Sara Canning
Encyclopedia
Sara Canning is a Canadian actress. She co-starred on The CW
television series The Vampire Diaries
as Jenna Sommers, and starred in the 2009 feature film, Black Field
.
, Newfoundland
, Canada
, the daughter of Wayne and Daphne Canning, and was raised in Sherwood Park
, near Edmonton
, Alberta
. She competed as a figure skater in her childhood and early adolescent years, and became interested in theatre
as a student at F.R. Haythorne Junior High. Canning starred in several stage productions while attending Bev Facey Community High School
, and acted in shows at her hometown stage at Festival Place.
Canning made her professional acting debut in George Orwell
's 1984
at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton at the age of 18. She began studying general arts at the University of Alberta
, and considered going into journalism. Still interested in performing, Canning left university and moved to Vancouver
at 19, to pursue a career in acting. She graduated from a year-long acting program at the Vancouver Film School
.
and began acting in television series and in TV films produced in Vancouver. She worked in a restaurant and would take time off to film. Her first role was playing Nicky Hilton
in Paparazzi Princess: The Paris Hilton Story in 2008. In 2009, she guest-starred on Smallville
and Kyle XY
, and starred in the based-on-real-events TV movie Taken in Broad Daylight
as Anne Sluti, a 17-year- old girl who is abducted by a demented criminal (James Van Der Beek
).
Canning filmed a television pilot
for The CW
series The Vampire Diaries
. She then starred in the feature film
Black Field
, directed by Danishka Esterhazy, a gothic
19th Century period piece
. Canning shot the drama in May 2009 near Tyndall, Manitoba
, Canada for close to 20 days. She played Maggie McGregor, the older of two Scottish sisters struggling take make their way on the Canadian Prairies
. The film premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival
in 2009. Three weeks after filming Black Field, Canning got the news that The Vampire Diaries
had been picked up as a television series.
Canning co-starred on The Vampire Diaries
as Jenna Sommers, the aunt and guardian of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev
) and her younger brother Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen
). Canning was the same age, or younger, than her fellow cast members who played high school students. Makeup artists and the wardrobe team worked to make her look older than she usually did. Canning also downplayed her Canadian accent
for the role. Her character's love interest, Alaric, was played by Matthew Davis
.
Canning appeared on the second season
of The Vampire Diaries from 2010–2011. Her character was killed in the episode, "The Sun Also Rises". As of 2011, Canning was working on a short film noir
. She shot a Lifetime Network film in Vancouver, Hunt for the I-5 Killer, that year, and signed on to play the lead in the Canadian horror film, Blitzed. She will also star alongside Greystone Holt in the Hallmark Movie Channel
TV movie, Hannah's Law. The Western
began filming in October 2011 in Calgary, Alberta.
Canning is also interested in writing and directing. As of September 2010, she was co-writing a love story set in the Western time period.
to film The Vampire Diaries. She stated to Parade
that she found the Southern U.S.
to have "a much different culture than the west coast of Canada", and that it became like her "second home". Canning lived in Atlanta for two years and returned to Vancouver after finishing the series.
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
television series The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth...
as Jenna Sommers, and starred in the 2009 feature film, Black Field
Black Field
Black Field is a 2009 Canadian historical drama film and the debut of filmmaker Danishka Esterhazy. It is set in the 1870s and tells the story of a love triangle between a man and two sisters Maggie and Rose McGregor ....
.
Early life
Canning was born in GanderGander, Newfoundland and Labrador
Gander is a Canadian town located in the northeastern part of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, approximately south of Gander Bay, south of Twillingate and east of Grand Falls-Windsor...
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the daughter of Wayne and Daphne Canning, and was raised in Sherwood Park
Sherwood Park, Alberta
Sherwood Park is a large hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Strathcona County that is recognized as an urban service area. It is located adjacent to the City of Edmonton's eastern boundary, generally south of Highway 16 , west of Highway 21 and north of Highway 630...
, near Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. She competed as a figure skater in her childhood and early adolescent years, and became interested in theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
as a student at F.R. Haythorne Junior High. Canning starred in several stage productions while attending Bev Facey Community High School
Bev Facey Community High School
Bev Facey Community High School is a public high school for grades 10–12 in Sherwood Park, Alberta, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Elk Island Public Schools Regional Division No. 14.-General information:...
, and acted in shows at her hometown stage at Festival Place.
Canning made her professional acting debut in George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
's 1984
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is a dystopian novel about Oceania, a society ruled by the oligarchical dictatorship of the Party...
at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton at the age of 18. She began studying general arts at the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
, and considered going into journalism. Still interested in performing, Canning left university and moved to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
at 19, to pursue a career in acting. She graduated from a year-long acting program at the Vancouver Film School
Vancouver Film School
Vancouver Film School is a private entertainment arts school located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1987, it has achieved international recognition. The Vancouver Film School has campus locations around Downtown Vancouver and comprises six buildings...
.
Career
Canning found an agentTalent agent
A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, film directors, musicians, models, producers, professional athletes, writers and other people in various entertainment businesses. Having an agent is not required, but does help the artist in getting jobs...
and began acting in television series and in TV films produced in Vancouver. She worked in a restaurant and would take time off to film. Her first role was playing Nicky Hilton
Nicky Hilton
Nicholai Olivia "Nicky" Hilton is an American businesswoman, fashion model, socialite, celebutante, heiress and fashion designer. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton and younger sister of Paris Hilton....
in Paparazzi Princess: The Paris Hilton Story in 2008. In 2009, she guest-starred on Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
and Kyle XY
Kyle XY
Kyle XY is an American television series with a science fiction premise and mystery-drama style. The central character is a teenage boy who awakens naked in a forest outside Seattle, Washington, with no more knowledge or abilities than a newborn. He is taken in by a family and given the name Kyle...
, and starred in the based-on-real-events TV movie Taken in Broad Daylight
Taken In Broad Daylight
Taken in Broad Daylight is a 2009, made-for-television movie based on the real-life kidnapping of Nebraska teenager Anne Sluti, who was abducted and held for six days in April 2001 by Anthony Steven Wright, also known as Tony Zappa...
as Anne Sluti, a 17-year- old girl who is abducted by a demented criminal (James Van Der Beek
James Van Der Beek
James William Van Der Beek, Jr. is an American television, film, and stage actor, known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery in The WB series Dawson's Creek...
).
Canning filmed a television pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
for The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
series The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth...
. She then starred in the feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
Black Field
Black Field
Black Field is a 2009 Canadian historical drama film and the debut of filmmaker Danishka Esterhazy. It is set in the 1870s and tells the story of a love triangle between a man and two sisters Maggie and Rose McGregor ....
, directed by Danishka Esterhazy, a gothic
Gothic fiction
Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror, is a genre or mode of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Gothicism's origin is attributed to English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto, subtitled "A Gothic Story"...
19th Century period piece
Period piece
-Setting:In the performing arts, a period piece is a work set in a particular era. This informal term covers all countries, all periods and all genres...
. Canning shot the drama in May 2009 near Tyndall, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada for close to 20 days. She played Maggie McGregor, the older of two Scottish sisters struggling take make their way on the Canadian Prairies
Canadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
. The film premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
in 2009. Three weeks after filming Black Field, Canning got the news that The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth...
had been picked up as a television series.
Canning co-starred on The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth...
as Jenna Sommers, the aunt and guardian of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev
Nina Dobrev
Nina Dobrev is a Bulgarian-Canadian actress. She played the role of Mia Jones, the single teenage mother, on Degrassi: The Next Generation, from the show's sixth to ninth season...
) and her younger brother Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen
Steven R. McQueen
Steven R. McQueen - and also known as 'Steven Chadwick McQueen' - is an American actor, best known for his role as Jeremy Gilbert in The CW show The Vampire Diaries and his recurring role as Kyle Hunter in the drama series Everwood. McQueen uses the name 'Steven R...
). Canning was the same age, or younger, than her fellow cast members who played high school students. Makeup artists and the wardrobe team worked to make her look older than she usually did. Canning also downplayed her Canadian accent
Canadian English
Canadian English is the variety of English spoken in Canada. English is the first language, or "mother tongue", of approximately 24 million Canadians , and more than 28 million are fluent in the language...
for the role. Her character's love interest, Alaric, was played by Matthew Davis
Matthew Davis
Matthew W. Davis is an American actor.-Life and career:Davis was born in Salt Lake City. He attended Woods Cross High School, and the University of Utah....
.
Canning appeared on the second season
The Vampire Diaries (season 2)
The Vampire Diaries was officially renewed by The CW for a full 22-episode season on February 16, 2010. It premiered on September 9, 2010, at 8/7c. The season picks up immediately after the events of the season one finale, with all series regulars returning....
of The Vampire Diaries from 2010–2011. Her character was killed in the episode, "The Sun Also Rises". As of 2011, Canning was working on a short film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
. She shot a Lifetime Network film in Vancouver, Hunt for the I-5 Killer, that year, and signed on to play the lead in the Canadian horror film, Blitzed. She will also star alongside Greystone Holt in the Hallmark Movie Channel
Hallmark Movie Channel
Hallmark Movie Channel is a digital cable channel that is a spin-off of its sister network Hallmark Channel that airs family friendly movies and other television programming.-Hallmark Movie Channel HD:...
TV movie, Hannah's Law. The Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
began filming in October 2011 in Calgary, Alberta.
Canning is also interested in writing and directing. As of September 2010, she was co-writing a love story set in the Western time period.
Personal life
Canning relocated to Atlanta, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
to film The Vampire Diaries. She stated to Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
that she found the Southern U.S.
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
to have "a much different culture than the west coast of Canada", and that it became like her "second home". Canning lived in Atlanta for two years and returned to Vancouver after finishing the series.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Paparazzi Princess: The Paris Hilton Story | Nicky Hilton Nicky Hilton Nicholai Olivia "Nicky" Hilton is an American businesswoman, fashion model, socialite, celebutante, heiress and fashion designer. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton and younger sister of Paris Hilton.... |
TV film |
| 2008 | Smallville Smallville Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross... |
Tess' Assistant | |
| 2008 | Slap Shot 3: The Junior League Slap Shot 3: The Junior League Slap Shot 3: The Junior League is a 2008 sports film starring Greyston Holt and Lynda Boyd and directed by Richard Martin. The direct-to-video film is the sequel to the 2002 direct-to-video film Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice.... |
Hope | Direct-to-video Direct-to-video Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television... film |
| 2009 | Black Rain | Dorothy | TV film |
| 2009 | Taken in Broad Daylight Taken In Broad Daylight Taken in Broad Daylight is a 2009, made-for-television movie based on the real-life kidnapping of Nebraska teenager Anne Sluti, who was abducted and held for six days in April 2001 by Anthony Steven Wright, also known as Tony Zappa... |
Anne Sluti | TV film |
| 2009 | Kyle XY Kyle XY Kyle XY is an American television series with a science fiction premise and mystery-drama style. The central character is a teenage boy who awakens naked in a forest outside Seattle, Washington, with no more knowledge or abilities than a newborn. He is taken in by a family and given the name Kyle... |
Redhead | TV series, episode: "In the Company of Men" |
| 2009 | Come Dance at My Wedding | Andrea Merriman | TV film |
| 2009 | Black Field Black Field Black Field is a 2009 Canadian historical drama film and the debut of filmmaker Danishka Esterhazy. It is set in the 1870s and tells the story of a love triangle between a man and two sisters Maggie and Rose McGregor .... |
Maggie McGregor | Feature film |
| 2009–2011 | The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth... |
Jenna Sommers | TV series: 31 episodes |
| 2011 | The Hunt for the I-5 Killer | Beth Williams | TV film |