TORONTO — With so many Canadians working in Hollywood, it’s not surprising that a few show up at the Academy Awards as nominees, presenters or performers.
Toronto’s Christopher Plummer (Beginners) won Best Supporting Actor in 2011 but a Canadian hasn’t been nominated for Best Actor since Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson) in 2006 and for Best Actress since Ellen Page (Juno) in 2007.
This year’s Oscars telecast won’t have many familiar faces from Hollywood North. There are no Canadians nominated in acting categories and none scheduled to appear as presenters.
There will be some Canadians in the audience at the Dolby Theatre, though.
Toronto native Shauna Robertson will have a supporting role with husband Edward Norton, who is nominated for Supporting Actor in Birdman.
Calgary twins Tegan and Sara will team up with The Lonely Island to perform the nominated song “Everything is Awesome” from The LEGO Movie during the Oscars show.
While the official nomination shows only one songwriter (Shawn Patterson) the song was co-written by Ontario native Joshua Bartholomew, who also produced and performed “Everything is Awesome” in the movie.
Bartholomew was born in Pembroke, raised on several Canadian Forces bases and attended Banting Memorial High School in Alliston.
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There is plenty of Canadian talent in the Animated Feature Film category, which is typically the fifth award of the night.
Big Hero 6 was co-directed by Chris Williams (with Don Hall), who was born in the U.S. but raised and educated in Canada.
Williams grew up in Waterloo, Ont. and earned a Fine Arts degree from the University of Waterloo before graduating from the animation program at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ont.
The Boxtrolls was co-directed by Graham Annable (with Anthony Stacchi). Also a graduate of Sheridan College, Annable is a native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
Also vying for the Oscar is How to Train Your Dragon 2, written and directed by Dean DeBlois of Quebec’s Gatineau region — across the river from Ottawa.
DeBlois, who is also a graduate of the animation program at Sheridan College, picked up a Golden Globe award for How to Train Your Dragon 2.
BELOW: Watch Canadian director Dean DeBlois on Global’s The Morning Show.
The three films are up against Song of the Sea and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.
The award for Animated Short Film, usually handed out immediately before the Animated Feature Film winner is announced, could go to Me and My Moulton, co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada.
The 13-minute film was directed by Montreal-based Torill Kove, who won an Oscar in 2007 for her short The Danish Poet.
Ontario native Craig Mann is nominated with colleagues Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley in the Sound Mixing category for their work on Whiplash.
Mann was born in Oakville, Ont. and grew up in both Pickering and Burlington. He graduated from the music engineering program at Fanshawe College in London, Ont. and worked at Toronto’s Casablanca Sound before moving to Los Angeles.
Pitt Meadows, B.C. native Cameron Waldbauer has a nomination in the Visual Effects category for his work as a special effects supervisor on X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Among the special effects companies involved in the movie — which was filmed in Montreal — are Montreal’s Cinesite, Mokko Studio and Vision Globale.
Another made-in-Canada film, Interstellar, is up for Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Visual Effects. It was mostly shot in Alberta.
There is also a Canadian connection to one of the Best Picture nominees.
Montreal’s Rodeo FX was responsible for the special effects in Birdman — including the trickery that made it appear as if the film was shot in one continuous take.
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