Janet Wright is a Canadian actress and theatre director. She is best known for her role as Emma Leroy on the hit Canadian sitcom Corner Gas

Corner Gas

Corner Gas is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Re-runs still air on CTV and The Comedy Network in Canada; it formerly aired on WGN America in the United States....

. She won a 2003 Gemini Award

Gemini Award

The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...

 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for her role in Betrayed (2003). She also won the 1992 Genie Award

Genie Award

Genie Awards are given out to recognize the best of Canadian cinema by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. From 1949-1979, the awards were named the Canadian Film Awards...

 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for Bordertown Café

Bordertown Café

Bordertown Café is a Canadian drama film, originally released in 1992. The screenplay was written by Kelly Rebar based on her award-winning 1990 play of the same name, and the film was directed by Norma Bailey. The film stars Janet Wright and Susan Hogan...

(1993).

Family

Janet is the eldest of four siblings (others being Susan, John, and Anne) who have all made their mark in Canadian theatre. Susan Wright was killed in a fire in 1991 in Stratford, Ontario, along with their parents, Jack and Ruth (Preston).

Her sister Anne, has three children named Robin, Jack, and Emma. Robin is the singer and songwriter of Guelph-based pop-rock band Texting Mackenzie.

In January 2003, Janet's daughter Rachel Davis, 23, was shot to death while intervening for a stranger who was being beaten in front of the Purple Onion bar in Vancouver, BC. In July 2006, the shooter was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder and five counts of aggravated assault. His first degree murder conviction triggered an automatic sentence of life imprisonment with no chance of parole until 2029.

Janet and her husband Bruce Davis, along with the rest of their family, have started the Rachel Davis Foundation. The foundation will present an award to a young person (17–23 years of age) who has demonstrated an outstanding act of kindness or compassion.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1969	Obscene House
1971	McCabe & Mrs. Miller	Eunice
1974		Miss Mervin
1978		The Wiz Singers (voice)	Uncredited
1982	Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains is a 1981 film about three teenage girls, played by Diane Lane, Laura Dern and Marin Kanter, who start a punk band. Shot in British Columbia, Canada, the film also featured Ray Winstone, Christine Lahti, ex-Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul Cook, along with...	Brenda
1987	Loyalties	Audrey Sawchuk
1987	Home Is Where the Hart Is Home Is Where the Hart Is Home Is Where The Hart Is is a 1987 American film. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Eric Christmas, and Martin Mull....	J.P.'s Wife
1988	American Gothic American Gothic (film) American Gothic is a 1988 horror film written by Burt Wetanson and Michael Vines and directed by John Hough. It stars Rod Steiger, Yvonne DeCarlo and Michael J. Pollard.-Plot:...	Fanny
1988	Cowboys Don't Cry	Pearl
1991	Bingo Bingo (film) Bingo is a 1991 American family comedy film, released by TriStar Pictures.Bingo, a runaway circus dog saves the life of Chuckie , a young boy who is somewhat an outcast within his family. The two quickly become best friends - skateboarding, playing pinball, and doing math homework together...	Waitress
1997	Bordertown Café Bordertown Café Bordertown Café is a Canadian drama film, originally released in 1992. The screenplay was written by Kelly Rebar based on her award-winning 1990 play of the same name, and the film was directed by Norma Bailey. The film stars Janet Wright and Susan Hogan...	Maxine
2000		Ethel Shatford
2001	Chasing Cain	Sonia
2001	Lola	Ma Keller
2002	Rollerball Rollerball (2002 film) Rollerball is a 2002 remake of the 1975 science-fiction film of the same name. This updated version stars Chris Klein, LL Cool J, Rebecca Romijn and Jean Reno, was directed by John McTiernan and has a much greater concentration on action with more muted social and political overtones...	Coach Olga
2002	Blackwoods	Ma Franklin
2003	Emile Emile (film) Emile is a Canadian film made in 2003 by Carl Bessai but not released widely until 2004. The cast included Ian McKellen and Deborah Kara Unger...	Alice
2003	Arbor Vitae	Senior Nurse	Short film
2003	Thoughtcrimes Thoughtcrimes Thoughtcrimes is a 2003 film.It is about a high school student named Freya McAllister who begins hearing voices in her head and ends up misdiagnosed as having schizophrenic catalepsy...	Zoya
2006	Love and Other Dilemmas Love and Other Dilemmas Love and Other Dilemmas is a 2006 comedy film directed by Larry Di Stefano. It premiered at the 2006 Vancouver International Film Festival and was released theatrically in Canada in February 2008 by Maple Pictures...	Jojo Ladro
2010	Ramona and Beezus Ramona and Beezus Ramona and Beezus is a 2010 Fox-Walden film adaptation of the Ramona series of novels by Beverly Cleary. The film's title derives from Beezus and Ramona, the first of Cleary's Ramona books, though the plot is mostly based on the sequels, particularly Ramona Forever and Ramona's World.-Plot:The film...	Grandma Kemp
2011		Trish	Post-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1975	Peep Show Peep Show (TV series) Peep Show is a British sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. The television programme is written by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, with additional material by Mitchell and Webb themselves, amongst others. It has been broadcast on Channel 4 since 2003. The show's seventh series makes it...	Lucy	Episode: "The Victim"
1978	Who'll Save Our Children?		TV movie
1979	Huckleberry Finn and His Friends Huckleberry Finn and His Friends Huckleberry Finn and His Friends was a 1979 television series documenting the exploits of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, based on the novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by American writer Mark Twain....	Mrs. Judith Loftus	Episode: "The Rains Come"
1979	King of Kensington King of Kensington King of Kensington was a Canadian television sitcom which aired on CBC Television from 1975 to 1980.The show starred Al Waxman as Larry King, a convenience store owner in Toronto's Kensington Market who was known for helping friends and neighbours solve problems. His multicultural group of friends...	Evelyn	Episode: "Big Brother"
1983		Helen Armstrong	TV movie
1984	The Three Wishes of Billy Grier The Three Wishes of Billy Grier The Three Wishes of Billy Grier is a 1984 made-for-TV feature-length drama, starring Ralph Macchio. It first aired November 1, 1984.While this movie is a fictional work, it is prefaced by a note accounting that a condition such as the main character's does exist, and that the film imagines the...	Woman in Bar	TV movie
1985	Brotherly Love	Helen Neary	TV movie
1986		Woman Neighbor	TV movie
1987	Deadly Deception	Desk clerk	TV movie
1987	After the Promise	Waitress	TV movie
1987		Didee	Episode: "Disposable People"
1987	Christmas Comes to Willow Creek Christmas Comes to Willow Creek Christmas Comes to Willow Creek is a 1987 American film made for TV and directed by Richard Lang and produced by Billie André and Blue André The screenplay was written by Michael Norell and Andy Siegel,...	Martha Jane	TV movie
1988	Laura Lansing Slept Here Laura Lansing Slept Here Laura Lansing Slept Here is a 1988 American television movie starring Katharine Hepburn and directed by George Schaefer. It was written by James Prideaux and co-stars Joel Higgins, Karen Austin and Hepburn's grandniece Schuyler Grant....		TV movie
1988	Wiseguy Wiseguy Wiseguy is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 16, 1987 to December 8, 1990 for a total of four seasons. Starring Ken Wahl, the series was produced by Stephen J...	Millicent	Episode: "Revenge of the Mud People"
1989	Wiseguy Wiseguy Wiseguy is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 16, 1987 to December 8, 1990 for a total of four seasons. Starring Ken Wahl, the series was produced by Stephen J...	Mabel	Episode: "All or Nothing"
1993	Street Legal Street Legal (TV series) Street Legal is a Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1987 to 1994.-Synopsis:A spinoff from the 1985 television movie Shellgame, Street Legal focused on the professional and private lives of the partners in a small Toronto, Ontario law firm, Barr, Robinovitch and Tchobanian...	Doris Banachowska	Episode: "The Price" Episode: "Strange Bedfellows"
1994	Street Legal Street Legal (TV series) Street Legal is a Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1987 to 1994.-Synopsis:A spinoff from the 1985 television movie Shellgame, Street Legal focused on the professional and private lives of the partners in a small Toronto, Ontario law firm, Barr, Robinovitch and Tchobanian...	Jessica Grant	Episode: "The Long and Winding Road"
1994	Neon Rider Neon Rider Neon Rider is a Canadian drama television series which first aired between 1990 and 1995. Created by Winston Rekert and Danny Virtue, the show was about the titular character, a man named Michael Terry who quits his job as a therapist to become a mentor for troubled kids which he brings to his...	Michelle Pfeiffer	Episode: "Where the Buffalo Roam"
1996	My Mother's Ghost		TV movie
1996	Beyond the Call	Fran	TV movie
1996	We the Jury	Gladys McKenzie	TV movie
1997	Fast Track	Charlotte Scannel	Episode: "Triangle"
1998	Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension was a spin-off of Eerie, Indiana. This series aired on the Fox Kids Network in 1998.-Episode list:...	Mrs. Floyd	Episode: "I'm Okay, You're Really Weird"
1998	Mr. Headmistress	Naomi Bascombe	TV movie
1998	Due South Due South Due South is a Canadian crime drama series with elements of comedy. The series was created by Paul Haggis, produced by Alliance Communications, and stars Paul Gross, David Marciano, and latterly Callum Keith Rennie...	Sgt. Sam Thorn	Episode: "Mountie on the Bounty: Part 2"
1998	Emily of New Moon Emily of New Moon (TV series) Emily of New Moon was a Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2000. The series originally aired in the United States on the Cookie Jar Toons block on This TV and it's currently seen in Canada on the Viva, Bravo! and Vision TV cable channels...	Aunt Thom	Episode: "A Shadow in His Dream" Episode: "When the Bough Breaks"
1999	Emily of New Moon Emily of New Moon (TV series) Emily of New Moon was a Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2000. The series originally aired in the United States on the Cookie Jar Toons block on This TV and it's currently seen in Canada on the Viva, Bravo! and Vision TV cable channels...	Aunt Thom	Episode: "Bred in the Bone"
1999	More Tales of the City	Vita Keating	TV miniseries
1999	Redwall Redwall (TV series) Redwall is a television series made by Canada-based Nelvana and France-based Alphanim and is based on the Redwall novels by Brian Jacques. The series currently spans three seasons, the first based on the first book Redwall, the second on Mattimeo and the third on Martin the Warrior...	Constance	TV series
1999	Lexx Lexx Lexx is a science fantasy television series that follows the adventures of a group of mismatched individuals aboard the organic space craft Lexx. They travel through two universes and encounter planets including a parody of the Earth....	Lorca	Episode: "Love Grows"
2000	Redwall: The Movie	Constance	TV movie
2000	Mattimeo: A Tale of Redwall	Constance / Ghost of Martin (voice)	TV series
2001	Hostage Rescue Team	Simone	TV movie
2001	Lexx Lexx Lexx is a science fantasy television series that follows the adventures of a group of mismatched individuals aboard the organic space craft Lexx. They travel through two universes and encounter planets including a parody of the Earth....	First Lady Priest	Episode: "Texx Lexx" Episode: "Stan Down"
2001	Dark Angel Dark Angel (TV series) Dark Angel is an American biopunk/cyberpunk science fiction television series created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee. The show premiered in the United States on the Fox network on October 3, 2000, and was canceled after two seasons...	Annie	Episode: "Proof of Purchase"
2002	Framed		TV movie
2002		Evie	Episode: "Farm Boys"
2002	Monk Monk (TV series) Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...	Bonnie	3 episodes
2002	Taken	Patty	Episode: "God's Equation"
2003	Betrayed	Dr. Fleming	TV movie
2003	Jinnah: On Crime - White Knight, Black Widow	Frosty	TV movie
2003		Phyllis	TV movie
2003	Phenomenon II	Jeri	TV movie
2004	Kingdom Hospital Kingdom Hospital Kingdom Hospital is a thirteen-episode television miniseries based on Lars von Trier's The Kingdom , which was developed by horror writer Stephen King in 2004 for American television...	Liz Hinton	10 episodes
2004-2009	Corner Gas Corner Gas Corner Gas is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Re-runs still air on CTV and The Comedy Network in Canada; it formerly aired on WGN America in the United States....	Emma Leroy	107 episodes
2007	Whistler Whistler (TV series) Whistler is a Canadian television drama centring on the aftermath of the mysterious death of a local snowboard legend. The series was created by Kelly Senecal and developed by Patrick Banister, John Barbisan, Mindy Heslin, and Susan James.-Premise:...		Episode: "The Rules of Attachment: Part II" Episode: "Last Run"
2008	Wisegal Wisegal Wisegal is a Lifetime Television crime drama film starring Alyssa Milano and directed by Jerry Ciccoritti. The movie premiered on March 15, 2008.-Plot:The story is narrated by an adult Nino Montanari, who reminisces on his family history......	Patty Montanari's Mother	TV movie
2009	Memory Lanes	Sarah Duggen	TV movie

Videos

As Ma Joad in The grapes of wrath, Stratford Festival, 2011

External links

• Corner Gas official website - Janet Wright bio