Character Bio: Anne Shirley (Older)

Anne explains in an early scene, “I longed to write once; now I just do it to work everything else out.” Despite having become a well published author and aspiring playwright, professional success seems to have brought her little true happiness. She has lost Gilbert, the love of her life, during the war and she is haunted even more by the worry that her only son has yet to return from overseas. In the shadow of a past in which she romanticized the lives of her own parents, Anne struggles to maintain the adolescent ideals and values instilled in her during her formative years growing up with the kindness of Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert.

Anne’s lack of solid roots and the memory of those troubled early years when she was abandoned by her father after the death of her mother, affect her even more as an adult than as a child. Anne grapples with a grown-up family, grandchildren, and the fear that her adopted son may have disappeared in the aftermath of the war.
Trying to occupy herself with a distraction, she agrees to write a play for her friend, theatre impresario Gene Armstrong. In the process of “working everything out” she delves into memories that provide the basis for writing a profound and moving play; one that also allows her to view her life from a different perspective.

Actress Bio: Barbara Hershey

A native of Hollywood, California, Barbara Lynn Herzstein was born February 5, 1948 and made her acting debut in 1965 on the television series, Gidget (1965-1966). Her motion picture career however, began in 1968 when she starred in With Six You Get Eggroll (1968). The 1980’s catapulted Hershey’s film career to star status. She starred in The Stunt Man (1980), The Right Stuff (1983), The Natural (1984), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Hoosiers (1986), Tin Men (1987), Beaches (1988) and A World Apart (1988). Hershey is a winner of an Emmy and Golden Globe Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special for A Killing In a Small Town (1990). She also received back-to-back Best Actress Awards at the Cannes Film Festival for her performances in Shy People (1987) and A World Apart (1988). Most recently, Hershey starred in the Academy Award-winning film, Black Swan, with Natalie Portman.

 

Character Bio: Anne Shirley (Younger)

The daughter of working man Walter Shirley and his school-teacher wife Bertha, Anne becomes an orphan at a young age when she loses both her parents. At least that is what she has always indicated to everyone around her. Outspoken yet completely vulnerable, Anne Shirley has both the strength and the tender heart to create an impact on everyone she encounters. An enthusiastic spirit combined with an overactive imagination helps the distraught child pull through some of the most difficult times in her life.

Anne escapes the harshness of growing up by having a sunny disposition and fearlessness. These qualities allow her to remain optimistic about whatever obstacles stand in her way. Even as an adult, her yearning to find kindred spirits amongst strangers permits Anne to retain an idealism that leads her to discover the silver-lining in every situation.

Actress Bio: Hannah Endicott-Douglas

After an exhaustive search spanning all across Canada, the hunt for a new Anne Shirley finally came to an end when 13-year-old Hannah was selected to reprise the role made famous by Megan Follows. Hannah landed her first role at the age of nine in a film for Warner Bros. called Samantha: An American Girl Holiday (2004). She then played the part of Lori in the Hallmark movie of the week The Good Witch (2008). In addition, Hannah has lent her voice to many characters in popular animated shows, including Will and Dewitt. In addition to her role as the young Anne Shirley in Anne Of Green Gables: A New Beginning, Hannah can be seen guest starring in the episode entitled “Planets Aligned” in CTV’s Flashpoint (2008) and lending her voice to the cartoon series My Friend Rabbit (2007-2008).

 

 

Character Bio: Amelia Thomas

Amelia Thomas is the wealthy businesswoman and overseer of the busy industrial town of Marysville. She is also “hard-as-nails”, strong-willed and unskilled at listening to others, which has made her superb at holding onto the reins of a seemingly prosperous - but turbulent - company town. As owner of the Thomas Lumber Mill, Amelia finds herself embroiled in a battle with a difficult bank and unhappy mill workers. She tries to retain the air of a concerned grandmother when she takes in her daughter-in-law Louisa and her three grandchildren, who have fled their home. Although reluctant at first to accept the young ‘heathen’ Anne Shirley, she slowly develops a close relationship with the girl. The attachment is jeopardized when Anne’s father intervenes, threatening Amelia’s very existence. Anne is forced to choose between loyalty to a father she neither knows nor respects, and the “kindred spirit” in Amelia whom Anne perceives as her one chance at true happiness.

Actress Bio: Shirley MacLaine

Born April 24th, 1934, in Richmond, Virginia, Shirley MacLaine Beaty was born into an acting family. She made her acting debut in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Trouble with Harry (1955), which won her the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year. In 1983, she won her first Oscar for Terms of Endearment after being nominated five times previously for her respective roles in Some Came Running (1959), The Apartment (1961), Irma La Douce (1964), The Other Half of the Sky (1976) The Turning Point (1978) and Steel Magnolias (1989). Her long list of achievements throughout her years in the industry include one Emmy Award and four nominations, and seven Golden Globe Awards and thirteen nominations (including the Cecil B. Demille award for outstanding contribution to the entertainment field in 1998). She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. With a commanding onscreen presence, the acclaimed actress lends her talents to Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning, portraying strong-minded businesswoman Amelia Thomas. MacLaine’s legendary acting skills are once again on display.

Character Bio: Louisa Thomas

Anne’s mother’s dearest friend, Louisa Thomas, initially embraces Anne when she is left destitute and abandoned by her father. Louisa has little backbone in the face of adversity and, under difficult circumstances in her own life, she leaves Anne in the care of the county poorhouse. When Anne later escapes and finds Louisa, she makes an attempt to reclaim her role as surrogate mother to Anne, out of a sense of obligation to Anne’s mother. With young Anne in tow, Louisa and her three children flee their own tragic circumstances and make their way to the apparent safety of their wealthy grandmother, Amelia Thomas. Louisa tries to defend Anne from those who don’t approve of her, allowing her into their family. Eventually she succumbs to the swirling forces around her that prompt her decision to leave the security of the Thomas household. Louisa becomes caught in the coils of Amelia’s downfall through her association with Anne’s father. When Louisa finally deserts Anne once again, the impressionable child becomes all the stronger for it.

Actress Bio: Rachel Blanchard

Born March 19, 1976 in Toronto, Rachel’s career began when she appeared on the popular Canadian children’s series, The Kids of Degrassi Street (1982), in which she played Melanie Schlegel. She also had a reoccurring role on the Nickelodeon show, Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1991-1993). However, her breakthrough role wouldn’t come until 1996 when she was picked out of hundreds of hopefuls to have the starring role in the television series Clueless, based on the 1995 hit movie. Since then she has made a name for herself in the acting community with appearances in several popular movies including Road Trip (2000), Snakes on a Plane (2006), Atom Egoyan’s Where the Truth Lies (2005), Careless (2007) and recently in the acclaimed film Adoration (2008). In addition to her role as Louisa Thomas in Kevin Sullivan’s Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning, Rachel can be seen in Growing Op (2008) with Rosanna Arquette and Katie Boland.

 

Character Bio: Gene Armstrong

A man with a big personality and a generous heart, Gene Armstrong is a former Broadway producer whose star has lost its luster. He remains a supportive friend who encourages Anne to apply her writing skills to the theatre world. He is genuinely excited at the thought of a new play by Anne Shirley premiering during the summer season on Prince Edward Island at the fabled White Sands Hotel. Anne is enthusiastic about Gene as the perfect collaborator, until he breaks the news to her that her first draft is no good.

Gene pulls the plug on the play’s premiere but refuses to give up on Anne, encouraging her to complete a revised draft that eventually inspires him to reconsider mounting her play.
In the process he helps Anne complete the search for a father who has troubled her throughout her life, but has also sparked in her the courage to explore the overwhelming tragedy of her early days.

Character Bio: Ron Lea

A native of Montreal, Canada, Ron Lea’s impressive list of film and television credits includes roles in such productions as Criminal Law and This Is Wonderland. A student at Concordia University, he later went on to pursue further acting training at Canada’s acclaimed National Theatre School. His career took off when he appeared in such theatrical productions as the One Eyed Kings at the Tarragon Theatre as well as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Brighton Beach Memoirs at the Centaur Theatre. His work on the television series Street Legal garnered him much attention and he received a Gemini nomination for his portrayal of Brian Malony in 1995. More recently, he appeared in the horror thriller, Saw IV. Sullivan fans will remember him fondly as Grace Bailey’s love interest, Del, in the television series Wind at My Back.

 

Character Bio: Gabriel Blake

A fellow inmate at Bolingbroke County Poorhouse, Gabriel Blake, strikes up a unique friendship with Anne when she enters the asylum. Gabriel is an eccentric older prisoner who is very mild in nature. The other inmates and staff consider him a lunatic, causing him to be ostracized. He is mistreated and shunned by all the tenants, having spoken to no one in years. Sharing a mutual love for writing and books with Anne, the two misfits develop a bond which others find difficult to understand.

They become each other’s only friends, much to the dismay of the Overseer and his cruel wife. Gabriel leaves a definitive mark in young Anne’s life, and inspires her own sense of poetry and imagination.

Actor Bio: Bernard Behrens

A member of the acting community since 1962, Bernard Behrens has appeared in numerous classic movies and television shows. His impressive resume includes Marcus Welby M.D., McCloud, Little House on the Prairie, The Bionic Woman, Kojak, Bosom Buddies, Dallas, Hill Street Blues and Remington Steele. Originally from London, England, he has been nominated for four Gemini Awards, winning two for his work in Saying Goodbye (1990) and Coming of Age (1993).

 

Character Bio: Walter Shirley

The tragedy of Anne’s childhood was that her father disappeared from her life forever. Always absent from her early family life, Walter Shirley worked in logging camps in the backwoods during the winter and spring; only seeing his wife, Bertha, and daughter, Anne, for a few months each summer in their Bolingbroke boarding house, once the big log drives to the mills were finished. After he disappears in the wave of town gossip, Anne is left with memories of her father that are filled with ambivalence. She meets with him only one more time, when she discovers his involvement in an attempt to break up the Thomas lumber mills. After she learns he has landed in jail, Anne loses track of him completely and never really discovers what becomes of him until a secret letter, delivered years before to Marilla, is found under the floorboards of a closet in Green Gables. The ensuing sequence of events forces Anne to re-evaluate her early life before Green Gables.

Actor Bio: Ben Carlson

Ben Carlson is the son of Green Gables’ alumni Patricia Hamilton (Rachel Lynde) and Les Carlson (Mr. Lawson). His theatre performances include Hamlet (Chicago and Stratford), The Importance of Being Earnest (Saidye Bronfman/Soulpepper Theatre), Macbeth (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Death of a Salesman (Neptune Theatre), Major Barbara (Shaw Festival) and a Dora Award-winning performance in A Doll’s House. He has also appeared in the episodic television series Slings And Arrows, Angela’s Eyes and The Eleventh Hour.

 

Character Bio: Hepzibah Leach

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 Anne’s integrity is questioned, she is not afraid to stand up to Hepzibah. Not intimidated by the housekeeper’s harshness, Anne displays her usual feistiness, refusing to shrink back as she defends herself.

Actor Bio: Joan Gregson

Born in Paris, France, Joan Gregson immigrated to Canada at the age of 5 with her family, where she has lived most of her life. 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.

 

Character Bio: Nellie Parkhurst

After the disaster of missing the only train to Marysville, Anne offers her assistance to a mailwoman known as Nellie Parkhurst in exchange for a ride for herself and the Thomas family to their grandmother’s estate. Nellie earns her living in a man’s world and possesses an independent spirit that resonates immediately with Anne. They become instant friends.
When Anne is initially unwelcome at the Thomas house-hold, Nellie helps her find refuge with the workers in a local cider mill. After Anne is allowed to return to the Thomas home she continues to confide in Nellie, eventually realizing that Nellie is involved with the millworkers’ attempt to seize control of the Lumber Mill from Amelia Thomas. When tragedy destroys the Thomas Estate, Anne is left behind and Nellie helps her find refuge again; this time with Nellie’s friends the Hammonds who own a lumber operation in Nova Scotia.

Actress Bio: Kyra Harper

Kyra Harper has appeared in many films, radio programs and theatre productions. Her film credits include Of Murder and Memory, Swan, To Die For, and In Weapon. She has made guest appearances on many T.V. movies and series, including The Dresden Files, Martha Behind Bars, This Is Wonderland, The Eleventh Hour, Wonderfalls, Baby, Forget Me Never, and Sullivan Entertainment’s miniseries Love on the Land, as well as Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story. On Radio, Kyra played the title role in the CBC Radio series Peggy Delaney. On stage, Kyra recently performed at The Toronto Fringe Festival in The Swearing Jar and has also played Queen Elizabeth in Elizabeth Rex for A.C.T. in Brampton; Ana in The Clean House at Calgary’s ATP; and was nominated for a Dora Award in the original production of Blood for the Factory Theatre.

 

Character Bio: Domenic Blythe

Dominic is Anne’s adopted son. During the Great War, infant Dominic lost both his parents, leaving him a war orphan and in the ultimate care of his parents’ friends and allies Anne and Gilbert Blythe. Anne is determined to do for Dominic what the Cuthberts have done for her. The Blythes raise Dominic as their own, alongside their daughters Rilla and Frannie. Anne instills in Dominic the same love and appreciation for Green Gables that she has always had.

At the age of 28 when the allied victory is declared in 1945, Dominic Blythe’s regiment still remains overseas in France. Despite being proud of her son’s loyalty to his country Anne cannot help but worry about what fate has in store. The terror of receiving bad news initially preoccupies Anne to the point of distraction. Dominic’s eventual return materializes alongside other emotional revelations in Anne’s life. When the word spreads that he is arriving with a beautiful fiancée from France, a wedding at Green Gables also becomes an imminent part of his homecoming.

Actor Bio: Marc Bendavid

A native of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Marc Bendavid’s love for acting began at the age of 12 when he was enrolled in a school for the Performing Arts. After appearing in several theatre productions, he was then accepted into the prestigious National Theatre School of Canada (NTS) in Montreal. He has appeared in the television show Mayday, as well as the short film, Us Chickens. Director Kevin Sullivan first took note of the young actor when he auditioned for the role of Tom in his film, The Magic Flute Diaries. Although the role eventually went to another actor, Sullivan kept Bendavid in mind when casting the role of Dominic in Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning, which he went on to win.

 

Kevin Sullivan: Executive Producer, Writer, Director

Kevin Sullivan is the President of Sullivan Entertainment Inc. which he and his partner, Trudy Grant, founded in 1979. Internationally recognized as one of the leading producers of high quality entertainment and renowned for his directorial ease with children and top performers, Mr. Sullivan has achieved myriad accolades and awards over the past two decades. His ability to consistently produce top-notch entertainment as well as to attract big name stars has enhanced the image of Sullivan Entertainment throughout the world.

Under Mr. Sullivan’s guidance Sullivan Entertainment has developed a distinctive brand of story-telling. Lavish productions that are emotionally compelling and entertaining have become the hallmark of the company Mr. Sullivan founded more than 20 years ago.

 

Trudy Grant: Co-Executive Producer

Trudy Grant is the President of Sullivan Entertainment International, which she founded in 1981. Through her leadership, the company has emerged as a major player in the world marketplace and particularly in the television arena.

Her involvement in distribution prompted her to form Sullivan Entertainment International to better administer the Sullivan product. The company’s penetration into many of the world’s less accessible markets makes it one of the few companies that can truly be considered international, having developed key relationships with buyers and financiers for various co-productions. One of Ms. Grant’s main achievements is the sale of the mini-series “Anne of Green Gables” to more than 120 countries around the globe.

Ms. Grant has evolved into the guiding light behind the company’s financial success. By strategically maximizing financial opportunities, Ms. Grant has built a very successful international business around the Sullivan brand.

 

Martha Mann: Costume Designer

A designer with over 40 years in the stage and film industry, Martha Mann first began designing as a student at the Art College. Director Kevin Sullivan has collaborated with Mann on numerous projects including Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning, Lantern Hill, Wild Pony, Road to Avonlea and Looking for Miracles. She has also designed costumes for stage productions such as Aida (Boston Lyric Opera), Julius Caesar (Stratford Festival of Canada), and even the theatrical version of Anne of Green Gables in Calgary. Her work has also been recognized by critics and is the recipient of six Gemini awards for best Costume Design for Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea.

Yuri Yakubiw: Director of Photography

Learning the film business from the ground up began by, literally, "sweeping the studio floor" as a P.A. (Production Assistant). But Yuri's enthusiasm quickly advanced him through to the Lighting Department. There he gained valuable experience on commercials, music videos and industrials, which led to a Best Boy Electric (Lighting Assistant) position on the popular CTV series "The Campbells". Subsequent work as a Gaffer (Chief Lighting Technician) honed his lighting skills to the point where he was ready to make the next logical transition.

In 1986, Yuri photographed national commercial spots for La-Z-Boy Furniture and National Geographic, two short dramas, several music videos and a series pilot, "Notes from the Underground". Since then, Yuri has steadily increased his experience and portfolio to its current status. His most recent projects include episodes of “Little Mosque on the Prairie”, "Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye", "The Famous Jett Jackson", "Missing" and "Til' Death Do Us Part" ("Love You To Death" in Canada). Yuri is also in the midst of rediscovering his passion for still photography and has been exhibited at various art shows.

 

Raymond Lorenz: Production Designer

Raymond Lorenz was born and grew up in Vancouver, B.C. where he graduated from the University of BC as an Art Teacher. Ray has designed many different television projects for Sullivan Entertainment, including three seasons of Wind at My Back (1999-2001), Sleeping Dogs Lie (1998) and An Avonlea Christmas (1998). Ray was also production designer on Paul Haggis’ directorial feature Red Hot (1993) as well as the pilot and first season of Due South (1994-1995). Ray designed two seasons of Jeff Ltd. (2005) and the TV miniseries Canada/Russia ’72 in 2006.

 

Gord McClellan: Editor

With over 30 years in the entertainment industry, Gordon McClellan has worked on some of Canada’s most watched programming. He has worked as an editor on numerous television series such as Relic Hunter and Sue Thomas F.B. Eye. He has also collaborated with director Kevin Sullivan on several other productions, including By Way of the Stars and Road to Avonlea. His work has also garnered him much recognition, having been nominated for five Gemini awards, including one for Best Picturing Editing in a Dramatic Program or Series in 1993 for his work on Road to Avonlea.

 

Peter Breiner: Composer

Composer, conductor, pianist and arranger, Peter Breiner was born in the city of Humenné, in the former Czechoslovakia. He attended the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava where he studied composition and graduated with a Master’s Degree in 1982. His extensive work as a composer, conductor and performer have made him one of the world’s most recorded musicians and Czechoslovakia’s most famous composer/conductor. Breiner has collaborated with Director Kevin Sullivan on several of his projects, including: Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning, Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story, Love On the Land, Wind at My Back, A Wind at My Back Christmas, Promise the Moon, Anne: The Animated Series, The Pianoman’s Daughter and The Magic Flute Diaries. Peter Breiner’s music can also be heard in episodes of numerous popular television programs such as CSI, Bold and the Beautiful and 60 Minutes.

 

Location

Finding locations that would replicate the lush, picturesque settings and atmosphere that have long been identified with Kevin Sullivan’s previous Anne of Green Gables films was a significant element in the execution of Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning. As most of the movie’s actual photography was shot in studio in Toronto on the Sullivan backlot, even the beautiful ponds and rural scenes from the opening had to be filmed in a relatively urban area adjacent to the studio and enhanced with the use of CGI technology. Location shooting began in an elaborate period mansion known as “Springhill” in Dundas, Ontario, which became the Thomas Estate with all of its lavish grounds, stables and laneways. A nearby lake where authentic period sets were built, provided the river and lumber mills for the disaster sequence at the Thomas Mills. An historic Quaker Boys School (circa 1840) located in Rockwood, Ontario was converted into the Bolingbroke Poorhouse for the film. However all of the scenic, open landscapes and quaint town settings, which were found throughout the Ontario and PEI regions, were nearly all reconstructed digitally as three dimensional digital backgrounds and reproduced almost entirely in CGI to portray life in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Avonlea, Prince Edward Island.

More actual second-unit location photography also took place in a 150-year-old operating lumber mill in Tyrone, Ontario (previously seen in Sullivan’s Wind at My Back), as well as at a historic reproduction of a log flume in Ontario’s legendary Algonquin Park. But because schedules, distance and inaccessibility often make it impossible to film entirely on location, the production crew and special effects team generally assisted the Production Designer with the use of "blue and green screen" technology to digitally create perfect environments for specific sequences that were impossible to actually locate or to reproduce on location. Elements of location photography and set construction were then seamlessly intertwined with CGI sequences to create a picturesque and completely accurate historical backdrop for this new saga in Anne’s life; as well as restore numerous memorable settings familiar from the original book and original film series, such as the White Sands Beach and Hotel, portions of the original Green Gables Farmhouse, the Hammond House and Hammond sawmill, as well as the famous wooden bridge on which Gilbert proposed to Anne. All of these locations were either recreated or enhanced digitally.

Sullivan employed this technique to great effect when he recently filmed Salzburg and Vienna in his 2007 version of Mozart’s Magic Flute. He had originally planned to return to film on Prince Edward Island again, but the sophisticated digital techniques available to him after his experience on Magic Flute caused him to recreate many complex elements on the computer, allowing him greater control in achieving a richer look for his new film.

 

Sets

In order to authentically portray the two distinct periods in Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning, every set was extensively researched and painstakingly recreated by the Production Design crew, headed by thespian Sullivan designer, Ray Lorenz. Every subtle detail of color, texture and lighting needed to reproduce a visual sweep in time spanning the late 1890’s to the mid 1940’s, where both of Anne’s stories take place. The set design team examined and took into account the differences in trends, resources, technology and historical advancements that shaped each time period in order to assemble and create each required backdrop and setting. The team also had the challenge of recreating the original sets that were used and made iconic in the Anne of Green Gables trilogy; requiring extremely accurate attention to every pre-existing detail; such as the interiors of Green Gables.

Many of the film’s sets where staged and constructed at the Sullivan Studio and backlot in Toronto, giving the Production Design team a blank canvas to create their vision of the engaging time period of Anne’s youth. Although the film employed a mixture of sets, actual location photography and “blue and green-screen” CGI technology, each visual backdrop had the task of bringing to life two unique eras in history as seamlessly as if the entire film had been shot on location in a real world, that, sadly, no longer exists.