Rosemary Dunsmore (born July 13, 1952) is a Canadian TV, film, and theatre actress, director, and educator. She was awarded a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her 1982 performance in Straight Ahead/Blind Dancers. In 2009 she won the ACTRA Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film The Baby Formula. She has starred in some well-known Canadian productions, including The Campbells, Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, Road to Avonlea, Mom P.I., Murdoch Mysteries and Orphan Black.[1]
Born on July 13, 1952, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Dunsmore was trained in drama at York University from which she graduated in 1973.[2] She began her professional career in 1975 touring in Cedric Smith and George Luscombe's play Ten Lost Years.[2] She soon appeared in productions in several important Canadian theatres, including the Stratford Festival, the Centaur Theatre. and the Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts.[2] For her 1982 performance in Straight Ahead/Blind Dancers she was awarded both a Dora Mavor Moore Award and the best performer award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.[2]
A prolific television actress, Dunsmore began her screen career with appearances in The Littlest Hobo in 1980.[2] She became well known for her portrayal of Katherine Brooke in the 1987 miniseries Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (more widely known as Anne of Avonlea outside Canada).[2] She later appeared in the recurring role of Abigail MacEwan in Road to Avonlea (1990–1996).[2] From 1990–1992 she starred as the central character of Sally Sullivan in two seasons of the Canadian television comedy-drama series Mom P.I..[2] She has guest starred on the Canadian television programs Being Erica, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Hangin' In, Lost Girl, Murdoch Mysteries, and ReGenesis.[2] On American television she has appeared in Beauty and the Beast , L.A. Law, Queer as Folk, and The Twilight Zone.[2]
In film, Dunsmore had roles in the Hollywood films Twins (1988), Total Recall (1990) and Cliffhanger (1993).[2] In 2009, she won the ACTRA Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film The Baby Formula.[3]
She was formerly married to actor Peter Dvorsky.[4]