Christie, Robert, 1913-1996

Robert Christie was an actor, director and drama instructor. He was born in Toronto, Ontario on 20 September 1913 and received his B.A. from Victoria College, University of Toronto in 1934. He distinguished himself as an actor in the 1933 Dominion Drama Festival before joining the John Holden Players in 1934. In 1936, Christie moved to England where he appeared in both provincial repertory theatre and the West End. He appeared in a London production of 'The Zeal of Thy House' before spending the 1938-1939 season with the Old Vic Company. He served in the Canadian Army from 1940 to 1945, after which he returned to Toronto and worked in the CBC Radio Drama Department. He also became a prominent member of the New Play Society appearing in such plays as Morley Callaghan's 'Going Home' (1950), John Coulter's 'Riel' (1950) and Mavor Moore's 'Sunshine Town' (1955). Christie joined the Stratford Festival Company in 1953 and performed in its first four seasons. He later appeared on Broadway in Stratford's production of Christopher Marlowe's 'Tamburlaine' (1956) and in Robertson Davies' 'Love and Libel' (1960). In 1967 he starred as Norah Hatch in the CBC series 'Hatch's Mill'. In addition to appearing in numerous other television and radio programs, Christie was also a teacher of acting in the Theatre Department, Ryerson Polytechnic Institute and was a member of the Actors' Equity Association, the Association of Canadian Radio and TV Artists, and the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto. He won the John Drainie Award in 1984. He died in 1996 in Toronto.

2014/07/22 Last updated.
2018/01/22 KCP. Added dates and VIAF record.

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