Hepzibah Leach has been Amelia Thomas’s housekeeper for nearly her entire life. She makes life very difficult for young Anne the moment she arrives at the Thomas Estate. Cruel and unsparing with the children, the majority of her hostility is aimed directly at Anne. Her opinion of her is established the moment they meet. She calls Anne a “street-urchin”, not entitled to any place in the mansion.

Despite Hepzibah’s callousness towards her, Anne humbly does what she is told. However when her integrity is questioned, she is not afraid to stand up to Hepzibah.

Unintimidated by the housekeeper’s harshness, Anne displays her usual feistiness, refusing to shrink back as she defends herself.

Born in Paris, Joan Gregson, emigrated to Canada at the age of 5 with her family, where she has lived most of her life. Growing up in Nova Scotia, she made the move to Toronto in 1995 to further pursue her acting career. With an extensive resume that includes theatre, film and television, she has over 50 years experience in the entertainment industry.

She also is acclaimed for her work in radio, having won the ACTRA Award for Best Performance in Radio as Mora in The Path. She has also been nominated for three other ACTRA Awards including Best Performance in Radio for The Wind in The Willows and The Apple in The Eye and Best Performance in Television for A Horse Named Princess Louise. She was also an active member on the Board of Directors for the Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation.

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