Louis Del Grande
Louis Del Grande | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 23, 1943 Union City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, screenwriter, producer |
| Years active | 1964–2016 |
| Spouse | Martha Gibson |
Louis Del Grande (born March 23, 1943) is a retired American-Canadian actor, comedian, and television writer. He is best known as the co-creator and star of the mystery-comedy CBC Television series Seeing Things (1981-87). He won four Gemini Awards for his work on the series, two for Best Actor in a Comedy Series and two for Best Comedy Series.
Early life
[edit]Del Grande was born and raised in Union City, New Jersey. His father and brother were both institutionalized, while his sister underwent intensive psychiatric treatment. At age 16, Del Grande began acting in New York City, eventually landing a part in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.[1][2]
Career
[edit]Del Grande moved to Toronto in 1964, drawn to Canada by the Stratford Festival,[1] and soon found work as a stand-up comedian and comedy writer. In 1975, he was hired as head writer for a new sitcom, The King of Kensington, which became a hit in Canada until the end of the decade. He also appeared in the show a handful of times as Fred, a friend of Al Waxman's lead character Larry King. Del Grande later became (with Jack Humphries) the show's co-producer (a Fifth Estate documentary said the two producers ran Kensington "with an iron hand").
After a brief stint in Hollywood, Del Grande returned to Toronto where he created, wrote and produced Seeing Things,[1] which aired from 1981 to 1987. Del Grande played a crime-solving clairvoyant tabloid reporter who was separated from his wife Marge (played by Del Grande's real-life wife, actress Martha Gibson). The series was popular and won Del Grande four Gemini Awards, two for best actor in a comedy and two for the show itself.[citation needed]
Outside Canada, Del Grande is probably best known as the ConSec scanner in the infamous "head explosion" scene in the David Cronenberg movie Scanners.[3] He has also appeared in numerous theatrical and television movies and series, including Monkeys in the Attic, Due South, The Outer Limits and Goosebumps.
Personal life
[edit]Del Grande is married to Canadian actress Martha Gibson. For many years, the couple resided on Cape Breton Island.[2]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Second Wind | Howie | |
| 1980 | Atlantic City | Mr. Shapiro | |
| 1981 | Scanners | First Scanner | |
| 1981 | Happy Birthday to Me | Surgeon | |
| 1983 | Of Unknown Origin | Clete | |
| 1989 | Speed Zone | Mr. Benson | |
| 1992 | Buried on Sunday | Prime Minister | |
| 1993 | Cadillac Girls | Adam | |
| 1997 | Hostile Intent | Soames | |
| 2016 | The Second Time Around | Charlie |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973–75 | Dr. Simon Locke | Man / Al Kutner / Boulder | 3 episodes |
| 1975-79 | King of Kensington | Fred | Actor; 2 episodes Writer; 4 episodes |
| 1978 | Home to Stay | Richard | Television film |
| 1978 | Tom and Joann | Norman | |
| 1980, 1981 | The Littlest Hobo | Kent / Detective Woods | 2 episodes |
| 1981 | A Far Cry from Home | Lawyer | Television film |
| 1981–87 | Seeing Things | Louis Ciccone | Actor; 43 episodes Writer; 2 episodes Co-creator |
| 1988 | The Elephant Show | Willy Bookem | Episode: "The Early Years" |
| 1990 | Sanity Clause | Leo | Television film |
| 1990 | Clarence | Brimmer | |
| 1991 | Tropical Heat | Glenn Lawson | Episode: "Big Brother Is Watching" |
| 1995 | Sugartime | Chuckie English | Television film |
| 1996 | Due South | Lyndon Buxley | Episode: "We Are the Eggmen" |
| 1997 | F/X: The Series | Director | Episode: "Medea" |
| 1997 | North Shore Fish | Markie | Television film |
| 1997 | Let Me Call You Sweetheart | Joe | |
| 1997 | Galileo: On the Shoulders of Giants | Colombe | |
| 1998 | The Outer Limits | Detective Renfro | Episode: "Criminal Nature" |
| 1998 | The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | Frank Stonehouse | Television film |
| 1998 | Goosebumps | Mr. Saur | Episode: "Say Cheese and Die... Again" |
| 1998 | The Dumb Bunnies | Mr. Grudge | Episode: "Stressed to Impress" |
| 1998 | Traders | Sonny Palin | Episode: "Independence Days" |
| 1999 | Family of Cops 3 | Sean the Bartender | Television film |
| 1999 | Ned's Newt | Dump Hermit / Big Criminal | 2 episodes |
| 1999, 2002 | Lexx | Louie / Roada | |
| 2000 | Big Wolf on Campus | Dr. Frank Stein | Episode: "Frank Stein" |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Kaufman, Michael T. (1984-05-21). "AMERICAN MYSTERY SERIES FOR CANADIAN TV A HIT". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
- ^ a b https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/1.3234681 [bare URL]
- ^ Meyers, Ric (2011). For One Week Only: The World of Exploitation Films. Eirini Press. ISBN 978-0-9799989-3-5.
External links
[edit]- 1943 births
- Living people
- Canadian male television actors
- Canadian male film actors
- Canadian male screenwriters
- American emigrants to Canada
- Actors from Union City, New Jersey
- Best Actor in a Comedy Series Canadian Screen Award winners
- 20th-century Canadian screenwriters
- 20th-century Canadian male writers
- 21st-century Canadian screenwriters
- 21st-century Canadian male writers
- Canadian male comedians
- Comedians from Toronto
- Comedians from New Jersey
- American male television actors
- American male film actors
- American male screenwriters
- 20th-century American screenwriters
- 20th-century American male writers
- 21st-century American screenwriters
- 21st-century American male writers
- American male comedians
- Male actors from New Jersey