Local actress talks about shop and making it on her own
by DeAnne Smith
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Courtesy of Jeanne Bowser
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Jeanne Bowser is used to people asking what it's like to be the daughter of one half of Canada's musical comedy duo "Bowser and Blue," but the ACTRA award-nominated actress has plenty to say about her own career in film, television and theatre. A Concordia graduate, Bowser worked alongside John Cleese in a Just for Laughs gala this year and she's currently working on a film with her writer/actor boyfriend.
Montréal Magazine: How did your father feel about you getting into the entertainment industry?
Jeanne Bowser: My parents were so excited I was going to theatre school as opposed to other parents who are like, 'Theater school? What do you do with that after?' My parents were like, 'You're going to get a degree? That's great!'
MM: How did you get the role of Pattie on Fries with That?
JB: I was still in theater school. It was my second audition and my agent at the time basically said, 'Just go in and get to know the casting directors of Montreal.' I had zero credits, nothing.
MM: What was your experience on the show?
JB: We loved each other so much from the get-go. They did such a good job of casting the ensemble. The vibe of whatever you're shooting stays with you. If you're shooting something that's really dark and depressing, then I think you do feel like that at the end of the day, whereas, when you're being silly all day, and you've laughed a million times, you're still tired at the end of the day but the feeling is different.
My parents said, "Theatre school? You're going to get a degree? That's great!"
MM: How do you see acting?
JB: One of the ways I explained it to a class of non-actors was that in order to play a character, regardless of what it is, you have to know about yourself and not be afraid to ask questions. Am I like that in this way or not like that in this way? What are the things in my everyday life that I can bring to this role? Am I approachable, not approachable, good mood or bad?all that stuff? In my opinion, there's nothing about acting that's magic. It's just knowing the things you do subconsciously and choosing to do them or not.
MM: How do you cope with your career's unpredictability?
JB: I don't sit at home and wait for the phone to ring. I try to do my own projects and meet with people and say, 'Let's make a film,' or 'Let's do a radio show,' or 'Let's pitch this.' That's what I do.
MM: What's been the most rewarding aspect of your career?
JB: I think it's the learning. Meeting people who are really inspiring and who are doing amazing things and seeing that it's possible to create something that has integrity, meaning and expresses things that you believe in and that people will stand behind and, ultimately, go watch.
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She is so talented! I really enjoyed her performances in Fries with That? Also, I am always intrigued by how tall she is.
