Vinessa Antoine

Vinessa Antoine
Antoine in 2016
Born
Vinessa Lynn Antoine

1976 or 1977 (age 47–48)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
OccupationActress
Years active1995–present
Children2
Websitevinessaantoine.com

Vinessa Lynn Antoine[1](born c. 1976 or 1977)[2] is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Judith Winters in the CBC comedy-drama series Being Erica (2009–11), Jordan Ashford in the ABC soap opera General Hospital (2014–18), and Marcie Diggs in the CBC legal drama series, Diggstown (2019–22).

Early life

A native to Toronto, Ontario, Antoine grew up with her younger brother and parents in the suburbs of Toronto.[3] She started studying classical ballet at age 4. At age 18, she studied for three years with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.[4] She also toured with P. Diddy for six months.[5] In her final year at Ailey, Antoine decided to focus her studies on acting.[3] She is of Trinidadian and Middle Eastern descent.[1]

Career

Antoine made her film debut in the 1999 drama film Picture This starring Valerie Perrine and Michael Nouri. From 2001 to 2002, she had a recurring role in the Showtime drama series, Soul Food. Her other television credits including guest shots on The Unit and ReGenesis. She had recurring roles on Haven as Evidence "Evi" Ryan in 2011, and Heartland (2008–14). From 2009 to 2011 she regular cast member on the CBC comedy-drama series, Being Erica playing Judith Winters. She appeared in A Day Late and a Dollar Short, a Lifetime television movie starring Whoopi Goldberg in 2014. Later in 2014, Antoine joined the cast of ABC daytime soap opera, General Hospital as Jordan Ashford.[6][7] On July 16, 2018, Antoine announced that she was leaving General Hospital.[8][9]

In 2019, Antoine made history as a first Black Canadian woman to headline Canadian drama series playing lawyer Marcie Diggs in the CBC drama Diggstown.[10] At the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021, and at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022, she received a nomination for Best Actress in a Drama Series for Diggstown.[11][12] The series ended in 2022, after fourth seasons.[13] The following year, she had a recurring role in the Netflix comedy-drama series, Ginny & Georgia and starred opposite Amanda Seyfried in the drama film Seven Veils directed by Atom Egoyan.[14] It will have its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[15] She also co-starred in the climate change thriller film All the Lost Ones directed by Mackenzie Donaldson.[16] In 2024, she starred in the CBC time-travel drama series, Plan B.[17]

Personal life

Antoine is a mother of two boys and lives in Los Angeles, California.[3]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Love Taps Short film
1999 Picture This Subletter
2021 Kicking Blood Vanessa
2023 Seven Veils Rachel
2023 Kipkemboi Simba
2024 All the Lost Ones Penny

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Annie O Young Fan Television film
2001–02 Soul Food Monica Recurring role, 3 episodes
2007 The Unit Tribal Daughter Episode: "The Outsiders"
2008 ReGenesis Jamila Thompson Episode: "Bloodless"
2008–14 Heartland Nicole Recurring role, 7 episodes
2009–11 Being Erica Judith Winter Series regular, 40 episodes
2011 Haven Evidence 'Evi' Ryan Recurring role, 9 episodes
2014–18 General Hospital Jordan Ashford Series regular
2014 A Day Late and a Dollar Short Donetta Television film
2018 NCIS Sarah Willis Episode: "Keep Your Friends Close"
2019–2022 Diggstown Marcie Diggs Series lead, 26 episodes
ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance (2021)
ACTRA Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role (2020)
Screen Nova Scotia Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role (2020)
Screen Nova Scotia Award for Outstanding Performance (2020)
Nominated — Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (2021, 2022)
Nominated — ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance (2022)
2019 The Resident Lea Jordan Episode: "If Not Now, When?"
2019 Hudson & Rex Allison Daniels Episode: "Trial and Error"
2020 Interrogation Sandy Recurring role, 3 episodes
2023 Ginny & Georgia Simone Recurring role, 4 episodes
2023–2024 So Help Me Todd Alex Recurring role, 4 episodes
2024 Plan B Mia Coleman Series regular, 6 episodes

References

  1. ^ a b Rossi, Rosemary A. (July 21, 2014). "Risky Business". Feature Interview. ABC Soaps In Depth. Vol. 18, no. 29. United States: Bauer Media Group. pp. 44–47.
  2. ^ Belluck, Lois (March 22, 1995). "Start spreading the news New York's the stage to explore dancer's heritage". Surrey Now-Leader. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Vinessa Antoine". vinessaantoine.com. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  4. ^ Soaps SheKnows (October 24, 2014). "Vinessa Antoine Playing Jordan Ashford on General Hospital". Soaps.com. United States: SheKnows Media. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  5. ^ Zekas, Rita (August 22, 2009). "Being Vinessa". Toronto Star. Toronto: Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  6. ^ "Vinessa Antoine Joins GENERAL HOSPITAL as Jordan". We Love Soaps. United States: Blogger. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  7. ^ Fairman, Michael (March 14, 2014). "Vinessa Antoine Debuts On General Hospital". Michael Fairman TV. United States: The Michael Fairman Company. Archived from the original on January 22, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  8. ^ Baysinger, Tim (July 16, 2018). "Vinessa Antoine Leaving 'General Hospital,' ABC to Recast Role". MSN. United States: Microsoft. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  9. ^ SOD (July 16, 2018). "Vinessa Antoine Off GH; Jordan to be Recast". Soap Opera Digest. United States: American Media, Inc. Odyssey Magazine Publishing Group Inc. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  10. ^ Wong, Tony (March 4, 2019). "Diggstown's Vinessa Antoine is the face of change as first Black woman to star in prime-time TV drama" – via Toronto Star.
  11. ^ Brent Furdyk, "Television Nominees Announced For 2021 Canadian Screen Awards, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Leads The Pack With 21 Nominations". ET Canada, March 30, 2021.
  12. ^ Furdyk, Brent (February 15, 2022). "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees Announced, 'Sort Of' & 'Scarborough' Lead The Pack". Archived from the original on February 15, 2022.
  13. ^ Dowling, Amber (November 16, 2022). "Why Didn't CBC's 'Diggstown' Take Off? 'In Canada, It's Extremely Hard to Finance a Show With a Black Female Lead,' Says Creator Floyd Kane".
  14. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (March 14, 2023). "Douglas Smith, Mark O'Brien, Rebecca Liddiard & Vinessa Antoine Join Amanda Seyfried In Atom Egoyan's 'Seven Veils'".
  15. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (July 19, 2023). "Amanda Seyfried's Drama 'Seven Veils' to Premiere at Toronto Film Festival".
  16. ^ Complex, Valerie (September 7, 2022). "Jasmine Mathews, Devon Sawa, Douglas Smith, And Steven Ogg Join Mackenzie Donaldson Feature 'Civil'".
  17. ^ "Vinessa Antoine, Vincent Leclerc and Sarah Booth to star in the second season of the CBC original drama series Plan B | TV, eh?".
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