Gordon Edward Pinsent CC FRSC (July 12, 1930 – February 25, 2023) was a Canadian actor, writer, director, and singer. He began his career in the 1940s, delving into radio dramas before serving in the Canadian Army. His extensive four-decade-long career spans stage, TV, and film, starring in notable works like "Quentin Durgens MP," "The Rowdyman," and "Power Play." He's received numerous awards, including ACTRA, GENIE, and GEMINI Awards, and earned honoraries from several universities. Pinsent's skills extend to writing; his novels inspired feature films, and he penned his memoirs, "By the Way." He shared a close friendship with Marlon Brando, often enjoying drive-in movies with Brando's family.
Known For
The Thomas Crown Affair
(1968)
Jamie McDonald
The Shipping News
(2001)
Billy Pretty
The Old Man and the Sea
(1999)
Old Man (voice)
Blacula
(1972)
Lt. John "Jack" Peters
Pippi Longstocking
(1997)
Capt. Longstocking (voice)
The Grand Seduction
(2014)
Simon
Colossus: The Forbin Project
(1970)
The President
Sex After Kids
(2013)
Dr. Keaton
Away from Her
(2007)
Grant
Full Filmography
Acting
Newfoundland Scene
(1951)
Himself
The Thomas Crown Affair
(1968)
Jamie McDonald
Quarantined
(1970)
Dr. Bud Bedford
Colossus: The Forbin Project
(1970)
The President
Chandler
(1971)
John Melchior
The Rowdyman
(1972)
Will Cole
Blacula
(1972)
Lt. John "Jack" Peters
Incident on a Dark Street
(1973)
Joe - Mayor
Only God Knows
(1974)
Newman's Law
(1974)
Jack Eastman
The Heat Wave Lasted Four Days
(1975)
Cliff Reynolds
Horse Latitudes
(1975)
Donald Crowhurst
The Time of the Tar Sands
(1975)
Blackwood
(1976)
Narrator
Who Has Seen the Wind
(1977)
Gerald O'Connal
The Suicide's Wife
(1977)
Allan Crane
Klondike Fever
(1980)
Swiftwater Bill
The Devil At Your Heels
(1981)
Narrator (Voice)
Escape From Iran: The Canadian Caper
(1981)
Ambassador Ken Taylor
Silence of the North
(1981)
John Frederickson
The Life and Times of Edwin Alonzo Boyd
(1982)
Edwin Boyd
A Case of Libel
(1983)
Dennis Corcoran
John and the Missus
(1987)
John Munn
Babar: The Movie
(1989)
King Babar
Blood Clan
(1990)
Judge William McKay
A Passage from Burnt Islands
(1992)
Narrator (voice)
In the Eyes of a Stranger
(1992)
Lt. Ted Burk
Bonds of Love
(1993)
Leon
Due South
(1994)
Fraser Sr.
A Vow to Kill
(1995)
Frank Waring
A Holiday for Love
(1996)
Cal Marsdon
Pippi Longstocking
(1997)
Capt. Longstocking (voice)
Pale Saints
(1997)
Gus
The Old Man and the Sea
(1999)
Old Man (voice)
The Shipping News
(2001)
Billy Pretty
Blind Terror
(2001)
Martin Howell
A Diary Between Friends
(2002)
Narrator
Fallen Angel
(2003)
Warren Wentworth
Nothing
(2003)
Man In Suit
Hemingway vs. Callaghan
(2003)
Morley Callaghan
The Good Shepherd
(2004)
Cardinal Ledesna
Ambulance Girl
(2005)
Pete
Saint Ralph
(2005)
Heyday!
(2006)
Monroe Gillette
The Sparky Book
(2006)
Goldfish
Away from Her
(2007)
Grant
The Red Green Story: We're All in This Together
(2008)
Hap Shaughnessy
Mysteries of the Great Lakes
(2008)
Narrator
At Home by Myself... with You
(2009)
Narrator (voice)
The Spine
(2009)
Dan Rutherford
An Unlikely Obsession
(2011)
Narrator (voice)
Still Rowdy After All These Years
(2011)
Self
Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town
(2012)
Elder Stephen Leacock / Narrator
Flight of the Butterflies
(2012)
Dr Fred Urquhart
Life Doesn't Frighten Me
(2012)
Francis Weary
Sex After Kids
(2013)
Dr. Keaton
The Grand Seduction
(2014)
Simon
Big News From Grand Rock
(2015)
Pirate's Passage
(2015)
Harry the Barber (voice)
Two Lovers and a Bear
(2016)
Bear (voice)
The River of My Dreams
(2017)
Age of Dysphoria
(2020)
Fred
Back Home Again
(2021)
Jack Rabbit (voice)
Writing
Directing