Leslie Dawn Knowles

Recently I had the pleasure of joining my friends - and castmates -  Rosemary Phelan and Jason Laprade - aka "The Bright Invisible" at the Tranzac. Their first music video made it's debut and I am honored that they included me as actress for this beautiful touching work. Have a look and listen here.

"Yakim", a short film I did in 2008, was nominated for an award in the Air Canada Enroute film festival. It is a very touching little film which I am proud to be a part of. It can be viewed  here

here's a listing of what i have done so far.......

The learning process........

Life is a great acting teacher really, much of what we do is about understanding human behaviour and using what we know and feel to get into a character's socks and underwear. It's also good to get training from good people and we are lucky here in Toronto to have opportunities to study with top notch teachers. 

Between auditions and shoots, I love taking acting class. I was lucky to get off to a great start with Anne Marie Perrault, who knows the biz inside and out from all angles.  I took both general and screen acting classes and quickly felt comfortable going on auditions, and getting positive results.  I take weekly acting class with wonderful Ginger Howard Friedman.  Her background as actress and Broadway Casting Director for many years mean she definitely knows her stuff and she knows how to get results. I am also again taking a weekly on screen class with Anne Tait. Anne is a casting director and also a producer with many years of experience in all aspects of the acting biz. She also happens to be a great teacher.

Classes I've done/am doing.....

• Audition Workshop
• Scene Study
• Acting for Commercials
• Acting for Film and TV
• Acting for Stage

Even more things to do!

I'ts my son's fault, in practical terms at least. Not long ago he discovered his love of acting and it has spread. He decided he needed an agent, and as any resourceful 5th grader will do these days, went online and found an event called "Showcase of America" which is a weekend of hopeful talent and agents getting to be seen and meet.

His Dad took him there and he had a great time, did some auditions, and wound up signing on with Anne Marie Perrault at AMP Talent. Seeing how serious my son was prompted me to pick up a copy of Stanislavski's "An Actor Prepares". Not a half dozen pages into the book I was struck by the similarities and parallels with the approach I have to music. I will admit I  was intrigued but thinking practically, reasoned I was already busy enough. Soon after though, I met with Anne Marie, and we had a discussion. She asked me if I was interested in acting and offered me to come to a workshop and try a few things. Sure enough I was hooked. That was about two years ago -   I have spent time delving deeper into the whole process and going to class with some wonderful teachers and I'm getting some good things to do. Most of all I love it, even the ubiquitous waiting around :-)