Nicholas Campbell (born 24 March 1952) is a Canadian actor and filmmaker. He is a four-time Gemini Award winner, a three-time Genie Award nominee, and a Canadian Screen Award nominee. He is known for his portrayal of coroner Dominic Da Vinci, on the crime drama television series Da Vinci's Inquest (1998-2005) and its spin-off Da Vinci's City Hall (2005-2006).
In film, Campbell is known for his collaborations with director David Cronenberg, starring in Fast Company (1979), The Brood (1979), The Dead Zone (1983), and Naked Lunch (1991). He has also notably appeared in A Bridge Too Far (1977), The Boys Club (1996), New Waterford Girl (1999), Prozac Nation (2001), Turning Paige (also 2001), Cinderella Man (2005), and Goon (2011). As a director, he made the acclaimed music documentary Stepping Razor: Red X.
Early life Campbell was born in Toronto and raised in Montreal. He went to Toronto's Upper Canada College and Kingston's Queen's University where he originally studied Political Studies but later switched to English and Drama. He continued his studies in England studying five years at Drama Studio London and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Career Campbell started his acting career in the United Kingdom. He spent 40 weeks touring the country with the York Theatre Royal Repertory Company.
His debut film role was in The Omen, released in 1976. He subsequently played small roles in The Eagle Has Landed (1976), the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), and the World War II epic A Bridge Too Far (1977). His co-starred in the 1977 ITV televised play Come Back, Little Sheba, opposite Laurence Olivier, Joanne Woodward and Carrie Fisher. He returned to Canada in 1979.
His starring film and television credits include series leads on Diamonds and The Hitchhiker. Campbell was third-billed in the 1985 movie Certain Fury. Playing Billy Quinn in CBC's Major Crime (1997) he won a Gemini Award for best actor for his work.Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television official site , retrieved 5 February 2008 His television credits also include the role of Bobby Kennedy in Hoover vs. The Kennedys (Gemini nominee for best actor in a miniseries), Going Home (nominated for BAFTA Award), and The Valour and the Horror. Other works include The Sleep Room, Diana Kilmury: Teamster (Gemini nomination for best supporting actor in a drama) and The Diary of Evelyn Lau.
Campbell has also worked extensively with David Cronenberg, appearing in such films as Naked Lunch, The Dead Zone, Fast Company, and The Brood. Campbell has made guest appearances on TV shows including Space: 1999, Airwolf, Blue Murder, (Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role Dramatic Series in 2001) A Nero Wolfe Mystery, Street Legal, Republic of Doyle, and Highlander: The Series.
In addition to his acting career, Campbell is also an accomplished filmmaker. He wrote and directed the 1992 documentary film Stepping Razor: Red X,Craig MacInnis, "Campbell walks the Razor's edge". Toronto Star, 18 September 1992. which received a Genie Award nomination for Best Feature Length Documentary at the 14th Genie Awards.
Da Vinci's Inquest Campbell's role as coroner Dominic Da Vinci in Da Vinci's Inquest brought him critical acclaim. Da Vinci's Inquest was nominated for many Gemini Awards. Of the 11 Geminis the show won, it received three for best writing in a dramatic series and three for best dramatic series. Campbell received the Gemini Award for best performance in a continuing leading dramatic role for his work on the series. Campbell also directed a number of episodes of Da Vinci’s Inquest, being nominated in 2003, for the Directors Guild of Canada team drama award.
Personal life
Controversy In October 2022, Campbell was suspended from the CBC television series Coroner, after an incident where he referred to a Black grip technician as a "nigger" on a different production. The grip, Andre Mike, stated he was clearing stones for Campbell's path, he heard the actor say, "You winter niggers are used to this kind of weather." When the director of photography asked for clarification, Campbell said, "Well, you know, you northern niggers are used to it."
Campbell apologized in a statement to CBC News, but claimed he did not say any slurs, and was repeating a story secondhand. "That word should never be spoken aloud, certainly not by the likes of me, a white guy who is old enough to know better. It doesn't matter the context in which it was said. It doesn't matter that I was retelling a story, or that I was actually quoting someone else's usage of that word. That horrible and divisive word should never come out of my mouth. And it never will again." Mike stated he didn't accept Campbell's apology. After Mike complained to the producers, CBC announced they would suspend Campbell from the show.
Filmography
Films Year Title Role Notes 1976 The Omen Embassy Guard 1977 A Bridge Too Far Captain Glass The Spy Who Loved Me USS Wayne Crewman 1979 Fast Company Billy "The Kid" Brooker H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come Jason Caball The Brood Chris 1980 Day of Resurrection Radio Operator - Palmer Station 1981 Yesterday Tony Dirty Tricks Bill Darcy The Amateur Schraeger 1982 Trapped Roger Michaels Killing 'em Softly Clifford Love Danny segment: "For Life" 1983 The Dead Zone Deputy Frank Dodd 1985 Certain Fury "Sniffer" Terminal Choice Henderson 1986 Knights of the City Joey 1987 The Pink Chiquitas Cast Member of Zombie Beach Party III Rampage Albert Morse 1991 The Big Slice Nick Papadopoulos Naked Lunch Hank 1991 Shadow of the Wolf Scott 1992 Bordertown Café Don Stepping Razor: Red X Documentary; as director 1993 Champagne For Two Vincent 1994 Boozecan As director 1995 Butterbox Babies Clayton Oliver No Contest Victor "Vic" Jungleground Robert Neilson 1996 The Boys Club Kyle's Dad 1998 The Sleep Room Lucas A Cool, Dry Place Frankie Gooland 1999 New Waterford Girl Frances Pottie 2000 New Year's Day Ollie Saint Jude Dad We All Fall Down Bruce 2001 Prozac Nation Donald Wurtzel Turning Paige Ross Fleming 2004 Siblings Dad 2005 Cinderella Man "Sporty" Lewis 2007 14 Days in Paradise Al Johnson 2008 Inconceivable Jonathan Banks 2009 The Cry of the Owl Jed Wyncoop Love and Savagery Senior Tinker A Wake Gabor Zazlov 2010 Unrivaled Raphael 2011 Goon Rollie Hortense I'm Yours Father 2012 Antiviral Dorian Lucas 2013 Algonquin Leif Roulette Cubicle Warriors Howard Ramsey 2014 Backcountry The Ranger 2015 The Rainbow Kid Bill Unearthing Sid Smith 2016 The Addition Max Wrathburn Unless The Stranger 2017 Awakening the Zodiac Ray Never Steady, Never Still Ed The Sound Taxi Driver #1 2018 Rabbit Bobby 2020 The Oak Room Gordon Books of Blood Sam Austin Sugar Daddy Jim 2021 Defining Moments Foddy Hands That Bind Mac Longridge 2023 The Performance Harold Last County Sheriff Bill McLean
Television Year Title Role Notes 1976 Space: 1999 Eddie Collins Episode: "A Matter of Balance" 1977 Come Back, Little Sheba "Turk" TV movie 1980 A Population of One Mike Television film 1983 The HitchhikerThe HitchhikerSeason 1 1986 The Insiders Nick Fox 1987 Airwolf Jason "Doc" Gifford Diamonds Mike Devitt Hoover vs. The Kennedys Robert F. Kennedy Miniseries 1990 Counterstrike Westic Episode: "Power Play" 1991 Counterstrike Ron Smith Episode: "Native Warriors" 1995 Highlander: The Series Kit O'Brady Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Graham Corrigan Episode: "Eye Witness" Dancing in the Dark Mark Forbes TV movie Due South Nigel Ellis Episode: "The Deal" 1998–2005 Da Vinci's Inquest Dominic Da Vinci Lead role 1999 Happy Face Murders Rusty Zuvic TV movie 2003 Human Cargo Jerry Fischer 2005 Da Vinci's City Hall Dominic Da Vinci Lead role 2008 The Quality of Life Dominic Da Vinci TV movie The Englishman's Boy "Shorty" McAdoo Flashpoint George Orsten The Border Dougie Jackson 2009 Murdoch Mysteries Buffalo Bill 2010–2014 Republic of Doyle Martin Poole Recurring role 2010 Haven Garland Wournos 2012 Less Than Kind Jim Sheridan Recurring role 2014 Rookie Blue Jay Swarek 2016 Shoot the Messenger Henry Channing Heartland Will Vernon Episode: "Here and Now" 2017 Black Mirror Russ Sambrell Episode: "Arkangel" Bad Blood Lonnie Gardiner Episode: "You Can Never Hold Back Spring" Tin Star Wallace Lyle Episodes: "Fun and (S)Laughter", "Jack" 2018 Private Eyes Frank Garrison Episode: "The Devil's Playground" 2019–2022 Coroner Gordon Cooper Recurring role
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