Charmion King (July 25, 1925 – January 6, 2007) was a Canadian actress.

Biography Born in Toronto, Ontario. King studied theatre at the University of Toronto, where she performed at the University's Hart House Theatre, getting notice in Shaw's Saint Joan.

In 1947, King joined the Straw Hat Players, a summer circuit troupe in the Muskoka Lake district. In 1951, King went to England for two years of study.

In 1953, King returned to Canada and joined the cast of the new Crest Theatre. She gave notable performances as the main character in the Madwoman of Chaillot (1961) and in Chekhov's Three Sisters (1956). It was at the Crest that she met her future husband Gordon Pinsent.

King went on to the Stratford Festival appearing in productions of The Winter's Tale, Three Sisters and Uncle Vanya. In 1960, she appeared in Toronto at the Royal Alexandra Theatre (Royal Alex) and on Broadway in Tyrone Guthrie's production of Love and Libel.

After appearing in Orpheus Descending at the Crest (her 18th appearance at the Crest) in 1962, King took a break from acting. In 1964, her daughter Leah was born. King raised Leah while Gordon developed his career. After a while, King stopped receiving offers to act. It would be a decade before she returned to acting.

In 1972, King appeared at the Shaw Festival in a production of The Royal Family, directed by the Crest's Donald Davis, and also starring Jonathan White, Ruth Nelson, Patricia Gage and Paul Kligman. In 1977, King returned to the Toronto stage at the St Lawrence Centre in Easter. She also appeared in S.H.O.R.T.S at Toronto's Redlight Theatre, and in Sweet Bird of Youth at Hart House Theatre. In 1979, King created the role of Jessica Logan in Jitters for the Toronto Free Theatre. She reprised the role at New Haven's Long Wharf Theatre that year and in a revival in Toronto in 1986. In 1980, King starred with Alan Scarfe, Frances Hyland and Eric House in Night of the Iguana by Theatre Plus. In 1988, King starred with Kate Reid in Arsenic and Old Lace at Hart House Theatre. Her final stage role was in February 2006 with Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre Company in Our Town.

In 1991, King played Noah's wife in Timothy Findley's Not Wanted On The Voyage for CBC-Radio's "Arts National" series.

King has also acted in notable television films, including Anne of Green Gables (as Josephine Barry) and Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot (as Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy). She also starred in the Canadian television series Wind at My Back and House of Pride. In 1988, she appeared in the film Shadow Dancing.

King won the Nellie Award in 1985 for best radio actress in Canada.

Personal life King was married to Gordon Pinsent for 44 years until her death. Their daughter, Leah Pinsent, is also a noted Canadian television actress.

King died, aged 81, in Toronto, reportedly from complications of emphysema.

Her papers are in the collection of the Toronto Public Library.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes1964Nobody Waved Good-byeMother1966Affair with a Killer1969Don't Let the Angels FallMyrna1977Who Has Seen the WindMrs. Abercrombie1988Shadow DancingGrace Meyerhoff1998Last NightGrandmother2001Picture ClaireLady on the Train2002MumShort

Television Year Title Role Notes1952Theatre RoyalJulie CavendishTV filmAnne of Green GablesMrs. Allen"Great Aunt Josephine"1953, 1955-1957 & 1959 - 1961EncounterRosalind Marshall/Mrs. Davenport, Mable / Mary Brock, Grace Shearing, Grace Slidell, Jean & Ruby Crawford"Star Light, Star Bright" & "The Coming Out of Ellie Swan", "The Magic Life", "Failure to Remain", "Guest Appearance", "Some Of My Best Friends", "A Wind from the South" & "Company Party"1955Playbill"The Typewriter Murder"1956FolioGwendolyn Fairfax"The Importance of Being Earnest"1957 The Adventures of Tugboat AnnieLydia"The Romance of Horatio Bullwinkle"1957 & 1958On CameraMartha Madison / Grace & Joan"A Lesson in Psychology", "Wait for Me" & "The Beard"1959 The Family ReunionMaryTV film1960First PersonEthel Blanton"Some Are So Lucky"1961 & 1962PlaydateUrsula Bennett, "Nightmare" & "The Eye Opener Man and the Wages of Zinn""Valerie" & Ellen / Laura1961Q for QuestKarin Hildebrandt"The Standard of Dying"QuestMarion"Sam"FestivalMrs. Provocateur"The Police"1962Queen / Aurore"The Queen and the Rebels" & "Bousille and the Just"1963PlaydateRuth Rutledge / Anne / Mrs. Wenfield"The Man Who Cheered the Leafs", "Willow Circle", "The Fight for Martin Wheeler" The Forest RangersJuliette Davis"The Deputy"1964 A Very Close FamilyDaughterTV film1965 & 1966SeawayEmily Paneau & Anna Amorest"Nothing But a Long Goodbye" & "Don't Forget to Wipe the Blood Off: Parts 1 & 2"1969Room 222Dora Hughes"The Exchange Teacher"1973McMillan & WifeAnn Grey"Death of a Monster... Birth of a Legend"1974House of PrideMary KirbyTV series1985Anne of Green GablesGreat Aunt Josephine BarryTV miniseries1987Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel1988Katts and DogPrincess Rosa"Comedy of Errors", "Princess Rosa" & "Protective Custody" The Twilight ZoneDiane Brockman"Our Selena Is Dying"1990 The HitchhikerMargaret Cabot"Hard Rhyme"1994Broken LullabyNatalia RostovaTV film1997TradersFrankie Beal"Family Legacy"Psi FactorBridget Jamieson"The Damned"1997–2001Wind at My BackDaisy WhitneyRecurring role1998My Own CountryYoung Man's MotherTV filmWitness to YesterdayMary Pickford"Mary Pickford"2000Twitch CityMeals Lady"Klan Bake"2001Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of CamelotRose KennedyTV filmTwice in a LifetimeAnne"Final Flight"

References

Sources

External links

Toronto Star obituary