Denise Fergusson, a Dual Citizen of Canada and the USA, has had a very extensive, busy career on-stage in both of these countries as well as overseas. She was born in Canada in the Province of Ontario, where she currently resides. Her Father emigrated to Canada from Scotland and her Mother was born in the USA to French-Canadian parents whose own ancestry can be traced back to the mid-17th Century in the Province of Quebec. Of her two brothers, one currently resides in the USA and the other in Western Canada.

She first "dipped her toes" into the world of Show Business as a singer in a Radio Series called DATE WITH DENISE on CKGB in Northern Ontario. She later studied drama at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon University) and received further Classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in Great Britain, going on to work with their famed Theatre Company.

During her early career there were frequent television appearances in Canada, primarily in dramas for CBC-TV. After appearing in the inaugural season of The Shaw Festival at Niagara-on-the-Lake, she returned to the US to participate in the burgeoning Regional Theatre movement as a member of various "Permanent Companies" in founding seasons of such well-known houses as The Long Wharf Theatre of New Haven (3 seasons) and Actors Theatre of Louisville, where she has had a long association.

Some other U.S. Regional Theatres she has been associated with include Trinity Square Playhouse (Providence, RI), Arena Stage (D.C.), Clarence Brown Theatre (Knoxville), Walnut St. Theatre (Philadelphia), and The Charles Playhouse (Boston). She has worked with the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Centre of New London, Conn. where there is a dialogue between actors and dramatists as they prepare for a presentation of these plays and television scripts to the general public for further critique. Many of these have later found their way to Broadway and National Television.

Her growing experience led to 7 seasons with the renowned Stratford Festival of Canada. During this time she played leading roles such as Helena in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM opposite Jeremy Brett, Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn, and as Jenny in Jean Gascon's celebrated production of THE THREEPENNY OPERA with Leila Kedrova and Monique Leyrac to name but a few.

This connection continued over the years with her appearance as Fraulein Schneider in Brian Macdonald's wonderful production of CABARET (with Brent Carver) and her pivotal role in THE WORLD OF WONDERS, based on Robertson-Davies "Deptford Trilogy" of novels.

Throughout the 90's, Denise has become increasingly identified with dramatizations for both stage and television which are based on novels and stories by Lucy Maud Montgomery and most notably with various productions of Anne of Green Gables. Denise is a favorite with the Charlottetown Festival in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. She returns this summer for her 6th Season as the lovable but meddling neighbor, Rachel Lynde in that tale.

As part of the "Great Canada '91" celebrations in Japan, she portrayed Marilla Cuthbert in the Musical ANNE OF GREEN GABLES with the Charlottetown Festival company. This production opened in Tokyo with members of Japan's Royal Family in attendance and was followed by a 7-city tour of the country. It was also televised by WOW-TV of Japan. She returned for another Japanese appearance in Osaka in 1993 as Marilla for a concert version of the show, and in 1997 was Marilla once more in the NHK-TV production COLOR OF DREAM.

To date, Denise has appeared as an actor in over 150 productions under the auspices of either the American or Canadian Actors Equity Associations.

In Canada, her career has taken her from coast to coast with National Tours as well as her work in most of the Regional Theatres of the country.

Among her favorite roles are Sarah Bernhardt in MEMOIR, Lettice in LETTICE AND LOVAGE, Amanda Wingfield in THE GLASS MENAGERIE, Madam Arkadina in THE SEAGULL, Momma Rose in GYPSY and Marilla Cuthbert.

In between her many theatrical roles she has done Television and film work in Canada, the USA and Japan. She has recently portrayed a mild-mannered but athletic & chilling killer on the La Femme NIKITA series. Other film work has ranged from appearances on Canadian "soaps" (FAMILY PASSIONS) to family entertainment (Hetty Tarbush on the acclaimed ROAD TO AVONLEA and as a would-be "dog-napper" on THE LITTLEST HOBO), and various colorful characters such as the kindly bag-lady on KATTS & DOG, a homeless derelict on WAR OF THE WORLDS, an insane woman (SPASMS), a few wacky psychics (SKULLDUGGERY, SNOW JOB), aristocrats (LANTERN HILL), numerous lawyers and judges (THE JUDGE, etc.), distraught grandmas (Movie-of-the-week EASY PREY), secretaries (I'LL TAKE MANHATTEN) and a paint-shooting "war games" heroine (HOT SHOTS).

Like all film actors, she has landed on the cutting-room floor during editing a few times in her career (barely emerging in the final cut of MRS.SOFFEL) or in movies still "in the can". Although most of her career has been on the theatrical stage, there have been over 48 appearances as a Guest, Lead or principal role on television or feature film. For example, she has worked with John Ritter,(LETTING GO) and shared the same set with John Cassevetes (INCUBUS).

For a change of pace and to recharge her theatrical batteries, Denise has directed several productions: HAY FEVER, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, THE TORCH-BEARERS, DANCING AT LUGHNASA, SISTERS, THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN, TEACH ME HOW TO CRY, LOVERS AND MADMEN (which she wrote as well as directed).

She has conducted various workshops because Denise loves to work with young aspiring actors whom she views as the "future" of the performing arts. She has been involved with teaching acting and scene study work with Charlottetown Festival's Young Companies (both with the long-running SPIRIT OF A NATION and the recent SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD). She has been Associate Professor in the Theatre Department of Memorial University of Newfoundland, a Guest Artist at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, taught and directed at the University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina, George Brown College Theatre School in Toronto, has been a faculty member of The Banff School of Fine Arts in Alberta, and a Distinguished Visiting Artist at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. She has been invited to join the faculty of the new Canadian School of the Performing Arts in Victoria, B.C. and also has plans to return to Memorial University of Newfoundland for a Term as Guest Artist.

Among her hobbies, Denise is an avid reader of Shakespeare, of autobiographies and Canadian novels. She is a meditator, a cat-lover, a CBC Radio "junkie" (PBS when in the USA), an Opera and Classical Music Buff, cook, an inveterate tourist and survivor of frequent work-outs at the Gym. Among her favorite activities are walking the red-sand beach at sunset at her (summer) farm in Prince Edward Island, doing absolutely nothing beside the Thames River that runs at the foot of her garden behind the 140 year old Limestone Cottage in a small-town in South-Western Ontario......AND addictively gazing into the colored eye of her Computer where e-mail magically appears, bearing notes from geographically distant friends accumulated over the years and many miles of travel which has taken her between the many places listed elsewhere on the page! (This is an actress with bags packed ready to go!)