TV Actress Rosemary Radcliffe
Played Mrs. Barry on "Anne of Green Gables"
"I can still remember driving to the U.S. in John Candy's Oldsmobile Cutlass with Gilda and Eugene for an exchange with the Chicago Second City actors. They were great people and a lot of fun," says Rosemary Radcliffe, reminiscing about her time with the Toronto Second City production. What a trip that must have been!
Composer
Radcliffe, born in Stratford, Ontario, now commutes between Toronto and her home in St. Marys, Ontario, where she has designed the home renovations she is currently supervising. A multi-talented woman, Rosemary composed the music for a show, "Skin Deep," with librettist Nika Rylski which, for its time (the 1980's) was a new concept. The story of a beauty pageant winner, the audience was given the choice, at intermission, to vote on one of four possible endings. Radcliffe also designs gardens, renovates houses, and is a fabulous cook. Just try one of her souffles!
First stage appearance
Rosemary Radcliffe received her education in a one-room school near Stratford, Ontario, attended St. Marys Collegiate and went to Toronto to study radio and TV at the Ryerson Institute. She studied piano and composition in Toronto where she received the degree of Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto in piano performance. Her first appearance as a stage performer occured when she was about six years old. Dressed in a hula skirt she sang "All the nice girls love a sailor" to two little boys dressed in sailor suits. Roles in high school plays followed and Rosemary was on her way to an acting career.
Movies
During her teen years she fell in love with the concept of glamor and excitement that were associated with acting, and some of her favorite movie stars at that time were Natalie Wood and James Dean. Current favorites are "The Painted Veil," with Edward Norton, and "Stage Beauty." "But I really shouldn't name favorites because I was enamored of everything to do with the theatre and movies...I loved it all," she says.
Favorite roles
Rosemary enjoyed working with the Second City Improvisation company featuring John Candy, Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara ( 'all lovely people' ) and fondly remembers being directed by Jackie Cooper in "The Students are Coming," a Lorne Michaels production. Two favorite roles were those of Rosie in "Coming Up Rosie," and Mrs.Barry in "Anne of Green Gables." She explains that wearing period clothes, as she did in Anne, required being laced into corsets that inhibited one's breathing, causing the actors to alter their way of speaking. Radcliffe has acted in Toronto, New York and Chicago, and prefers television to the stage. Two roles she would like to have done were "Peter Pan," and the Judy Holliday part in "Born Yesterday."
The mother of one son., Maximilian Stohn, who works in film in Toronto, Rosemary wonders where the road will lead from now on. At present Radcliffe is composing music to words of the poet Gerald Manley Hopkins, renovating her home, planning a trip to Italy to see the works of Michelangelo and the Palladio houses. "To be a star you must hunger for fame. Though I am not as hungry as some, I would love to work on some remarkable new project with extraordinary actors," says Rosemary.
For further reading about actors see: Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. and Actor Wright King
Source
Personal conversations with Rosemary Radcliffe, June, 2008
