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{{short description|Canadian actress}}
{{Short description|Canadian actress (1937–2020)}}
{{BLP sources|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Wilma Pelly
| name = Wilma Pelly
| image = Photo of Wilma Pelly.jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|3|5}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|3|5}}
| birth_place = [[Fort Qu'Appelle]], [[Saskatchewan]], Canada
| birth_place = [[Fort Qu'Appelle]], [[Saskatchewan]], Canada
| birth_name = Wilma Episkenew
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|12|28|1937|3|5}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|12|28|1937|3|5}}
| death_place = [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], Canada
| death_place = [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], Canada
| occupation = actress
| known_for = ''[[North of 60]]''
}}
}}
'''Wilma Pelly''' (March 5, 1937 &ndash; December 28, 2020)<ref name="cbc-5858968">{{cite web |url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/wilma-pelly-north-of-60-actor-1.5858968|title= Wilma Pelly, actor most beloved for playing Elsie Tsa Che on North of 60, dies at 83 |last=Kost | first=Hannah |date= December 31, 2020 |website= [[CBC News]]}}</ref> was a [[Canadians|Canadian]] indigenous film and television actress, best known for her roles as Elsie Tsa'Che in the [[CBC Television]] drama ''[[North of 60]]'' and as Kookum in ''[[Mixed Blessings (Canadian TV series)|Mixed Blessings]]'' and the second season of Fargo.
'''Wilma Pelly''' (March 5, 1937 &ndash; December 28, 2020)<ref name="cbc-5858968">{{cite web |url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/wilma-pelly-north-of-60-actor-1.5858968|title= Wilma Pelly, actor most beloved for playing Elsie Tsa Che on North of 60, dies at 83 |last=Kost | first=Hannah |date= December 31, 2020 |website= [[CBC News]]}}</ref> was an [[indigenous peoples in Canada|Aboriginal Canadian]] film and television actress, best known for her roles as Elsie Tsa'Che in the [[CBC Television]] drama ''[[North of 60]]''<ref name=remington>Bob Remington, "Subtle humor helps North of 60; Charm of native north helps CBC ease Street Legal disease". ''[[Edmonton Journal]]'', December 3, 1992.</ref> and as Kookum in ''[[Mixed Blessings (Canadian TV series)|Mixed Blessings]]''.


==Personal life==
== Early life ==
She was a member of the [[Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation|Muscowpetung Saulteaux]] [[First Nations|First Nation]].
Born Wilma Episkenew, she was a member of the [[Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation|Muscowpetung Saulteaux]] [[First Nations in Canada|First Nation]].<ref name="cbc-5858968"/> She met her husband James Edward Pelly in the 1950s, and moved with him to [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]].


⚫
== Career ==
She died on December 28, 2020 in [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]],Canada.<ref name="cbc-5858968"/>
Pelly worked in factories until launching her acting career. While recovering from a workplace injury in the late 1980s, she answered a casting call for film extras.<ref name="cbc-5858968"/> Her breakthrough role in ''North of 60'', beginning in 1992 and extending throughout the series and into several followup television films, made her an iconic figure in Canadian indigenous communities;<ref name="cbc-5858968"/> her character Elsie, although not always talkative, was wise, dignified and funny,<ref name=remington/> and Pelly was widely recognized as a scene-stealing performer.<ref>Wayne Roberts, "Jackson, Keeper make Dream Storm work". ''[[Saskatoon Star-Phoenix]]'', October 1, 2001.</ref> She was recognized by the Alberta Media Production Industries Association's [[Rosie Awards]] as Best Actress in 1998.<ref>Bob Blakey, "North of 60 captures multiple honors". ''[[Calgary Herald]]'', April 26, 1998.</ref>


Following the conclusion of the regular weekly ''North of 60'' series, Pelly was cast in [[Giovanni Veronesi]]'s film ''[[Gunslinger's Revenge]]'', the production of which marked her first time ever travelling outside of North America.<ref>Daryl-Lynn Carlson, "Native actors off to help David Bowie". ''[[Calgary Herald]]'', June 11, 1998.</ref> She subsequently appeared in other film and television productions, usually playing an indigenous grandmother or community elder.<ref name="cbc-5858968"/> She also had selected stage roles, most notably appearing in a 2005 production of ''[[Uncle Vanya]]'' which was staged at the [[Citadel Theatre]] in Edmonton before travelling to [[Ottawa]] for a production at the [[National Arts Centre]].<ref>Bruce Deachman, "Vanya leaves audience crying 'Uncle!'". ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'', April 23, 2005.</ref>
⚫
==Career==

In addition to appearing on North of 60, and Mixed Blessings, and Fargo, Pelly also made a guest appearance in the television miniseries ''[[Into the West (TV miniseries)|Into the West]]'' as Burnt by the Sun. She appeared as "Auntie Belle" in Series 3 Episode 2 of ''[[Arctic Air]]''. She also played the Native American House Keeper in the second season of Fargo (2014), amazingly surviving from first episode to last while dozens of characters are murdered.
== Death ==
She died on December 28, 2020, in Calgary.<ref name="cbc-5858968"/> Her final film performance, in Rueben Martell's film ''Don't Say Its Name'', was in post-production and had not yet been released at the time of her death.<ref name="cbc-5858968"/>


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
{{listdev|date=April 2019}}
===Television===
===Television===
* ''[[North of 60]]'' (1992-1997)
* ''[[North of 60]]'' (1992-1997) - Elsie Tsa Che
* ''[[Children of the Dust (miniseries)|Children of the Dust]]'' (1995) - Nita
⚫
* ''[[Documentary Now!]]'' (2015)
* ''[[North of 60|In the Blue Ground]]'' (1999) - Elsie Tsa Che
* ''[[North of 60|Dream Storm]]'' (2001) - Elsie Tsa Che
* ''[[North of 60|Another Country]]'' (2003) - Elsie Tsa Che
* ''[[Dreamkeeper]]'' (2003) - Old Woman
* ''[[Into the West (TV miniseries)|Into the West]]'' (2005) - Burnt by the Sun
* ''[[North of 60|Distant Drumming]]'' (2005) - Elsie Tsa Che
* ''Elijah'' (2007) - Old Woman
* ''[[Mixed Blessings (Canadian TV series)|Mixed Blessings]]'' (2007-08) - Kookum
* ''[[Arctic Air]]'' (2014) - Auntie Belle
⚫
* ''[[Documentary Now!]]'' (2015) - Aglatki Qamaniq
* ''[[Fargo (TV series)|Fargo]]'' (2015) - Native American housekeeper


===Film===
===Film===
* ''[[Land (2018 film)|Land]]'' (2018)
* ''[[Gunslinger's Revenge]]'' (1998) - Native Grandmother
* ''[[The Last Rites of Ransom Pride]]'' (2010) - Old Woman
* ''[[Land (2018 film)|Land]]'' (2018) - Mary Yellow Eagle
* ''Parallel Minds'' (2020) - Kookum
* ''Don't Say Its Name'' (2021) - Aggie


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:Actresses from Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Canadian television actresses]]
[[Category:Canadian television actresses]]
[[Category:Canadian film actresses]]
[[Category:Canadian film actresses]]
[[Category:Canadian stage actresses]]
[[Category:First Nations actresses]]
[[Category:First Nations actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses from Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:People from Fort Qu'Appelle]]
[[Category:Saulteaux people]]
[[Category:Saulteaux people]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian actresses]]
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[[Category:21st-century First Nations people]]

{{Canada-actor-stub}}

Revision as of 14:45, 28 December 2022

Wilma Pelly
Born
Wilma Episkenew

(1937-03-05)March 5, 1937
Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, Canada
DiedDecember 28, 2020(2020-12-28) (aged 83)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Occupationactress
Known forNorth of 60

Wilma Pelly (March 5, 1937 – December 28, 2020)[1] was an Aboriginal Canadian film and television actress, best known for her roles as Elsie Tsa'Che in the CBC Television drama North of 60[2] and as Kookum in Mixed Blessings.

Early life

Born Wilma Episkenew, she was a member of the Muscowpetung Saulteaux First Nation.[1] She met her husband James Edward Pelly in the 1950s, and moved with him to Calgary, Alberta.

Career

Pelly worked in factories until launching her acting career. While recovering from a workplace injury in the late 1980s, she answered a casting call for film extras.[1] Her breakthrough role in North of 60, beginning in 1992 and extending throughout the series and into several followup television films, made her an iconic figure in Canadian indigenous communities;[1] her character Elsie, although not always talkative, was wise, dignified and funny,[2] and Pelly was widely recognized as a scene-stealing performer.[3] She was recognized by the Alberta Media Production Industries Association's Rosie Awards as Best Actress in 1998.[4]

Following the conclusion of the regular weekly North of 60 series, Pelly was cast in Giovanni Veronesi's film Gunslinger's Revenge, the production of which marked her first time ever travelling outside of North America.[5] She subsequently appeared in other film and television productions, usually playing an indigenous grandmother or community elder.[1] She also had selected stage roles, most notably appearing in a 2005 production of Uncle Vanya which was staged at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton before travelling to Ottawa for a production at the National Arts Centre.[6]

Death

She died on December 28, 2020, in Calgary.[1] Her final film performance, in Rueben Martell's film Don't Say Its Name, was in post-production and had not yet been released at the time of her death.[1]

Filmography

Television

Film

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Kost, Hannah (December 31, 2020). "Wilma Pelly, actor most beloved for playing Elsie Tsa Che on North of 60, dies at 83". CBC News.
  2. ^ a b Bob Remington, "Subtle humor helps North of 60; Charm of native north helps CBC ease Street Legal disease". Edmonton Journal, December 3, 1992.
  3. ^ Wayne Roberts, "Jackson, Keeper make Dream Storm work". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, October 1, 2001.
  4. ^ Bob Blakey, "North of 60 captures multiple honors". Calgary Herald, April 26, 1998.
  5. ^ Daryl-Lynn Carlson, "Native actors off to help David Bowie". Calgary Herald, June 11, 1998.
  6. ^ Bruce Deachman, "Vanya leaves audience crying 'Uncle!'". Ottawa Citizen, April 23, 2005.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wilma_Pelly&oldid=1130087566"