TORONTO, ON (March 13, 2025) – Award-winning actor and Canadian comedy legend Debra McGrath will be presented with ACTRA Toronto’s 2025 Award of Excellence at the 23rd ACTRA Awards in Toronto, proudly presented by AFBS, which will take place during an evening ceremony on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at Koerner Hall at the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning.
“To not only be a performer, but to serve the ACTRA community and support causes close to my heart, like 2SLGBTQIA+ folks, only widens the joy of being a Canadian actor,” says Debra McGrath. “I gratefully share this award with all who have received it in the past and those who are still to come.”
“Deb’s unique contribution to our union and industry as well as her ongoing advocacy work and phenomenal career make her the perfect individual to receive ACTRA Toronto’s 2025 Award of Excellence,” says ACTRA Toronto President Kate Ziegler. “Deb is not only a special part of the ACTRA Toronto community and family, but she has given back in such meaningful ways to better our union and industry. It is a truly an honour to recognize her achievements.”
Born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario, Debra’s acting career was launched from The Second City Toronto’s stage. From there, Debra moved to television, playing one of the wives on the Canadian sketch comedy series Bizarre for multiple seasons before shifting to voice work in commercials and animated series, including The Busy World of Richard Scarry, Arthur, Seven Little Monsters, George and Martha and Franklin and the Green Knight: The Movie.
Debra transitioned to writing and co-created the sitcom series My Talk Show with Linda Kash and later co-created and wrote the CBC series Getting Along Famously with husband and actor Colin Mochrie. Debra also wrote, produced and appeared in the 2022 short film Junior’s Giant, which has garnered multiple best screenplay, best film and best actor awards, including the Outstanding Performance – Gender Non-Confirming or Male Award for lead actor Eric Peterson at the 21st ACTRA Awards in Toronto.
In addition to her well-known role as Mayor Ann Popowicz on the Canadian comedy series Little Mosque on the Prairie, other recent on-screen film and television credits include REDDER, Ruby and the Well, Dead Mom, Murdoch Mysteries, The Kids in the Hall, Baroness Von Sketch Show and Private Eyes.
Debra served as an ACTRA Toronto Councillor from 2019 to 2023, was ACTRA Toronto’s 2019 Pride Ambassador along with husband Colin Mochrie, and has been a fierce champion and supporter of ACTRA Toronto’s outACTRAto Committee and was instrumental in paving the way for the introduction of the Outstanding Performance Non-Binary/Gender Non-Conforming Award, which will have its inaugural presentation at this year’s ACTRA Awards in Toronto.
Debra is the proud recipient of a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and a 2009 inductee on the Scarborough Walk of Fame. Additionally, Debra took home a 2014 Best Performance Canadian Comedy Award (Expecting) and a 2016 Best Actress in a Short Award (Duty Calls) at the Canadian Film Festival, and was nominated for an Outstanding Performance Female Award (Expecting) at the 2nd ACTRA Awards in Toronto. Debra and husband Colin Mochrie are also the first spouses to each be honoured with ACTRA Toronto’s Award of Excellence.
ACTRA Toronto’s Award of Excellence recognizes a distinguished ACTRA Toronto performer whose outstanding career achievements as a performer are matched by a significant volunteer contribution to the industry and the ongoing work of ACTRA Toronto to improve the lives of its members.
ACTRA Toronto is the largest organization within ACTRA, representing over 15,000 of Canada’s 30,000 professional performers working in recorded media in Canada. An advocate for Canadian culture since 1943, ACTRA is a member-driven union that continues to secure rights and respect for the work of professional performers.
-30-
Headshot is available in Dropbox.
Watch the Sizzle Reel.
Media Contact: Jennifer McGibbon, Public Relations Officer, 416-642-6710, jmcgibbon@actratoronto.com