Jacqueline Burroughs (2 February 1939 – 22 September 2010) was a Canadian actress. Burroughs starred in over 100 films and television shows over her career, including Heavy Metal, The Care Bears Movie, The Grey Fox, and Anne of Green Gables, and was best known for her role as Hetty King in the TV series Road to Avonlea.
Early life Born in Southport, Lancashire (now Merseyside), England, on 2 February 1939, Burroughs emigrated to Canada with her family in 1951. She attended the University of Toronto, graduating in 1962. At university, Burroughs appeared in Trinity College productions of Saint Joan, The Cave Dwellers and Resounding Tinkle.
Career After graduating, Burroughs travelled to England and was a member of the Chesterfield Civic Repertory Theatre for a season, before returning to Toronto. Burroughs appeared with Crest summer-time spinoff Straw Hat Players, before her debut at Toronto's Crest Theatre in 1963 in the play Arms and the Man. In 1967, she married Zal Yanovsky and moved to New York City. After they divorced in 1968, Burroughs returned to Canada and live theatre, performing at Ottawa's National Arts Centre, Ontario's Stratford Festival and Shaw Festival, including starring as Portia in The Merchant of Venice in 1976. Burroughs won the 1969 Canadian Film Award for best actress, for starring in the television film Dulcima. Burroughs acted in over 100 films and television programs, including a voice-over stint in the animated anthology Heavy Metal (1981), appearances in The Grey Fox (1982), and The Dead Zone (1983). Burroughs played the voice of The Evil Spirit in 1985's The Care Bears Movie.
In 1987, Burroughs produced, directed, co-wrote, and starred in A Winter Tan, a film based on the letters of Maryse Holder, published in 1979 as the book Give Sorrow Words – Maryse Holder's Letters from Mexico, later receiving a Genie Award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for the film. She played role of Mrs. Amelia Evans in Anne of Green Gables (1985). She was perhaps best known for her portrayal of the fictional character, Hetty King, in the CBC Television series Road to Avonlea from 1990 to 1996. The series was based on the works of Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. She also played Mother Mucca in the television adaptations of Armistead Maupin's More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City. Burroughs again played a mother role in 2003's Willard.
In 2001, she was awarded the Earle Grey Award for her contributions to arts and entertainment over the years by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. In 2005, Burroughs received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts. Over her career, Burroughs was nominated ten times and won seven, including four Gemini Awards and two Canadian Film Awards. Burroughs also won three Genie Awards.
Personal life Burroughs was married to Zalman Yanovsky, co-founder (with John Sebastian) of The Lovin' Spoonful; they separated in 1968. They had one daughter.
Death Burroughs died at her home in Toronto on 22 September 2010, aged 71, after suffering from stomach cancer.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1966Notes for a Film About Donna and GailGail1967Gail1971Eat Anything1972Betty Blind1974Monkeys in the AtticWanda1974125 Rooms of ComfortBobbie Kidd1975My Pleasure Is My BusinessOld lady at poolUncredited1980 The Kidnapping of the PresidentWoman Agent1981Heavy MetalKatherineVoice, (segment "Den")1981 The IntruderEleanor1982Katherine 'Kate' Flynn1983Miss Davenport1983Vera Smith1983Gentle SinnersMrs. Smith1984Chautauqua GirlMrs. Ferguson1984 The SurrogateWoman at Anouk's1985The Evil SpiritVoice1986Joan Smith1987Maryse Holder1987John and the MissusMissus1988Inside/Out1989Food of the Gods IIDr. Treger1989Lilian1990WhispersMrs. Yancey1991Elizabeth Smart: On the Side of the AngelsElizabeth Smart1992CarefulFrau Teacher1997BleedersLexie1998Last NightThe Runner1999Have MercyLulu2000Washed UpTosca2000How Dinosaurs Learned to FlyNarratorVoice, Short2001Lost and DeliriousFay Vaughn2001On Their KneesFlora2002Night's NoontimeQueen VictoriaShort2003Aunt Budge2003WillardHenrietta Stiles2003Rhinoceros EyesMrs. Walnut2003Betty Avery2004CavedwellerGrandma Windsor2004Going the DistanceMother Libby2004Re-GenerationGrandmother2005Fever PitchMrs. Warren2005King's RansomGrandma2005Bailey's Billion$Constance Pennington2005LeoFelicityShort2005HeidiFrau RottenmeierVoice2006 The SentinelMrs. MillerUncredited2006First SnowMaggie2006Deck the HallsMrs. Ryor2008Into the LabyrinthAriadne2010Higglety Pigglety Pop!Mother GooseVoice, Video short2010Small Town Murder SongsOliveposthumously released in 2011
Television Year Title Role Notes1969DulcimaDulcima GastonCanadian Film Award winner for Best Actress (Non-Feature), 21st Canadian Film Awards1970JaneEpisode: "God Bless the Children"1970Twelve and a Half CentsVicky1973VickyEarle Grey Award winner, 3rd ACTRA AwardsCanadian Film Award winner for Best Actress (Non-Feature), 25th Canadian Film Awards1978Great PerformancesMaria MitchellEpisode: "Out of Our Father's House"1981Chairman of the BoardProf. Hannah CohenTV series1985EvergreenDorothyTV miniseries1985American PlayhouseEmmaline Ozmondo FingalEpisode: "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank"1985SeducedMrs. RiordanTV film1985The UndergradsNancy GalikTV film1985Star Wars: EwoksMoragVoice, 13 episodes1985Anne of Green GablesMrs. Amelia EvansTV miniseries1987Taking Care of TerrificMrs. ForbesTV film1989Jean ReedEpisode: "Many, Many Monkeys"1990–1996Road to AvonleaHetty KingMain role1992Heritage MinutesNarratorEpisode: "Rural Teacher"1993Night OwlDr. MatthewsTV film1994AggieRecurring role1995Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw YearsOzza StarksEpisode: "The Hanging"1997Elvis Meets NixonDodgerTV film1997Due SouthGladys CaunceEpisode: "Eclipse"1997PlatinumSir Ian Ball-WorthingtonTV film1998Evidence of BloodGranny DollarTV film1998More Tales of the CityMother MuccaTV miniseries1998Happy Christmas, Miss KingHetty KingTV film1999Cover MeCaitlin CrawfordTV miniseries2001Further Tales of the CityMother MuccaTV miniseries2001SmallvilleCassandra CarverEpisode: "Hourglass"2003Just CauseLily ZimmerEpisode: "Death's Details"2003Made in CanadaHelga Lemper"Beaver Creek Valentine"2003Dead Like MeFlorenceEpisode: "Reaping Havoc"2004Arlene GarwoodEpisode: "Georgia"2004Mrs. YoungTV film2004SnowLornaTV film2005Slings & ArrowsMoira3 episodes2005Martha: Behind BarsBig MarthaTV film2008Skip TracerFlorenceTV film2009SophieAunt SheilEpisode: "Stolen Kisses"
References
Sources
External links
(A publication of The Film Reference Library/a division of the Toronto International Film Festival Group) Images of Jackie Burroughs from the Toronto Telegram fonds at the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, York University Jackie Burroughs (aveleyman)