[7], Watson got her first role at age 19 in a CBC movie called Honor Thy Father. In 2010, Watson guest-starred in Heartland, a series on CBC Television, and she won a 2011 Gemini Award for her portrayal of Sarah Craven. She was 60. Watson starred in four seasons of La Femme Nikita, along with a return appearance in its fifth season, and earned a Gemini nomination for season two. I think Im still in shock about @Alberta_Watsons death. Alberta Watson, pictured in an undated publicity photo. [10], Watson lived in New Jersey for eight years[11] with her husband until they divorced. Deeply saddened to hear the wonderful @Alberta_Watson has died. Watson died on Saturday at age 60 after a long battle with cancer. [3][8] Early in her career she portrayed the role of Mitzi in George Kaczender's[9] In Praise of Older Women (1978), for which she received a Genie nomination. The Tony Award-nominated Broadway actor, 41, died in a hospital in Los Angeles after suffering severe medical complications after contracting the coronavirus. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Watson died on March 21, 2015 due to complications from cancer at Kensington Hospice in Toronto; she was 60 years old. Renowned for her consistency and reliability, Watson was perhaps best known for the TV series La Femme Nikita (1997-2001) and 24 (2004-05), but she also gave memorable performances in David O . She was a deeply disturbed woman with a roller coaster of emotions. She balanced her work in La Femme Nikita with roles in Canadian films including The Life Before This (1999), Desire (2000), and Deeply (2000). Her final film role was in the Vancouver-shot Helen (2009), starring Ashley Judd. Outside acting, Watson championed more production in Canada and more opportunities for Canadian actors. (Surnow was such a fan that he not only hired her again but also named a character in the series, Alberta Green, after her.) All Rights Reserved. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. During the show's second season (in 1998), Watson was diagnosed with lymphoma, for which she had to undergo chemotherapy treatment which caused her to lose her hair. Diane Warren Performs Her 14 Oscar-Nominated Songs in Six Minutes (Exclusive Video), Lionsgate Dealmakers Michael Burns, Brian Goldsmith Extend Contracts, Jefferson White, Adeline Rudolph Join Hellboy Movie The Crooked Man, Jonathan Krisel in Talks to Direct Pokmon: Detective Pikachu Sequel, Rachael Ray Daytime Talk Show to End After 17 Seasons, Shows and Podcasts Breaking Down the Murdaugh Family, Murder Investigation and Trial, Jon Stewart Brutally Confronts Republican Lawmaker Over Gun Deaths, Daisy Jones & the Six Showrunner on Song Switches, Fake/Real Concerts and Shutting Down the Sunset Strip, Rain Dogs Review: HBOs British Dramedy Offers Rewards for Those Who Brave the Bleakness, Vanessa Hudgens, Lilly Singh and Ashley Graham to Host Official Oscars Preshow, Star Hairstylist Jen Atkin Reveals Must-Have Hair Tools, Tutorials and Pro Tips In New MasterClass, Rihannas Puma x Fenty Is Coming Back Heres Where You Can Still Buy Those Cult-Fave Creepers, The Best Bridesmaid Dresses for Every Budget, From Under-$100 Gowns to Hollywood-Inspired Classics, BTS Army: Heres When and Where Legos Dynamite-Inspired Set Arrives Online and In Stores, The Big Lebowski Turns 25: People Didnt Get It, Jeff Bridges Recalls, How the Landscape of Native-Led Stories Has Changed Between Avatars: Were Flexing Our Sovereignty, The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News. [4] She moved to Los Angeles, California, and later to New York City. She was a deeply disturbed woman with a roller coaster of emotions. Alberta Watson, a Canadian actress who had roles in the 24 and Nikita dramas over a four-decade movie and TV career, has died. The Tony Award-nominated Broadway actor, 41, died in a hospital in Los Angeles after suffering severe medical complications after contracting the coronavirus. Corrections? And I'm not a name with an image to protect. In a nod to her La Femme Nikita role, Alberta played a recurring character Madeline Pierce in Nikita, the CW's 20102013 reboot of the film and TV series. CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. Canadian actress Alberta Watson dies at 60, Ex-husband of Edmonton soldier who tried to kill their children plans to sue Canadian military on Facebook, Ex-husband of Edmonton soldier who tried to kill their children plans to sue Canadian military on Twitter. Colorectal cancer cases rising among younger adults in Canada and U.S. Ex-husband of Edmonton soldier who tried to kill their children plans to sue Canadian military, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle evicted from their U.K. home by King Charles, Angry parents speak out on their daughter who froze to death on N.S. A year later she received the Best Actress award at the Yorkton Film Festival for "Exposure". Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Her son visits for the summer and she's laid up with a broken leg and things get out of hand. Watson then played the grieving and lonely mother, Risa Walker, in Atom Egoyans critically acclaimed The Sweet Hereafter (1997). Id loved her in so many things, I was star struck. [4], Watson took a workshop for the Hair musical. .more .more Comments 405 Add a. Her Gary Goddard Agency rep, Pam Winter, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Watson passed away on Saturday at Torontos Kensington Hospice after a long battle with cancer. award-nominated role as Madeline on, Her name was the basis for the character Alberta Green, played by, I took it because it was a heck of a challenge. She followed this with The Prince and Me (2004) and recurring roles in such TV series as Show Me Yours (2004) and Ken Finklemans The Newsroom (2004). lp Watson re-teamed with La Femme Nikita co-creator Joel Surnow for season four of his hit action-drama 24. Her Canadian TV series credits include roles in Heartland, The Newsroom, The Border and Show Me Yours. In 1998 Watson was diagnosed with lymphoma. Lovely woman. The Canadian Encyclopedia She was 60. zh. The provocative film was controversial when it premiered at the Toronto Festival of Festivals (now the Toronto International Film Festival), but it earned 10 Canadian Film Award nominations, including one for Watson for Best Supporting Actress. . Watson died at Toronto's Kensington Hospice with her husband Ken at her side.. She played the role of Madeline in La Femme Nikita for four seasons from 1997 to 2001 (with guest appearances in the short fifth season). ALBERTA WATSON won a Gemini (pretty much, a Canadian Emmy) to Best Performance by an Actress, Guest Role in a Dramatic Series, for her portrayal of Sarah Craven ('Where the Truth Lies', S4 E05, CBC's series Heartland). Please read our Commenting Policy first. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Heyn, Christopher. geoff ewart (@geoffewart) March 23, 2015. In 2008, Alberta Watson received a Career Achievement Award from the Boston-based Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Watson then appeared in several notable projects, including the early Angelina Jolie vehicle Hackers (1995) and the Golden Globe-nominated, Emmy-winning TV movie Gotti (1996), playing the wife of infamous New York mobster John Gotti. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Alberta Watson, well known to television audiences for her Gemini award-nominated role as Madeline on La Femme Nikita (1997), enjoys a long and diverse career in television and film. After performing the lead role of Madelaine on the Canadian-made La Femme Nikita series between 1997 and 2001, Watson later played the recurring role of Senator Madeline Pierce on the CWs follow-up Nikita series, also shot in Toronto. In 2010, Watson guest-starred in Heartland, a series on CBC Television, and she won a 2011 Gemini Award for her portrayal of Sarah Craven. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Get a roundup of the most important and intriguing national stories delivered to your inbox every weekday. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Watson continued acting with the hit CBC TV series The King of Kensington and such tax shelter films as Stone Cold Dead (1979), Dirty Tricks (1981), and The Soldier (1982). [2] Watson said:[7].mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}. Canadian actress Alberta Watson has died after a long battle with cancer. Watson earned a Gemini Award in 2011 for her guest role on Heartland. Watson came closer to fame with the role of Madeline, the cunning force on the Canadian syndicated spy series La Femme Nikita, adapted from the 1990 Luc Besson film. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Her Gary Goddard Agency . Updates? She briefly lived on a communal farm outside the city with other actors before returning to Toronto to act professionally, landing her first role in the CBC TV movie Honour Thy Father (1974). Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. RIP Alberta Watson. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. She began performing with a local Toronto theatre group, T.H.O.G. Born in Toronto, Watson started out in acting with a local theater group, and by the 1970s had regular Canadian film and TV roles. Yeeeehaaaa! Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. Alternate titles: Faith Susan Alberta Watson. She was 60. I seized the character and made her something. Through regional and national programming on multiple platforms, including CBC Television, CBC News Network, CBC Radio, CBCNews.ca, mobile and on-demand, CBC News and its internationally recognized team of award-winning journalists deliver the breaking stories, the issues, the analyses and the personalities that matter to Canadians. Patrick Mullen is a writer, blogger, film critic, film festival programmer, and social media coordinator. Madeleine is the most badass character ever. Comments are welcome while open. Although the film received mostly negative reviews, Watsons performance led to appearances on such American television series as Hill Street Blues, The Equalizer, and Law & Order and a continuing role on the short-lived ABC drama Buck James. "A Conversation with Alberta Watson". We reserve the right to close comments at any time.