The Great White North has produced some fine actors, writers, and directors within the entertainment industry over the years, including comedy legends, prominent stage actors, action heroes, and the like. Here, we celebrate Canada’s most successful actresses. The below-mentioned actresses began their careers in their humble homeland of Canada and eventually carved out a name for themselves in Hollywood. While many of them started their careers with local television productions, they have gone on to star in some of the greatest movies and television series ever made.
Collectively, they have starred in hit shows such as True Blood, Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, and How I met Your Mother, as well as starred in blockbuster films and franchises such as Scream, Ant-Man, The Avengers, and Sherlock Holmes. While there are many amazing and talented Canadian actresses to choose from, the women below have reached an unprecedented level of success in their careers across the border. From humble beginnings to Hollywood heavyweights, here are the six most successful Canadian actresses in Hollywood.
6 Evangeline Lilly
Marvel Studios
Alberta-born Evangeline Lilly was discovered by Ford Modelling Agency in her teens. She was eventually cast in some commercials and earned small non-speaking roles in the television series Smallville and Kingdom Hospital. In 2004, Lilly beat out 75 other women to win the role of Kate Austen in the ABC primetime series Lost. Lilly also starred in films such as The Hurt Locker, J.R.R. Tolkien’s three-part adaptation of The Hobbit, and Marvel’s Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp.
5 Anna Paquin
HBO Entertainment
4 Neve Campbell
Dimension Films
Neve Campbell began her acting career on the Canadian-made teen drama Catwalk, however, most would remember her for her next TV venture as Julia Salinger in Party of Five. The critically acclaimed television series opened up many doors for Campbell, and in 1996, she would earn a life-changing role as Sidney Prescott in the first installment of the Scream franchise. Campbell also starred in The Craft, Wild Things, The Company, and more recently in the popular series House of Cards and The Lincoln Lawyer. She recently made headlines when she walked away from the popular horror franchise citing her contribution was undervalued.
3 Cobie Smulders
Before she rose to fame as Robin Scherbatsky in the comedy series How I Met Your Mother, Cobie Smulders starred in several television series, including a recurring role on the Showtime drama The L Word. Since her time on the hit sitcom, she has starred in several films including a voice role as Wonder Woman in The Lego Movie and The Lego Movie: The Second Part. She has also played the part of S.H.I.E.L.D agent Maria Hill in several MCU films and television series including Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Avengers Franchise, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
2 Rachel McAdams
New Line Cinema
Ontario-born Rachel McAdams became interested in acting from a young age. In her youth, she attended acting summer camps and was a member of the Ontario Kids Theatre Company. In high school, she was persuaded by her drama teacher to pursue a professional acting career. In 2001, she graduated from York University’s theater program with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. That same year, she made her film debut with the Italian-Canadian film My Name is Tonino. A year later, she made her Hollywood debut with the 2002 film The Hot Chick. Two years later, she appeared as Regina George in Mean Girls, which marks her breakthrough role. Since then, she has starred in several hit movies including The Notebook, Wedding Crashers, Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Strange, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Throughout her career, she has won several Gemini and Genie awards as well as earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the 2015 film based on a newspaper article Spotlight.
1 Sandra Oh
Shondaland
Ontario-born Sandra Oh was active in the arts from a young age, starring in several school productions and participating in the Canadian Improv Games. After graduating from Montreal’s National Theatre School in 1993, Oh found success in the critically acclaimed Canadian drama Double Happiness, which won her a Genie Award. In the early 2000s, Oh starred in films such as Dancing at the Blue Iguana, Under the Tuscan Sun, and Sideways. She also earned praise for her role as Rita Wu in the HBO comedy Arliss. In 2005, she won her most iconic role as Dr. Cristina Yang in the hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, but would ultimately leave in the 10th season as she felt it was time to let go. Since Grey’s came to an end, Oh has starred in several more films as well as the Netflix series The Chair and the BBC series Killing Eve. Throughout her career, she has won a slew of awards for her work, among them two Golden Globes and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. Oh recently voiced the delightful Disney Pixar animated Turning Red, and in her most recent project, you can catch her on Prime Video in the Sam Raimi horror flick Umma. There is no denying Oh is currently the hottest Canadian actress in Hollywood.
