Michael Rudder — John Boylan | Acting Coach. Toronto acting classes for camera

Shout-Outs.

The Shout-Outs recognize and celebrate colleagues work and lives.

The people here have a commonality with me in being part of the film and theatre community and having faced similar struggles to keep going and take their place.

The Shout-Outs also give a chance to see fifty years of history in the performance world in Canada. They show that continuity of individuals in the industry both in their quality and the quantity of work.

An opportunity for those entering the profession to see and read about those who have gone before them.

I knew Michael in my days in Montreal up to 1979 when Haig, me and Michael pretty well made up the young English actor contingent. A good actor, lovely guy and we re-print Michael’s post to support him and publicize the terrible treatment he has received from ACTRA, insurance companies, the government and more. To you Michael, respect and warm greetings.

"Ten years on, it's a bitter anniversary for this survivor. It's the anniversary of the loss of my once healthy, even beautiful body, the loss of my career, my previously healthy retirement fund and my peace of mind and hope for the future. It's the day that reminds me that my own country and my adopted province did nothing, offered nothing, never stood up for me in any way; that my own union insurance company, after years of being one of it's highest earners, offered me paltry compensation for a period of three months, then threatened to sue me for finishing studio contracts I had to honour, contracts I completed while bleeding from one of my wounds, because I was too stoned on the over prescribed medications I was on and unable to fill in the paperwork. (They eventually just robbed my insurance reserves for as much as they could and cut off my benefits.. Go ACTRA!) I just went back to bed.

I remain amazed that not one of the hundreds of thousands of Pakistani Canadians ever reached out a hand to help, that Pakistan has still not accepted what the international community knows, that Pakistani intelligence was entirely responsible for the training, planning and coordination of the attacks.
In fact the Pakistani Canadian community organized and sponsored the visit to Mississauga, Ontario for the man on whose lands the idiots that murdered and maimed in Mumbai were trained and outfitted.
At the same time I give thanks for the support of the Actor's Fund of Canada, and thus all those that contribute to it, to my dear sister Jennifer and my brother-in-law Andrew, to my good friends Rachel and and Mary Ann and Ian and Liz and Richard and Deborah and Heather and Bonnie, to Don and Mollye and Arthur, à Madeleine, Terry, to the mysterious angels, to The Dove Foundation, to Linda and Ben, to Kia, and to all who supported the benefit in Toronto and to all who reach out, with love and kind words and in every way.
Thanks forever to Shibani, and Gautam and Ma Sachdeva, to Mona Doc, who were all so incredibly kind to me in Mumbai.

I apologize to all those who have felt my wrath in these last years. I didn't used to have a wrathful temper.

But now I know why the chained dog always has the most fearsome bark.

In loving memory of Allan and Naomi, and all those who died and were wounded for no good reason."