Callum Keith Rennie

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8.5 Great
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Biography

Recent Role:
Ray McDeere on The Firm
Gender:
Male
Born:
9-14-1960
Birthplace:
Sunderland, Tyne-and-Wear, England, UK
AKA:
Callum Rennie, Callum Renney
Callum Keith Rennie was born on September, 14th, 1960 in Sunderland, UK. He has two brothers, one of them older and one younger. When he was four years old, his whole family emigrated to Canada. They lived in Edmonton, Alberta, where Callum graduated from Strathcona High School. Throughout high school, and for several years after that, he wanted to be a mountaineer and supported his climbing habit by laying railroad tracks, cooking, and digging ditches.

In his twenties, he was working in a restaurant when some of his friends invited him to join a radio show at the University of

More Alberta campus radio station CJSR. He was immediately hooked and also appeared in several theater productions. Later in his life, he stated that film was his medium, though, because he was intimidated by the live audience and enjoyed the possibility of redo scenes until they work.

He decided to try his luck in Toronto, but he fell in with a bad crowd. He ended up in Vancouver, surviving on scattered low-paying jobs and, at one point, welfare checks.

He enrolled in the Bruhanski Theatre Studio in Vancouver, taking acting classes, but life wasn't easy. Callum went through a decade-long phase of alcoholism, in which drinking was a large and destructive part of his life. In 1993, he was involved in barroom fight and injured the retina in his left eye with a piece of glass. His eye healed, but the glasses he wore in Double Happiness are his own. That incident made him realize that he had to change. He got a champion-tattoo on his right arm and has been sober ever since.

Callum appeared in several movies and tv series in Canada, winning praise from critics and several awards for his intense portrayals. In the US he mainly landed small guest spots until he earned international recognition for his roles in Battlestar Galactica and Californiation. In 2010, he appears in Shattered, marking his first leading role in a tv series.

Callum is 5'10 1/2" tall and weighs approximately 159lbs. He has blonde hair and blue eyes.

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    2 comments, last one Oct 16, 2011
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Callum Keith Rennie News

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  •  
    9 Superb
    Good to see so much more of this great talent. hide show

    I loved him in "Due South" as the mysteriously manufactured Chicago cop-sidekick to Mountie Benton Fraser. He was funny and gritty at the same time, and despite replacing a favourite actor he did a fabulous job of replicating the "same" character.

    He was barely recognizable in "Tin Man" partly because his bad guy was so bad. He was a bright spot in a sometimes marginal production.

    He again brings his uber bad guy to "24" this year and makes the mistake of engaging Jack Bauer in clandestine activities. To date, that has not been a healthy or long term pursuit for Jack's opponents, but its a paycheque. I'm looking forward to Callum's characterization and how it all ties in to the big picture.

    I am really looking forward to his movie reunion with Paul Gross (aka "Benton Fraser") in the Comedy/Western "Gunless" this April. The previews look great. The premise looks different and entertaining.

    There is no doubt Callum Keith Rennie is a very versatile and underutilized actor indeed. I look forward to more of his creations...

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  •  
    10 Perfect
    One of the most under-rated actors out there. A sought after talent. hide show

    Callum Keith Rennie, or CKR as his most rabid fans call him, is one of the most sought after character actors in entertainment today. He is most famous for playing the role of Lew Ashby in Californication and most recently as the spree killer on the cult favorite Harper's Island. CKR makes an impact on every show he apperars in, whether as a recurring character, guest star or cameo. Although I did not see his performance on Californication, his perrformance was memorable and the character of Lew became a bit of a legend. In the summer of 2009 he appeared in role of killer John Wakefield, in the limited run series Harper's Island. Callum was immedialtely cast in the role of Wakefield by producers who stated in DVD bonus material that they were honored to add him to the cast of the summer murder/mystery event. Callum's Wakefield immediately impacted the entire series, changing the whole tone of the show and catapulting the actor's cult standing. Callum is slated to appear in the 2010 season of 24 where I have no doubt his precence will similarly affect their cast and Day 8 of the perennial hit.

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  •  
    10 Perfect
    great actor! hide show

    to be honest, i've only just seen callum keith rennie in "due south" but i really loved his performance there. he must have had a hard time replacing david marciano as ray vecchio, living up to the high expectations, seasons 1 and 2 provided us with and still do such a great and convincing job. his play and his interaction with paul gross' fraser was in way edgier and rougher but then again very touching at times (like when ray kowalski thought that fraser was going to team up with ray vecchio again). he did a great job showing kowalski's insecurity and vulnerability behind his occasional pomposity (especially in his heartbreaking performance in "ladies' man" which i personally think to be his best in "due south") and it took me very little time to get as fond of him as i had been of his predecessor david marciano.

    it's a pity that none of his other shows are broadcasted in switzerland i really would love to see more of him!

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  •  
    10 Perfect
    Callum Keith Rennie is one of the world's greatest actors! hide show

    I first saw him on Due Souh (1997) and I thought he was brilliant. The way he portrayed Stanley "Ray" Kowalski was gripping. So I decided to look up some of his other work. I got Suspicious River and Torso and I definately wasn't disappointed. He plays the two completely different characters in these films equally well (one of them is very similar to the character of Stan Kowalski).

    So, uh, what I'm trying to say is that this very versatile actor is greatness and that's my final answer so - Dot it. file it. Stick it in a box marked done!

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