The Most Famous

ACTORS from Canada

This page contains a list of the greatest Canadian Actors. The pantheon dataset contains 13,578 Actors, 475 of which were born in Canada. This makes Canada the birth place of the 4th most number of Actors behind United Kingdom, and India.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Canadian Actors of all time. This list of famous Canadian Actors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Canadian Actors.

1. Mary Pickford (1892 - 1979)

With an HPI of 81.55, Mary Pickford is the most famous Canadian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 88 different languages on wikipedia.

Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian and American film actress and producer. A pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood career that spanned five decades, Pickford was one of the most popular actresses of the silent film era. Beginning her film career in 1909, Pickford became Hollywood's first millionaire by 1916, and, at the height of her career, had complete creative control of her films and was one of the most recognizable women in the world. Due to her popularity, unprecedented international fame, and success as an actress and businesswoman, she was known as the "Queen of the Movies". She was a significant figure in the development of film acting and is credited with having defined the ingénue type in cinema, a persona that also earned her the nickname "America's Sweetheart". In 1919, she co-founded United Artists alongside Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith, and was also one of the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927. She was awarded the second Academy Award for Best Actress for her first sound film role in Coquette (1929) and received an Academy Honorary Award in 1976 in consideration of her contributions to American cinema. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Pickford as the 24th-greatest female star of Classical Hollywood Cinema.

2. Leslie Nielsen (1926 - 2010)

With an HPI of 77.80, Leslie Nielsen is the 2nd most famous Canadian Actor. His biography has been translated into 72 different languages.

Leslie William Nielsen (February 11, 1926 – November 28, 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. Nielsen made his acting debut in 1950, appearing in 46 live television programs a year. He made his film debut in 1956, with supporting roles in several dramas, westerns and romance films produced from the 1950s to 1970s. Although his memorable performances in the films Forbidden Planet and The Poseidon Adventure gave him standing as a dramatic actor, Nielsen later gained enduring recognition for his deadpan comedy roles during the 1980s, after being cast for the Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker comedy film Airplane! In his comedy roles, he specialized in portraying characters oblivious to and complicit in their absurd surroundings. His performance in Airplane! marked a turning point which made him "the Olivier of spoofs", according to film critic Roger Ebert, and led to further success in the genre, starring in The Naked Gun film series, based on his earlier short-lived television series Police Squad!. He received a variety of awards and was inducted onto Canada's Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

3. Donald Sutherland (1935 - 2024)

With an HPI of 76.71, Donald Sutherland is the 3rd most famous Canadian Actor. His biography has been translated into 87 different languages.

Donald McNichol Sutherland (17 July 1935 – 20 June 2024) was a Canadian actor. With a career spanning six decades, he received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards as well as a BAFTA Award nomination. Considered one of the best actors never nominated for an Academy Award, he received an Academy Honorary Award in 2017. Sutherland rose to fame after roles in the war films The Dirty Dozen (1967), M*A*S*H (1970), and Kelly's Heroes (1970). He subsequently appeared in many leading and supporting roles, including Klute (1971), Don't Look Now (1973), The Day of the Locust (1975), 1900 (1976), Fellini's Casanova (1976), Animal House (1978), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Ordinary People (1980), Max Dugan Returns (1983), A Dry White Season (1989), JFK (1991), Six Degrees of Separation (1993), Disclosure (1994), Without Limits (1998), Space Cowboys (2000), The Italian Job (2003), Pride & Prejudice (2005), and Ad Astra (2019). He portrayed President Snow in The Hunger Games franchise (2012–2015). On television, he portrayed Mikhail Fetisov in the HBO thriller Citizen X (1995), which earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. He played Clark Clifford in the HBO biographical war film Path to War (2002) for which he received the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. He also acted in the NBC war drama Uprising (2001), the miniseries Human Trafficking (2005), the FX drama series Trust (2018), and the HBO mystery limited series The Undoing (2020). Sutherland was made an Officer of the Order of Canada (OC) in 1978, raised to Companion (CC) in 2019, inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame in 2000 and the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011. He is the father of Kiefer, Rossif, and Angus Sutherland, all actors. Sutherland was a prominent voice in politics throughout his life and was particularly vocal during the Vietnam War, where he was an anti-war activist.

4. Christopher Plummer (1929 - 2021)

With an HPI of 76.12, Christopher Plummer is the 4th most famous Canadian Actor. His biography has been translated into 94 different languages.

Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage and television. His accolades included an Academy Award, two Tony Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making him the only Canadian recipient of the "Triple Crown of Acting". He also received a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as a nomination for a Grammy Award. Plummer made his Broadway debut in the 1954 play The Starcross Story. He received two Tony Awards, one for Best Actor in a Musical playing Cyrano de Bergerac in Cyrano (1974) and the other for Best Actor in a Play portraying John Barrymore in Barrymore (1997). His other Tony-nominated roles include in J.B. (1959), Othello (1982), No Man's Land (1994), King Lear (2004) and Inherit the Wind (2007). Plummer made his film debut in Stage Struck (1958), landed his first starring role that same year in Wind Across the Everglades. He became a household name as a result of his role as Captain Georg von Trapp in the musical film The Sound of Music (1965) alongside Julie Andrews. During this time he starred in The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Waterloo (1970) and The Man Who Would Be King (1975). Plummer received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing an elderly gay man in the comedy-drama Beginners (2011); he was nominated for the same award for his portrayals of Leo Tolstoy in the drama The Last Station (2009) and J. Paul Getty in the crime thriller All the Money in the World (2017). He is also known for his roles in The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), Somewhere in Time (1980), The Man Who Planted Trees (1987), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), Malcolm X (1992), The Insider (1999), A Beautiful Mind (2001), The New World (2005), Syriana (2005), Inside Man (2006), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) and Knives Out (2019).

5. Jim Carrey (b. 1962)

With an HPI of 74.75, Jim Carrey is the 5th most famous Canadian Actor. His biography has been translated into 109 different languages.

James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. Known primarily for his energetic slapstick performances, he has received two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for BAFTA Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards. After spending the 1980s honing his comedy act and playing supporting roles in films, Carrey gained recognition when he was cast in the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color (1990–1994). He broke out as a film star after starring in a string of box office hits, such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber (all 1994), Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, and Batman Forever (both 1995). The success of these five films led to Carrey being the first comic actor to receive an upfront $20 million salary for performing in films, beginning with The Cable Guy (1996). Carrey continued to have success as a leading actor in comedies such as Liar Liar (1997), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Bruce Almighty (2003), Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), and Yes Man (2008). Since the 2010s, Carrey appeared in fewer films, with notable works including Dumb and Dumber To (2014) and his role as Doctor Eggman in the Sonic the Hedgehog film series (2020–present). Although largely typecast as a comedic actor, Carrey had success in dramatic roles. His critically acclaimed performances include the title role in The Truman Show (1998) and Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon (1999), winning Golden Globe Awards for each film. He starred in the romantic drama film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award and another Golden Globe. Carrey also starred in the Showtime tragicomedy series Kidding (2018–2020), for which he received his seventh Golden Globe nomination.

6. Michael J. Fox (b. 1961)

With an HPI of 74.17, Michael J. Fox is the 6th most famous Canadian Actor. His biography has been translated into 79 different languages.

Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian and American actor and activist. Beginning his career as a child actor in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom Family Ties (1982–1989) and Marty McFly in the Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–1990). Fox went on to star in films such as Teen Wolf (1985), The Secret of My Success (1987), Casualties of War (1989), Doc Hollywood (1991) and The Frighteners (1996). He returned to television on the ABC sitcom Spin City in the lead role of Mike Flaherty (1996–2000). In 1998, Fox disclosed his 1991 diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. He became an advocate for finding a cure and founded The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000 to help fund research. Worsening symptoms forced him to reduce his acting work. Fox voiced the lead roles in the Stuart Little films (1999–2005) and the animated film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). He continued to make guest appearances on television, including comedy-drama Rescue Me (2009), the legal drama The Good Wife (2010–2016) and spin-off The Good Fight (2020) and the comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm (2011, 2017). Fox's last major role was the lead on the short-lived sitcom The Michael J. Fox Show (2013–2014). He officially retired in 2020 due to his declining health. Fox has won five Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Grammy Award. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2010 and was inducted to Canada's Walk of Fame in 2000 and the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002. For his advocacy of a cure for Parkinson's disease, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in 2022 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025.

7. William Shatner (b. 1931)

With an HPI of 69.92, William Shatner is the 7th most famous Canadian Actor. His biography has been translated into 70 different languages.

William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship Enterprise in the second pilot of the first Star Trek television series to his final appearance as Captain Kirk in the seventh Star Trek feature film, Star Trek Generations (1994). Shatner began his screen acting career in Canadian films and television productions before moving into guest-starring roles in various American television shows. He appeared as Captain Kirk in all the episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, 21 of the 22 episodes of Star Trek: The Animated Series, and the first seven Star Trek movies. He has written a series of books chronicling his experiences before, during and after his time in a Starfleet uniform. He has also co-written several novels set in the Star Trek universe and a series of science fiction novels, the TekWar sequence, that were adapted for television. Outside Star Trek, Shatner played the eponymous veteran police sergeant in T. J. Hooker (1982–1986), hosted the reality-based television series Rescue 911 (1989–1996), guest starred on the detective series Columbo, and acted in the comedy film Miss Congeniality (2000). Shatner's television career after his last appearance as Captain Kirk embraces comedy, drama and reality shows. In seasons 4 and 5 of the NBC series 3rd Rock from the Sun, he plays the alien "Big Giant Head" to whom the main characters report. From 2004 until 2008, he starred as attorney Denny Crane in the final season of the legal show The Practice and the entire run of its spinoff, Boston Legal. The role of Denny Crane won Shatner two Emmy Awards, one for his contributions to each series. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, he starred in both seasons of NBC's Better Late Than Never, a comical travel series in which a band of elderly celebrities toured east Asia and Europe. Aside from acting, Shatner has had a career as a recording artist, starting with his 1968 album, The Transformed Man. Shatner's cover versions of songs are dramatic recitations of their lyrics rather than musical performances: the most notable are his versions of the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man", and Elton John's "Rocket Man". His most successful album was his third, Seeking Major Tom (2011), which includes covers of Pink Floyd's "Learning to Fly", David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". In 2021, Shatner flew into space aboard Blue Origin NS-18, a Blue Origin sub-orbital capsule. At age 90, he became the oldest person to fly in space and one of the first 600 to do so. Minutes after the flight, he described experiencing the overview effect.

8. Pamela Anderson (b. 1967)

With an HPI of 69.11, Pamela Anderson is the 8th most famous Canadian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 90 different languages.

Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress, model and media personality. She rose to prominence after being selected as the February 1990 Playboy Playmate of the Month. She went on to make regular appearances on the magazine's cover and held the record for the most Playboy covers by any individual. Anderson began her acting career on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement (1991–1993, 1997), before receiving international recognition for starring as "C.J." Parker in the drama series Baywatch (1992–1997), which further cemented her status as a sex symbol. In 1995, personal home videos of Anderson with her then-husband Tommy Lee were stolen and sold as a sex tape, which resulted in a legal fight and made her the subject of controversy. Anderson starred as Vallery Irons in the syndicated series V.I.P. (1998–2002) and as Skyler Dayton in the Fox sitcom Stacked (2005–2006). Her film credits include Barb Wire (1996), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Borat (2006), Baywatch (2017), and City Hunter (2018). She starred in her own reality series Pam: Girl on the Loose (2008) and appeared as a contestant on the Dancing with the Stars franchise (2010–2012, 2018). Anderson saw a career resurgence in the 2020s after her 2022 Broadway debut portraying Roxie Hart in the long-running musical Chicago, the 2023 Netflix documentary Pamela, a Love Story (which coincided with the release of her autobiography, Love, Pamela), and the 2024 indie-drama film The Last Showgirl, the latter of which earned her nominations for the Golden Globe Award and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress. Anderson has publicly supported various charitable causes (particularly animal rights and PETA), and endorses plant-based cooking. She serves as the host for Flavour Network's plant-based cooking show, Pamela's Cooking with Love (2025–present). In addition, her plant-based cookbook I Love You: Recipes from the Heart was nominated for a 2025 James Beard Award in the Media:Visuals" category for the work of her photographer, Ditte Isager.

9. Catherine O'Hara (b. 1954)

With an HPI of 67.69, Catherine O'Hara is the 9th most famous Canadian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 41 different languages.

Catherine Anne O'Hara (born March 4, 1954) is a Canadian and American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She started her career in sketch and improvisational comedy in film and television before expanding her career taking dramatic roles. She has received several accolades including two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. She started her career in the sketch comedy series Second City Television (1976–1984) where she won the Primetime Emmy Award. She gained acclaim acting in films such as After Hours (1985), Heartburn (1986), Beetlejuice (1988), Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). She collaborated with Christopher Guest acting in his mockumentary films Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006). She also voiced roles in films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Chicken Little (2005), Over the Hedge (2006), Monster House (2006), Frankenweenie (2012), and Elemental (2023). She gained a career resurgence for her role as Moira Rose in the CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek (2015–2020), earning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She was previously Emmy-nominated for her portrayal of Temple Grandin's aunt in the HBO film Temple Grandin (2010). She also acted in the HBO drama series Six Feet Under (2003–2005), the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2018), the Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio (2025), and the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us (2025).

10. Elliot Page (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 67.48, Elliot Page is the 10th most famous Canadian Actor. His biography has been translated into 74 different languages.

Elliot Page (formerly Ellen Page; born February 21, 1987) is a Canadian actor, producer, and activist. He is known for his leading roles across Canadian and American film and television, and for his outspoken work as an activist for LGBTQ rights and against discrimination. His accolades include nominations for an Academy Award, three BAFTAS, two Emmys, a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award. Page first came to recognition for his starring role in the television franchise Pit Pony (1997–2000) and his recurring roles in the series Trailer Park Boys (2002) and ReGenesis (2004). His breakthrough came with leading roles in the films Hard Candy (2005) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). He received critical acclaim for portraying the title character in the film Juno (2007), and became the fourth-youngest nominee for the Academy Award for Best Actress at the time. His film roles since include Whip It (2009), Super (2010), Inception (2010), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Tallulah (2016), and Close to You (2023). He plays Jodie Holmes in the video game Beyond: Two Souls (2013). He then produced and starred in the film Freeheld (2015), hosted the Viceland documentary series Gaycation (2016–2017), and directed There's Something in the Water (2019). He also plays Vanya (later Viktor) Hargreeves in the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy (2019–2024). Describing himself as a pro-choice feminist, Page has spoken out in favor of the Me Too movement, advocated for abortion rights, has called for the end of military dictatorship in Myanmar, and is also vegan. Page publicly came out as a lesbian in 2014, and that same year, was included in The Advocate's annual "40 Under 40" list. In 2015, he received the Human Rights Campaign Vanguard Award. In 2020, he came out a trans man and took the name Elliot. In March 2021, he became the first openly trans man to appear on the cover of Time magazine.

People

Pantheon has 475 people classified as Canadian actors born between 1859 and 2006. Of these 475, 400 (84.21%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Canadian actors include Jim Carrey, Michael J. Fox, and William Shatner. The most famous deceased Canadian actors include Mary Pickford, Leslie Nielsen, and Donald Sutherland. As of April 2024, 475 new Canadian actors have been added to Pantheon including Mary Pickford, Leslie Nielsen, and Donald Sutherland.