheThe Dating Guy | Valerie (voice) | Episode: "Really Bad Lieutenant" |
| 2011 | Justin Time | Cleopatra | Episode: "Brave Sir Justin & Cleopatra's Cat" |
| 2012 | Frenemies | Lisa Logan | TV film |
| 2012 | I, Martin Short, Goes Home | Mother | TV film |
Awards/Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Production | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Dora Mavor Moore Award | Outstanding New Revue or Musical | The Second City | Won |
| 1996 | Gemini | Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Role | Wind at My Back | Nominated |
| 1998 | Dora Mavor Moore Award | Outstanding New Revue or Musical | The Second City | Won |
| 2000 | Canadian Comedy Award | Best Female Improviser | Won | |
| 2005 | Canadian Comedy Award | Best Sketch Troupe | Women Fully Clothed | Nominated |