Louis Negin
Encyclopedia
Louis Negin is a Canadian
actor, recently best known for his roles in the films of Guy Maddin
.
Negin, most prominently a stage actor, had his earliest film and television roles in the 1950s Canadian dramatic anthology series First Performance, and as a chorus member in Tyrone Guthrie
's 1957 film of the Stratford Festival
production of Oedipus Rex. He appeared in the Stratford Festival production of Tamburlaine
, which had a run on Broadway
in 1956, and later appeared in London
productions of Fortune and Men's Eyes
and his own play Love and Maple Syrup; in Fortune and Men's Eyes, he became one of the first actors ever to appear fully nude on stage in England.
He later appeared in films including The Ernie Game
, Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?, Ooh… You Are Awful
and Barry McKenzie Holds His Own
, as well as TV series such as Brett, Mousey and The Zoo Gang and episodes of King of Kensington
and The Littlest Hobo
. In the 1980s he had a recurring role on Seeing Things, as well as acting in the television films Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
, Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner and Charlie Grant's War.
He played Truman Capote
, both in a Toronto
stage production of the play Tru
in 1996 and in the film 54
. In 1998, he played Noel Coward
in a production of Linda Griffiths
' play The Duchess at Theatre Passe Muraille
.
In recent years, he has acted in several of Maddin's films, including Cowards Bend the Knee
, The Saddest Music in the World
, Sissy Boy Slap Party and the upcoming Keyhole
, as well as narrating Maddin's documentary films Brand Upon the Brain! and My Winnipeg
. He has also had guest roles in the television series Lord Have Mercy!, Mona the Vampire
, ReGenesis
and Slings and Arrows
, and in Bruce McDonald's film Pontypool
.
In 2008, he performed The Glass Eye, a semi-autobiographical
play which he wrote in collaboration with Marie Brassard
, in Montreal
and Toronto.
Negin, who is gay
, is the partner of former Canadian television and film designer Charles Dunlop. In a 2007 interview with Xtra!
, Negin described his age as "Write that I'm 95 years old, and that I've been to Hungary to have some work done."
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
actor, recently best known for his roles in the films of Guy Maddin
Guy Maddin
Guy Maddin, OM is a Canadian screenwriter, director, cinematographer and film editor of both features and short films from Winnipeg, Manitoba...
.
Negin, most prominently a stage actor, had his earliest film and television roles in the 1950s Canadian dramatic anthology series First Performance, and as a chorus member in Tyrone Guthrie
Tyrone Guthrie
Sir William Tyrone Guthrie was an English theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, at his family's home, Annaghmakerrig, in County Monaghan, Ireland.-Life and career:Guthrie...
's 1957 film of the Stratford Festival
Stratford Festival of Canada
The Stratford Shakespeare Festival is an internationally recognized annual celebration of theatre running from April to November in the Canadian city of Stratford, Ontario...
production of Oedipus Rex. He appeared in the Stratford Festival production of Tamburlaine
Tamburlaine (play)
Tamburlaine the Great is the name of a play in two parts by Christopher Marlowe. It is loosely based on the life of the Central Asian emperor, Timur 'the lame'...
, which had a run on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 1956, and later appeared in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
productions of Fortune and Men's Eyes
Fortune and Men's Eyes
Fortune and Men's Eyes is a 1967 play and 1971 film by John Herbert about a young man's experience in prison, exploring themes of homosexuality and sexual slavery. The title comes from William Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 which begins with the line "When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes". It has...
and his own play Love and Maple Syrup; in Fortune and Men's Eyes, he became one of the first actors ever to appear fully nude on stage in England.
He later appeared in films including The Ernie Game
The Ernie Game
The Ernie Game is a 1967 Canadian drama film directed by Don Owen.Called "One of the most innovative examples of personal cinema to come from English Canada in the Sixties" by the Cinematheque Ontario, The Ernie Game was part of a proposed trio of works intended to celebrate the Canadian Centennial...
, Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?, Ooh… You Are Awful
Ooh… You Are Awful
Ooh... You Are Awful is a 1972 British comedy film starring Dick Emery and directed by Cliff Owen.Before his death, Reggie Campbell Peek deposited a stolen £500,000 into a Swiss bank account...
and Barry McKenzie Holds His Own
Barry McKenzie Holds His Own
Barry McKenzie Holds His Own is the 1974 sequel to the 1972 Australian comedy film The Adventures of Barry McKenzie.Returning from the original film is Barry Crocker in the title role, as well as Barry Humphries in the role of Barry's aunt, Dame Edna. Also returning in the director's chair is Bruce...
, as well as TV series such as Brett, Mousey and The Zoo Gang and episodes of King of Kensington
King of Kensington
King of Kensington was a Canadian television sitcom which aired on CBC Television from 1975 to 1980.The show starred Al Waxman as Larry King, a convenience store owner in Toronto's Kensington Market who was known for helping friends and neighbours solve problems. His multicultural group of friends...
and The Littlest Hobo
The Littlest Hobo
The Littlest Hobo is a Canadian television series based upon a 1958 American film of the same name directed by Charles R. Rondeau. The series first aired from 1963 to 1965 in syndication, and was revived for a popular second run on CTV from October 11, 1979 to March 7, 1985.All three productions...
. In the 1980s he had a recurring role on Seeing Things, as well as acting in the television films Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank was a 1983 television movie. It was produced by Canada’s RSL Productions in Toronto. Financing was provided by WNET/PBS New Jersey, which had hoped to create an entire science fiction series adapting famous works, but due to lack of funding this was the last of three...
, Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner and Charlie Grant's War.
He played Truman Capote
Truman Capote
Truman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...
, both in a Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
stage production of the play Tru
Tru (play)
Tru is a play by Jay Presson Allen.Adapted from the words and works of Truman Capote, it is set in the writer's New York City apartment at 870 United Nations Plaza the week before Christmas 1975...
in 1996 and in the film 54
54 (film)
54 is a 1998 drama film written and directed by Mark Christopher, starring Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, and Neve Campbell...
. In 1998, he played Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
in a production of Linda Griffiths
Linda Griffiths
Linda Griffiths is a Canadian actor and playwright.Born in Montreal, Quebec, Griffiths studied at Dawson College, the National Theatre School for one year, and McGill University....
' play The Duchess at Theatre Passe Muraille
Theatre Passe Muraille
Theatre Passe Muraille is a theatre company in Toronto, Canada.-Brief history:One of Canada's most influential alternative theatres, Theatre Passe Muraille was founded in 1968 by director and playwright Jim Garrard, who started the company out of Rochdale College.Its radical intention was create a...
.
In recent years, he has acted in several of Maddin's films, including Cowards Bend the Knee
Cowards Bend the Knee
Cowards Bend the Knee is a 2003 film by Guy Maddin, starring Darcy Fehr and Melissa Dionisio.The 64 minute film is a reworking of an autobiographical project originally imagined as a peep-show. It is divided into ten short sections, giving it the same sort of episodic quality as old silent matinee...
, The Saddest Music in the World
The Saddest Music in the World
The Saddest Music in the World is a 2003 Canadian film directed by Guy Maddin. It stars Mark McKinney, Isabella Rossellini, Maria de Medeiros, David Fox and Ross McMillan....
, Sissy Boy Slap Party and the upcoming Keyhole
Keyhole (film)
Keyhole is an upcoming Canadian film directed by Guy Maddin, starring Jason Patric, Isabella Rossellini, Udo Kier and Kevin McDonald. It will tell the story of a gangster who returns to his home and embarks on an odyssey through the house, one room at a time...
, as well as narrating Maddin's documentary films Brand Upon the Brain! and My Winnipeg
My Winnipeg
My Winnipeg is a feature film directed by Guy Maddin. Starring Ann Savage, the film is a surrealist-inflected pseudo-documentary about Winnipeg, Maddin's home town...
. He has also had guest roles in the television series Lord Have Mercy!, Mona the Vampire
Mona the Vampire
Mona the Vampire is a Canadian animated television series based on the series Robyn le Vampire, directed by Louis Piché and Jean Caillon, originally based on the short stories created and written Sonia Holleyman and later written by Hiawyn Oram. It is mainly shown on YTV, Radio-Canada, VRAK.TV and...
, ReGenesis
ReGenesis
ReGenesis is a Canadian television program produced by The Movie Network and Movie Central in conjunction with Shaftesbury Films. The series, which ran for four seasons, revolves around the scientists of NorBAC , a fictional organization with a lab based in Toronto...
and Slings and Arrows
Slings and Arrows
Slings and Arrows is a Canadian TV series set at the fictional New Burbage Festival, a Shakespearean festival similar to the real-world Stratford Festival...
, and in Bruce McDonald's film Pontypool
Pontypool (film)
Pontypool is a 2009 Canadian horror film directed by Bruce McDonald and adapted by Tony Burgess from Burgess' novel Pontypool Changes Everything.- Plot :...
.
In 2008, he performed The Glass Eye, a semi-autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
play which he wrote in collaboration with Marie Brassard
Marie Brassard
Marie Brassard is a Quebec actress, author and theatre director living in Montreal. For many years her professional endeavors were closely linked with Robert Lepage...
, in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Toronto.
Negin, who is gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, is the partner of former Canadian television and film designer Charles Dunlop. In a 2007 interview with Xtra!
Xtra!
Xtra! is a gay magazine, on newsprint in tabloid format, published by Pink Triangle Press in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-History and content :...
, Negin described his age as "Write that I'm 95 years old, and that I've been to Hungary to have some work done."