Sonja Bennett
Sonja Bennett | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 24, 1980 |
| Alma mater | Studio 58 |
| Occupations | Actress, screenwriter |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Website | www |
Sonja Bennett (born August 24, 1980) is a Canadian actress and screenwriter.[2] Her film debut was in the Canadian feature film Punch (2002), for which she won the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a Canadian Film. She has since starred in the films Donovan's Echo, Cole, Control Alt Delete, Young People Fucking, and Fido as well as the television series Godiva's and Cold Squad. In 2014, Bennett made her screenwriting debut with Preggoland, in which she also starred.[3]
Early life and education
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia on August 24, 1980,[1] Bennett is the daughter of director and writer Guy Bennett[4] and Anna Hart. She was raised mainly by her mother, living in several locations.[4] She is a graduate of Garibaldi Secondary School in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. She attended the University of British Columbia for two years on an academic scholarship. Following that, she attended Studio 58 at Langara College in Vancouver.[4] During her final year at Studio 58, a course requiring students to write and perform their own solo show gave Bennett her first experience writing material for herself, which she has described as foundational to her later screenwriting career.[5]
Career
Television work
On the small screen, Bennett played recurring roles on the NBC series Battlestar Galactica, Warner Brothers' Traveler, New Line television series Blade as well as Eureka, Dead Zone and Cold Squad.[6] She has played guest starring roles on the series Supernatural, Stargate Atlantis, Psych, Painkiller Jane, John Doe.[7] Bennett also had a recurring role as the character Vivian Adams in Mistresses (2015), and starred in the Bravo!/CityTV series, Godiva's from 2005-2006.[8]
Film work
Bennett starred in the 2002 film Punch, which her father, Guy Bennett, wrote and directed.[4] The movie was her feature film debut, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival,[9] and led to her being awarded Best Actress by the Vancouver Film Critics Circle.[10] Following the film's release, Bennett was approached by Fox Television.[9] She has since appeared in the films Donovan's Echo,[11] Cole,[12] Control Alt Delete,[13] Young People Fucking,[14] and Fido.[15] She wrote the screenplay, her first, for the 2014 film Preggoland, in which she also starred.[16][17] Following the film's release, Bennett chose to pursue television writing rather than capitalize on the film's profile in Los Angeles, describing the decision as a deliberate shift in her career ambitions.[18] Encouraged by Vancouver writer Robert Chomiak to move from feature films into television, she began writing for the series Kim's Convenience.[19]
Personal life
Bennett was previously married to Canadian actor Stephen Lobo, with whom she has two children.[20] The two first worked together as co-stars on Godiva's (2005–2006), in which Lobo played head chef Ramir opposite Bennett's Daisy,[21] and the two later appeared together in the film In No Particular Order (2012).[22] Lobo also served as an editor on Preggoland (2014).[23] Bennett had a ten-month-old and a three-year-old during the filming of Preggoland.[24]
Awards and nominations
- In 2002 she got a 'Special Citation' in the Women In Film And Video Vancouver Artistic Merit Award category at the Vancouver International Film Festival for Punch (2002).[25]
- In 2003 she won the Best Canadian Actress in a Lead Role of the Vancouver Film Critics Circle for Punch (2002).[10]
- In 2005 she was nominated for a Leo Award, for Best Supporting Performance by a Female for Dramatic Series for the Godiva's episode, Having Her Cake,[26] and for a Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series for Cold Squad,[27] for the episode Righteous.
- In 2006 she was twice nominated for the Leo at the Leo Awards for Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series for Godiva's (2005) for episodes Dead Flowers and Out the Door.[28]
- In 2008 she won the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film of the Vancouver Film Critics Circle for Young People Fucking (2007).[29]
- In 2010 she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film at the Leo Awards for Cole (2009).[30]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Dents in the Sky | Sue | Short |
| The Water Game | Grad | ||
| Punch | Ariel | ||
| 2003 | My Life Without Me | Sarah | |
| Ferry Tale | Vicky | Short | |
| 2004 | The Perfect Score | Pregnant Girl | |
| 2005 | Where the Truth Lies | Bonnie | |
| The Fog | Mandi | ||
| 2006 | Nostalgia Boy | Connie Golden | Short |
| Fido | Tammy | ||
| Catch and Release | Caterer | ||
| 2007 | he Cabinet | Lizzie | Short |
| The Sandlot: Heading Home | Pearl | Video | |
| Shutter | Aurora | Short | |
| Young People Fucking | Mia | ||
| 2008 | Elegy | Beth | |
| Control Alt Delete | Jane | ||
| Gold! Gold! Gold! | Trina | Short | |
| 2009 | Cole | Maybelline | |
| 2010 | Stained | Jennifer | |
| Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball | Jules Scott | Video | |
| Fathers & Sons | Sonja | ||
| 2011 | Pleased to Meet You | Tracy | Short |
| Rise of the Planet of the Apes | Mother on Sidewalk | [31] | |
| Donovan's Echo | Sarah | [32] | |
| 2012 | Random Acts of Romance | Lynn | [33] |
| In No Particular Order | Claire | [3] | |
| 2014 | Preggoland | Ruth | [34] |
| 2017 | Kayak to Klemtu | Cory | [35] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | John Doe | Delphine Young | Episode: "Psychic Connection" |
| Peacemakers | Georgia | Episode: "No Excuse" | |
| 2004 | Tru Calling | Beth | Episode: "The Getaway" |
| The Dead Zone | Rachel Caldwell | Episodes: "Finding Rachel: Parts 1 & 2", "Tipping Point" | |
| 2004–2005 | Cold Squad | Det. Samantha Walters | Main role |
| 2005 | Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber | Eliza | TV film |
| Marker | Kim | ||
| The Dead Zone | Rachel Caldwell | Episode: "Broken Circle" | |
| Masters of Horror | Dana | Episode: "Deer Woman" | |
| 2005–2006 | Godiva's | Daisy | Main role |
| 2006 | Killer Instinct | Darla | Episode: "While You Were Sleeping" |
| Stargate Atlantis | Dahlia Radim | Episode: "Coup D'etat" | |
| Blade: The Series | Vanessa | Episodes: "Descent", "The Evil Within", "Delivery" | |
| Whistler | Kate Judson | Episode: "Meltdown" | |
| Supernatural | Pamela Clayton | Episode: "Croatoan" | |
| 2007 | This Space for Rent | April Melnyk | Episodes: "Stain'd", "Elvis Kwan Blows" |
| Traveler | Maya | Episodes: "The Out", "The Tells", "The Trader" | |
| Masters of Science Fiction | Judge Pomfrey | Episode: "Jerry Was a Man" | |
| Painkiller Jane | Stacey | Episode: "Jane 113" | |
| Eureka | Callie Curie | Episodes: "Sight Unseen", "Maneater", "All That Glitters" | |
| 2008 | Fear Itself | Ruthie | Episode: "In Sickness and in Health" |
| Love to Kill (aka Fatal Kiss) | Teresa | TV film | |
| Crime Stories | Vicki | Episode: "The Slave Master" | |
| Battlestar Galactica | Specialist 2nd Class Marcie Brasko | Episode: "Revelations" | |
| 2009 | Episodes: "Sometimes a Great Notion", "Someone to Watch Over Me" | ||
| Exes and Ohs | Kate | Episodes: "The Roads Previously Not Taken", "I Do. Do I?", "2.5" | |
| What Color Is Love? | Marsha Barclay | TV film | |
| Psych | Annie | Episode: "Tuesday the 17th" | |
| Held Hostage | Sandi Clark | TV film | |
| A Dog Named Christmas | Hannah McCray | ||
| 2010 | The Client List | Dee | |
| 2011 | Hellcats | Vicky | Episode: "Fancy Dan" |
| Gone | Liz Cook | TV film | |
| Past Obsessions | Estelle | ||
| 2013 | Arctic Air | Miranda | Episode: "Fool Me Once" |
| 2015 | Motive | Chelsea Richmond | Episode: "Pilot Error" |
| Mistresses | Vivian Adams | Recurring role | |
| 2016 | Supernatural | Deputy Jan Harris | Episode: "Don't Call Me Shurley" |
| Conversations with My 2-Year Old | Lindsey's Mom | 2 episodes | |
| Sunnyheart's Community Centre | Bernice | Recurring role | |
| 2017 | When We Rise | Ellen | Episode: "Night II: Parts II and III" |
| Android Employed | Sarah Morris | Episode: "The Family Unit"[36] | |
| Ghost Wars | Karla Kowalski-Jones | Recurring role | |
| 2019 | The InBetween | Taylor Hall | Episode: "While the Song Remains the Same" |
| Charmed | Amelia | Episode: "Past Is Present" | |
| Surveillance | Linda Short | Unsold CBS pilot | |
| 2024 | Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent | Eve Kinwood | Episode: "The Real Eve" |
References
- ^ a b Sonja Bennett's bio at www.northernstars.ca
- ^ Furminger, Sabrina (13 January 2020). "Episode Fifty-Two: Sonja Bennett". YVR Screen Scene. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Rotten Tomatoes: Sonja Bennett". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
- ^ a b c d Gill, Alexandra (2003-02-11). "Family dynamics". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
- ^ Furminger, Sabrina (13 January 2020). "Episode Fifty-Two: Sonja Bennett". YVR Screen Scene. 12:46. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
- ^ "Groundbreaking cop series takes final bow" by Ian Edwards at playbackonline.ca
- ^ John Doe, season 1, episode 15: "Psychic Connection": Credits & Summary at www.radiotimes.com
- ^ Gill, Alexandra (2006-04-12). "On TV: Godiva's". Daily Xtra. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
- ^ a b Furminger, Sabrina (13 January 2020). "Episode Fifty-Two: Sonja Bennett". YVR Screen Scene. 15:33. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
- ^ a b Bissonnette, Christine (30 April 2015). "An interview with Sonja Bennett". Creative Life. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
- ^ "Cliffe lands Glover and Greenwood for Donovan’s Echo" by Brendan Christie at playbackonline.ca
- ^ Cole review by John Anderson at variety.com
- ^ "Canada First!: Newbie films run gamut from animation to computer love" at playbackonline.ca
- ^ "A sex comedy for people with experience" by Marise Strauss at playbackonline.ca
- ^ Fido review by Dennis Harvey at variety.com
- ^ Milly, Jenna (13 May 2015). "Writer/actor Sonja Bennett on PREGGOLAND". Screenwriting Magazine. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ Furminger, Sabrina. "Welcome to Preggoland". Westender. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ Furminger, Sabrina (13 January 2020). "Episode Fifty-Two: Sonja Bennett". YVR Screen Scene. 33:40. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
- ^ Furminger, Sabrina (13 January 2020). "Episode Fifty-Two: Sonja Bennett". YVR Screen Scene. 34:33. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
- ^ Parry, Malcolm (16 October 2014). "Town Talk: Gala (and small town) raises plenty to help sick kids at BC Children's". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
- ^ "Godiva's (TV Series 2005–2006) – Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
- ^ "In No Particular Order (2012) – Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
- ^ "Stephen Lobo Biography". Fandango. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
- ^ Furminger, Sabrina (13 January 2020). "Episode Fifty-Two: Sonja Bennett". YVR Screen Scene. 31:48. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
- ^ "Past Award Winners | Vancouver International Film Festival". Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ^ Past Nominees & Winners 2005 at www.leoawards.com
- ^ "Weathering the Winter with Sunnyhearts and Sonja Bennett" by Greg David at www.tv-eh.com
- ^ Past Nominees & Winners 2006 at www.leoawards.com
- ^ 8th Annual Award Winners at vancouverfilmcritics.com
- ^ "Leo Awards - 2010 Nominees" (PDF). Leoawards.com. Retrieved on 08 August 2010.
- ^ "Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) - Review | Sci-Fi Movie Page". www.scifimoviepage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ Byrge, Duane (2011-05-16). "Donovan's Echo: Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ Random Acts of Romance, Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved September 2, 2022
- ^ "What to expect when you're not expecting" by Brendan Kelly at montrealgazette.com
- ^ "Kayak to Klemtu | Dove Family Friendly Movie Reviews". Dove.org. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ "The robots are coming: 'Android Employed' imagines a near future where robots join the workforce" by Sabrina Furminger at www.vancouverisawesome.com