Faith Susan Alberta Watson (March 6, 1955 – March 21, 2015) was a Canadian film and television actress.Alberta Watson profile, filmreference.com; accessed March 23, 2015. She was known for her roles as Dr. Rebecca Meyer on Buck James (1987-88), Madeline on La Femme Nikita (1997-2001) and Erin Driscoll on 24 (2004-05).
Watson was a Gemini Award (out of five total nominations) and a two-time Genie Award nominee (Best Supporting Actress, 1978, for In Praise of Older Women; Best Actress, 1997, for Shoemaker). She also shared the National Board of Review Award for Best Cast with the ensemble of Atom Egoyan's The Sweet Hereafter (1997).
Early life Watson was born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1955.Rita Zekas. , Toronto Star, August 5, 1994. She grew up in Toronto with her mother Grace, a factory worker, and her brother. She began performing with a local Toronto theatre group, T.H.O.G. (Theatre House of God),Neil Morton. , Elm Street Magazine; accessed March 23, 2015. of the Bathurst Street United Church, at age 15.
Watson took a workshop for the Hair musical.Bruce Blackadar. , Toronto Star, August 7, 1980. While at the workshop she acted in Hamlet, which was directed by René Bonnière,Profile of René Bonnière; accessed March 23, 2015. who later directed her in La Femme Nikita.Jim Bawden. , albertawatson.net, July 18, 1999.
Career Watson got her first role at age 19 in a CBC movie called Honor Thy Father.Liz Braun. , albertawatson.net, December 29, 1995. Early in her career she portrayed the role of Mitzi in George Kaczender'sGeorge Kaczender profile, imdb.com; accessed March 23, 2015. In Praise of Older Women (1978), for which she received a Genie nomination for Best Supporting Actress. A year later she received the Best Actress award at the Yorkton Film Festival for "Exposure". She moved to Los Angeles, California, and later to New York City."Three Hours On A Plane Is All She Can Stand: Great Escapes - Alberta Watson" , Interview with Fulton King, February 19, 2000.
Watson lived in New Jersey for eight years, San Francisco Examiner, August 23, 1994. with her husband until they divorced. She then returned to Toronto and focused on finding roles in independent films. She worked with director Colleen Murphy on the film Shoemaker (1996), for which she received a second Genie nomination for Best Actress.
Among her well-known film roles are the bed-ridden mother Susan Aibelli in the 1994 American independent film Spanking the Monkey, Lauren Murphy (the mother of Jonny Lee Miller's character Dade, also called "Crash Override"/"Zero Cool") in the 1995 cult film Hackers, and Risa in the 1997 Academy Award-nominated Canadian film The Sweet Hereafter, directed by Atom Egoyan.
In Spanking the Monkey, Watson plays her favourite character, TVGuide/Yahoo Chat, January 7, 1999. a mother who has an incestuous relationship with her son. The role was turned down by several actresses such as Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange and others. Watson said:
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). 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.Michelle Erica Green. "Alberta Watson: The Toughest Woman on Television", TheLittleReview.com; accessed March 23, 2015. Producers at La Femme Nikita worked around her treatment and limited her appearances. Watson wore wigs in the show when she lost her hair. When her hair started to regrow, she sported the short haircut in her role as Madeline in the show's third season.
Watson's first name inspired the character Alberta Green in the first season of 24. In 2005, Watson joined the cast of 24, playing CTU Director Erin Driscoll for 12 episodes of the show's fourth season.
During 2007 and 2008, Watson played a supporting role in the Canadian television series The Border as the Minister of Public Safety.
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.
In a nod to her La Femme Nikita role, Alberta played a recurring character Madeline Pierce in Nikita, the CW's 2010–2013 reboot of the film and TV series.
Death Watson died on March 21, 2015, due to complications from cancer at Kensington Hospice in Toronto, 15 days after her 60th birthday.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1978In Praise of Older WomenMitziPower PlayDonna1979ExposureBarbaraShort filmStone Cold DeadOlivia Page1980VirusLitha1981Dirty TricksTonyBlack MirrorTina1982Susan Goodman1983Eva Cuza1984Best RevengeDinah1987White of the EyeAnn Mason1989Destiny to OrderThalia / Marla / Nicole1991Christine De Vera1992ZebraheadPhyliss1994Spanking the MonkeySusan Aibelli1995What's His FaceWomanShort filmHackersLauren Murphy1996ShoemakerAnnaSweet Angel MineMegan1997Risa1998Seeds of DoubtJennifer Kingsley1999Nita2000DesireSimoneDeeplyFiona2001Hedwig and the Angry InchHansel's MomChasing CainDenise McGooganTartLily StormCaterin2002Natalie2004Amy MorganMy Brother's KeeperHelen WoodsVendetta: No Conscience, No MercyAnne PhelanSome Things That StayLiz Anderson2006Citizen DuaneBonnie BalfourAway from HerDr. FischerMartha Brewer2007Barbara Pratt2008Growing OpMarilla2009HelenDr. ShermanThe SpineMary RutherfordShort film
Television Year Title Role Notes1980King of KensingtonMitziEpisode: "War and Peace"War BridesNormaTV film1983I Am a HotelSuzanneTV short1984Hill Street BluesProstituteEpisode: "Fuched Again"Deadly NightmaresJill FriedlanderEpisode: "Remembering Melody"1985Murder in SpaceDominica MastrelliTV filmCarla Holden Episode: "The Distant Fire"Kane & AbelZofia RosnovskiTV miniseries1986Fortune DaneAmy SteinerPilot episodeWomen of ValorLt. Helen PrescottTV film1987Street LegalMercedes PuentesEpisode: "Tango Bellarosa"1987–88Buck JamesDr. Rebecca MeyerMain role (19 episodes)1989Taffy Gould Episode: "The Caper"Shannon's DealTerry LomaxTV filmStreet LegalMaria LopezEpisode: "Partners and Other Strangers"1990Island SonNina DelaneyEpisode: "Separations"GrandAndreaEpisode: "The Return of Yale Pinhaus"1991Law & OrderMiss HanleyEpisode: "His Hour Upon the Stage"1992Law & OrderAngela BrandtEpisode: "Skin Deep"1993Relentless: Mind of a KillerEllen GiancolaTV filmMatrixMarie SandsEpisode: "Conviction of His Courage"1994Jonathan Stone: Threat of InnocenceDeborah Walsh BradfordTV film1995Lynda TillmanEpisode: "If These Walls Could Talk"Agent Lynette GrahamTV film1996Giant MinePeggy WitteGottiVictoria Gotti1997–2001La Femme NikitaMadelineMain role (89 episodes)Nominated - Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series1998Mary BradleyTV film2000Soul FoodJudge Olivia DelaneyEpisode: "The More Things Stay the Same"2001After the HarvestAmelia GareTV film2002Guilt by AssociationAngieChasing Cain: FaceDet. Denise McGoogan2003Amanda KnowlesPenguins Behind BarsBabs (voice)MissingMrs. MastrianiEpisode: "Pilot"Choice: The Henry Morgentaler StoryChava Rosenfarb-MorgentalerTV film2004Puppets Who KillJudgeEpisode: "Bill Sues"SusanRecurring role (4 episodes)Show Me YoursToni BaneRecurring role (8 episodes)2004–0524Erin DriscollRegular role (13 episodes)2005Million Dollar MurderTed's LawyerTV film2006At the HotelCamilleRecurring role (4 episodes)Angela's EyesLydia AndersonRecurring role (6 episodes)2008Minister Suzanne FleischerRecurring role (10 episodes)2010HeartlandSarah CravenEpisode: "Where the Truth Lies"2011–12NikitaSenator Madeline PierceRecurring role (9 episodes)
Bibliography Heyn, Christopher. "A Conversation with Alberta Watson". Inside Section One: Creating and Producing TV's La Femme Nikita. Introduction by Peta Wilson. Los Angeles: Persistence of Vision Press, 2006. pp. 88–93. . In-depth conversation with Alberta Watson about her role as Madeline on La Femme Nikita, as well as her more recent acting experiences.
References
External links
An Alberta Watson interview (Wayback version)
Alberta Watson; Aveleyman