Michael Charrois

> Actor

I am a member of the Union of British Columbia Performers / Alliance of Canadian Cinema Television and Radio Artists, and Canadian Actors' Equity Association.

I caught the acting bug in high school where I won some awards and had my first romantic experiences with the opposite sex. This positive reinforcement sent me down the path of performing and compulsive gambling that is show business.

I began acting, writing and putting on shows in 1980 with Black Box Theatre, in my hometown of Edmonton, AB. In 1982 I studied acting and playwrighting at the Banff School of Fine Arts. From 1984 to 1987 I was enrolled in a BA Drama program at the University of Alberta. I left the University of Alberta to do an on-the-job apprenticeship with Stage Polaris in Edmonton. For three years I was in the five-member Resident Acting Company and from 1986 to 1998 I performed in over 30 professional family and children theatre productions at Polaris.

In 1983 I started acting and producing Fringe Theatre Festival productions. I have acted in over 30 Fringe shows in over 20 years and have toured to Saskatoon and Orlando, Florida with Fringe projects. I love the Fringe because the workers control most of the means of production.

From 1984 to 1993 I worked with some of my High School friends from my grade 11 Year in Grande Prairie, AB. We were a hard-rocking garage band and I was the singer, lyricist and as the band was winding down I ended up on bass guitar. We had a great run, playing live gigs at alternative venues like the Rumpus Room and El Zorro Loco. We shot a rock video on the roller coaster at West Edmonton Mall, recorded an original song for a pink vinyl compilation album and a cassette demo of 8 original songs. If only we could have kept our drummers from exploding.

In 1988 I became an Equity member. I have performed at most of the professional theatres in my hometown of Edmonton as well as on the road. In 1992 I became a full member of Actra. I have recorded songs, performed on radio (CBC and CKUA) and on TV and in films. In 2001 I relocated to Vancouver where I currently live and work. From 2002 to 2006 I worked at the historic Raymond Burr Theatre in New West-minster where I acted, directed and taught drama classes. I am currently acting on stage and performing in film and television.

The long running Improvised Soap Opera; I appeared in the early years. http://www.die-nastyimprov.com/season1.htm

My profile on The Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0153511/

A little play I performed in called The Maltese Bodkin - Click here for Playbill and other information http://www.canadianshakespeares.ca/db_back_up/db_entry9.cfm

Another small play - The Tempest - Click here for Playbill and other information http://www.canadianshakespeares.ca/db_back_up/db_entry533.cfm

A former student has some nice things to say: http://www.torontoclown.com/Page.asp?PageID=376&ContentID=782

Summer 2007

View my performance in the short film SMILE

- 778-866-5160

View Actor Photos