Torquil Campbell
Encyclopedia
Torquil Campbell is the lead singer and songwriter for the Montreal
-based indie rock
band Stars. He also records and performs with Broken Social Scene
. In addition to singing, he also plays the melodica
and trumpet
. He is also a member of the band Memphis
, and released the album Cold Hands, Warm Heart in January 2011 under the alias Dead Child Star.
The son of actors, the late Douglas Campbell
and Moira Wylie, Torquil Campbell was born in Sheffield
, England
and came to Canada in childhood with his family.
He attended and graduated from Jarvis Collegiate Institute
in Toronto
.
Being the son of two Shakespearean actors, he has also worked as an actor all his life, appearing on stage throughout North America, playing roles as diverse as Gary, the teenage prostitute in the original New York production of the controversial play Shopping and Fucking
starring Philip Seymour Hoffman
, and the title role in Shakespeare
's Henry V
. He has directed theatre, including a production of Romeo and Juliet
for The Hamptons Shakespeare Festival.
Campbell has also had numerous acting roles in Canadian
television series and TV movies, including the role of Bill Badger in the animated series, Rupert
, Pray for Me, Paul Henderson, and guest appearances in Sex and the City
and Law & Order
. He has also appeared in the feature films The Bay of Love and Sorrows
and The Golden Seal.
He is married to actress Moya O'Connell who gave birth to their first child in 2009.
Torquil is also involved in a solo project, called Dead Child Star, with songs available via myspace.com. It was created in March, 2008. The first album from Dead Child Star came out in early 2011, titled "Cold Hands, Warm Heart".
Torquil's father recorded the famous intro of the song Your Ex-Lover is Dead
on the Stars album, Set Yourself on Fire
. The exact words of the intro are: "When there is nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire."
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...
-based indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Stars. He also records and performs with Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
. In addition to singing, he also plays the melodica
Melodica
The melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
and trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
. He is also a member of the band Memphis
Memphis (band)
Memphis is a musical duo consisting of long-time friends Torquil Campbell and Chris Dumont.Dumont, originally from North Carolina, first met Campbell in New York City in the early 1990s. With Campbell's childhood friends Chris Seligman, James Shaw, and Adam Marvy, the pair played together in a band...
, and released the album Cold Hands, Warm Heart in January 2011 under the alias Dead Child Star.
The son of actors, the late Douglas Campbell
Douglas Campbell (actor)
Douglas Campbell, CM was a Canadian-based stage actor. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland.-Acting career:...
and Moira Wylie, Torquil Campbell was born in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and came to Canada in childhood with his family.
He attended and graduated from Jarvis Collegiate Institute
Jarvis Collegiate Institute
Jarvis Collegiate Institute is a high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Jarvis is located on Jarvis Street. Founded in 1807 it is the second oldest high school in Ontario after the Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, and the oldest high school in Toronto.-History:Jarvis Collegiate was...
in 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...
.
Being the son of two Shakespearean actors, he has also worked as an actor all his life, appearing on stage throughout North America, playing roles as diverse as Gary, the teenage prostitute in the original New York production of the controversial play Shopping and Fucking
Shopping and Fucking
Shopping and Fucking is a 1996 play by English playwright Mark Ravenhill. It was Ravenhill's first full-length play. It received its first public reading at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 1995...
starring Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
, and the title role in Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Henry V
Henry V (play)
Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
. He has directed theatre, including a production of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
for The Hamptons Shakespeare Festival.
Campbell has also had numerous acting roles in Canadian
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...
television series and TV movies, including the role of Bill Badger in the animated series, Rupert
Rupert (TV series)
Rupert is an animated television series based on the Mary Tourtel character Rupert Bear, produced by Nelvana, Ellipse Programmé and TVS for the first season, with Scottish Television taken over control when TVS closed. Aired from 1991 to 1997 with 65 half-hour episodes produced. It was broadcast...
, Pray for Me, Paul Henderson, and guest appearances in Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
and Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
. He has also appeared in the feature films The Bay of Love and Sorrows
The Bay of Love and Sorrows
-Plot:Set in rural New Brunswick in 1974, the novel's protagonist is Michael Skid, the privileged son of the town judge. After a falling out with his friend Tom Donnerel, Michael befriends Madonna and Silver Brassaurd, a brother and sister who draw him into the orbit of Everette Hutch, a...
and The Golden Seal.
He is married to actress Moya O'Connell who gave birth to their first child in 2009.
Torquil is also involved in a solo project, called Dead Child Star, with songs available via myspace.com. It was created in March, 2008. The first album from Dead Child Star came out in early 2011, titled "Cold Hands, Warm Heart".
Torquil's father recorded the famous intro of the song Your Ex-Lover is Dead
Your Ex-Lover Is Dead
Your Ex-Lover Is Dead was the sixth single released by the Canadian indie pop group Stars. It is the opening track on the album, Set Yourself on Fire. The track begins with the voice of lead singer Torquil's father Douglas Campbell saying, "When there is nothing left to burn, you have to set...
on the Stars album, Set Yourself on Fire
Set Yourself on Fire
Set Yourself on Fire is the third album by Canadian indie rock band Stars. It was released in 2004 on the Arts & Crafts International record label in Canada and the United Kingdom, and in 2005 in the United States....
. The exact words of the intro are: "When there is nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire."