Tributes have poured in for beloved Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent, with friends and fans remembering his playful sense of humor and creative spirit.
The Newfoundland native and award-winning star of “Away From Her” died Saturday at the age of 92.
Fans ranging from actors and directors to politicians and everyday Canadians mourned his passing and honored Pinsent, calling him a national treasure, a fascinating storyteller and an icon of the arts.
Canadian filmmaker Sarah Polley, who directed the 2006 drama “Away From Her”, in which Pinsent starred in one of her best-known and most acclaimed performances, said she had “joy in everything she did”. There was a huge potential.”
“It was infectious and educational,” he said on Twitter. “There was not a moment without mischief and a determination to enjoy the moment.”
Comedian and fellow Newfoundlander Rick Mercer says that Pinsent “a true renaissance manadding the actor, writer, director, painter and one-time dance instructor was “an epitome of class and one hell of an awkward man.”
Similar views came from Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey.
“He made us laugh. He made us cry. He put our province on the world stage. said on Twitter. “Thank you, Gordon Pinsent, for everything you’ve done for the arts, for Newfoundland and Labrador, and for our country.”
Jonathan Torrance of Trailer Park Boys and Street Saint fame tells a gripping tale from the filming of “The Shipping News,” a major Hollywood production starring Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore and Cate Blanchett.
While the film was being shot in Newfoundland, “so the story goes, Kevin Spacey arrived in town with several security guards in tow,” he said on Twitter.
Torrance said, “If you’ve ever been to Newfoundland, you’ll know that the people there didn’t care who he was.” “They would care more about what it was.”
Most of the guards were sent home, and eventually the barricades put up to “keep curious people away” were removed, he said.
“What they didn’t see was that people would walk onto the set right in front of Kevin Spacey and Gordon Pinsent,” Torrance said. “The real star of the film. A local boy. Who remembered everyone’s name and would disappear to play cribbage and have a cuppa with the locals. Legend.”
He added: “No one can ever act like Mr. Pinsent, but we should all aspire to act like him. A true gentleman and a Canadian star if there ever was one.”
Meanwhile, others offered thoughts on Pinsent’s kind heart, jolly nature and immense contribution to the arts.
Canadian-American actor Kim Coates Pinsent is called a legend and a “true red-blooded proud Canadian” who was admired around the world.
Canadian director Stephen Dunn, also from Newfoundland, says Pinsent”Paved the way for all of us in entertainment,
Dunn, the creator of the Queer As Folk reboot, said on Twitter, “He was my hero. My friend. My family. And easily the funniest man on earth.” “Forever grateful to have known you.”
Canadian film critic Richard Crouse said he was struck by Pinsent’s talent and even more by his ability to “be a true gentleman, always ready with a story and a laugh”.
“Everything you’ve heard about him is true, he was one of a kind,” she said on Twitter.
Even Canadians who had never met Pinsent offered brief but heartfelt praise on social media, such as one Twitter user who said: “I didn’t know Gordon Pinsent but sure felt We’ve been friends our whole lives.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 26, 2023.