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Alberta Watson

Alberta Watson

Highest Rated: 98% The Sweet Hereafter (1997)

Lowest Rated: 0% Deeply (2000)

Birthday: Mar 6, 1955

Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

One of Canada's most prolific character actresses with over 100 film and TV credits to her name, Alberta Watson was best-known for her performances in "Spanking The Monkey" (1994), "La Femme Nikita" (USA Network, 1997-2001) and "24" (Fox, 2001-2010). Born in Toronto, Ontario in 1955, Watson first began performing at her hometown's theater group aged 15 before landing her first on screen role in the Bonanno crime family biopic "Honor Thy Father" (CBC, 1973). Watson garnered awards attention five years later when she played Mitzi in post-WWII drama "In Praise of Older Women" (1978), and went onto star as a covert operations directive in "The Soldier" (1982), crew member Dominica in sci-fi whodunit "Murder in Space" (1985) and Lt. Helen Prescott in prisoner of war drama "Women of Valor" (1986). Watson then landed two recurring small screen roles, firstly as district attorney Amy Steiner in legal miniseries "Fortune Dane" (ABC, 1986), and secondly as Dr. Rebecca Meyer in medical drama "Buck James" (ABC, 1987-88), and added the likes of TV movie "Red Earth, White Earth" (1989), Chuck Norris vehicle "The Hitman" (1991) and interracial love story "Zebrahead" (1992) to her filmography. Cast by David O. Russell in his directorial debut, "Spanking The Monkey" (1994), Watson delivered one of her most memorable performances as a bed-ridden mother, and continued to impress as mobster's daughter Victoria in crime epic "Gotti" (HBO, 1996), love interest Anna in romantic drama "Shoemaker" (1996) and grief-stricken adulterer Risa in Oscar-nominated "The Sweet Hereafter" (1997). Following a four season stint as anti-terrorist strategist Madeline in action series "La Femme Nikita" (USA Network, 1997-2001), Watson appeared as Hansel's mother in cult classic "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" (2001), a homicide detective in murder mystery "Chasing Cain" (2001), and its 2002 TV movie spin-off, and diplomat's wife Natalie in interweaving drama "The Wild Dogs" (2002). Watson also shone as a regular on TV news satire "The Newsroom" (CBC, 2003-04) and romantic comedy "Show Me Yours" (Showcase, 2004-05) before landing arguably the most high-profile role of her career, CTU director Erin Driscoll, in the fourth season of small screen phenomenon "24" (Fox, 2001-10). Watson then returned to Canadian cinema with parts in comedy "Citizen Duane" (2006), and Sarah Polley's touching directorial debut "Away From Her" (2006), but also kept one foot in Hollywood with appearances in fable "A Lobster Tale" (2006), heist movie "The Lookout" (2007) and emotional drama "Helen" (2009). Following an eight-episode stint on immigration and customs drama "The Border" (CBS, 2008-2010), Watson reprised her role of Madeline, now a Senator, in the reboot, "Nikita" (The CW, 2010-13), but sadly it proved to be her final screen appearance, as after a long battle with cancer, Watson died in her Toronto hometown in 2015, aged 60.

Highest rated movies

98% 86% The Sweet Hereafter
94% 81% Away From Her 92% 93% Hedwig and the Angry Inch
92% 55% Spanking the Monkey
80% 62% The Life Before This
60% 83% Gotti
50% 78% The Wild Dogs
50% 57% White of the Eye

Filmography

Movies

Credit
44% 49% Helen Dr. Sherman (Character) - 2009
33% 38% Citizen Duane Bonnie Balfour (Character) - 2006
No Score Yet 17% A Lobster Tale Martha Brewer (Character) - 2006
94% 81% Away From Her Dr. Fischer (Character) $4.5M 2006
No Score Yet No Score Yet Choice: The Henry Morgentaler Story Chava Rosenfarb/Morgentaler (Character) - 2005
29% 59% The Prince & Me Amy Morgan (Character) $28.2M 2004
No Score Yet 58% Some Things That Stay Liz Anderson (Character) - 2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Risen Amanda Knowles (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet 71% Irish Eyes Anne Phelan (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet No Score Yet Chasing Cain II: Face Denise McGoogan (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet 64% Guilt by Association Angie (Character) - 2002
50% 78% The Wild Dogs Natalie (Character) - 2002
No Score Yet No Score Yet Chasing Cain Denise McGoogan (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet 30% Tart Lily Storm (Character) - 2001
0% No Score Yet The Art of Woo Caterin Aucoin (Character) - 2001
92% 93% Hedwig and the Angry Inch Hansel's Mom (Character) $3.0M 2001
No Score Yet 14% After the Harvest Amelia Gare (Character) - 2001
0% 59% Deeply Fiona McKay (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet Desire Simone (Character) $256 2000
80% 62% The Life Before This Nita (Character) - 1999
No Score Yet 41% The Girl Next Door Mary Bradley (Character) - 1998
98% 86% The Sweet Hereafter Risa (Character) $4.4M 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet Seeds of Doubt Jennifer Kingsley (Character) - 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sweet Angel Mine Megan (Character) - 1996
60% 83% Gotti Victoria Gotti (Character) - 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet Giant Mine Peggy Witte (Character) - 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet Shoemaker Anna (Character) - 1996
33% 68% Hackers Lauren Murphy (Character) $6.9M 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Jonathan Stone: Threat of Innocence Deborah Walsh Bradford (Character) - 1994
92% 55% Spanking the Monkey Susan Aibelli (Character) $1.4M 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Relentless: Mind of a Killer Ellen Giancola (Character) - 1993
13% 44% The Hitman Christine De Vera (Character) $3.4M 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Destiny to Order Thalia/Marla/Nicole (Character) - 1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet Snake Treaty Unknown (Character) - 1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet Red Earth, White Earth Unknown (Character) - 1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet Shannon's Deal Terry Lomax (Character) - 1989
50% 57% White of the Eye Ann Mason (Character) - 1988
No Score Yet 58% Women of Valor Lt. Helen Prescott (Character) - 1986
39% 43% The Keep Eva Cuza (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet 21% The Soldier Susan Goodman (Character) - 1982
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dirty Tricks Tony (Character) - 1981
No Score Yet No Score Yet Passengers Unknown (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet 23% In Praise of Older Women Mitzi (Character) - 1978

TV

Credit
85% 69% Nikita Unknown (Guest Star) 2011-2012
87% 87% 24 Erin Driscoll (Character) 2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet La Femme Nikita Madeline (Character) 1997-2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Soul Food Unknown (Guest Star) 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Outer Limits Lynda Tillman (Guest Star) 1995
No Score Yet 83% Law & Order Unknown (Guest Star) 1991-1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Equalizer Carla Holden (Guest Star) 1985 1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Hitchhiker Unknown (Character) 1984
97% 82% Hill Street Blues Prostitute (Guest Star) 1984