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| Victoria grew up in a small town in northern Ontario, Canada called Chesley. With a population of only 1,850, the town was known for three things - it's beef production, record snow falls and Bruce The Cow, an 18 foot sculpture that presides over the town. From an early age Victoria decided she was going to change all that and put Chesley on the map. Being a tomboy she dreamt of becoming a star the only way she knew how - through sports. Victoria became an avid runner, or perhaps an obsessive runner would be more accurate. Living in a farmhouse on the edge of town she smeared her face in Vaseline for protection against the sub-zero temperatures in winters and ran the miles of open country roads at night. Her training quickly paid off, as she became a Provincial and then a National medallist in track and field, specializing in the hurdles. With her parents support she trained in the USA in the off-season to go head to head with world's best competitors. Excelling a year in school she entered York University a year ahead of her age group. Feeling too young for much of the partying she split her time between her books, track and field and her new found love of weight training. During her four-year University program she managed to; compete in the Commonwealth Games, stay at the top of her class, make the Dean's list every year and graduated Summa Cum Laud with a degree in Kinesiology. After graduating Victoria took a job testing professional athletes in the University's performance lab, while she co-authored a book on fitness and body building. When it came time to find athletes for the pictures inside, she approached Robert Kennedy, publisher of MuscleMag, Oxygen, and American Health and Fitness. Her life was about to change. Robert knew a star when he saw one. He knew Victoria's larger than life personality combined with her killer smile, athletic physique and natural good looks, would sell his magazines. A few months later she was a Cover Girl. Vicky had found her home in front of the camera. There she shines. It wasn't long before she was one of the worlds' most recognizable fitness models, but Robert Kennedy knew that Victoria was destined for more. He knew a stills camera couldn't hear her boisterous room filling laugh and it couldn't translate her offbeat humor or capture all of her natural sex appeal. He convinced Victoria to take acting classes. Victoria took two years of classes before looking for an agent, but on her first dramatic audition ever she hit gold. John Woo and Terrance Chang had just launched their series 'Once A Thief'. Victoria landed a guest starring role playing a val-gal mob boss named Jackie Janzyc. The producers quickly spun Victoria's character into a series regular role and she joined the cast of Ivan Sergei, Nick Lea, Sandrine Holt and Jennifer Dale. When the first season ended Victoria flew to the Philippines to meet up with some friends who were shooting a movie called 'Legacy' in the capital city Manila. While she was in the air an Actress had to drop out of the movie due to scheduling conflicts. Victoria was cast to fill the role playing opposite, Rod Stieger, David Hasselhoff and Corin Nemec. Upon landing Victoria was whisked to Wardrobe, sure that there was some mistake - "I swear I'm just here for a holiday!" 'Once A Thief' was cancelled, much to Victoria's chagrin. She wasn't sure that she "could ever fool them again". Still, she was hooked on acting so she packed up and moved to LA to follow her new dream. It didn't take long for Victoria to land a seminal role on 'Xena- Warrior Princess'. Who better to play 'Cyane Queen of The Amazons'? Vicky was extremely happy to be cast because her mother would now have the title of "Amazon Queen Mum". The huge two part season opener for season three of 'Xena' was shot on remote locations in New Zealand over a month long period. It was a wonderful experience for Victoria to be on a hit show at the height of its popularity. Working with Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Conner and Claire Stansfield was awesome. Victoria's role of Cyanne, though only two episodes, opened new doors in LA - many of them leading back to New Zealand. Victoria flew back from filming 'Xena' just in time for Pilot season. She quickly landed a Lead Role on Aaron Spelling and Mark Frost's pilot 'Forbidden Island'. Off to New Zealand she went. Although it was a highly anticipated pilot, it wasn't picked up…so it was back to auditioning Being a small town Canadian girl, Vicky had grown up loving Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas's movie Strange Brew. Their hoser characters Bob and Doug Mackenzie's are part of Canadian lore, eh! When Vicky found out that there was a female starring role in their sequel Strange Brew 2, she sent off an audition tape to the production immediately. Dave Thomas met with Vicky in LA and they got along great. The part of Mary Beth, the off-beat-quirky small town hottie was all hers. Perhaps this was a case of 'type casting'. The only problem was that on the very same day Vicky was also offered a one of the leads in a new series called Cleopatra 2525, being produced by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert. The part of Sarge certainly seemed perfect for Victoria, but Strange Brew 2? "It's so Canadian and it's a feature film". She turned down the series, took the film and flew to Toronto to start rehearsals. Well, film is a funny business…two days before principal photography, the film's financing fell through. Damn. What to do? Victoria quickly had her agent call Rob Tapert to see if the role of Sarge was still available. He said for the past three weeks they had been casting for a "Victoria Pratt type". Network testing was the next day in LA. If Vicky could be there they would see her. Twelve hours later the Ass-kicking, wise-cracking part of Sarge was hers and she was back on a plane to… New Zealand. Cleopatra 2525 was a half hour Sci-Fi show for Studio's USA. Victoria joined the cast of Gina Torres (Hel) and Jennifer Sky (Cleo). Together the three of them battled each week to take back the earth's surface from man made drones. Think "Charlie's Angels" in the future. The show was teamed up with a Bruce Campbell series called Jack Of All Trades. Together they were packaged as an hour of 'Back to Back Action' by Studios USA. When Jack of All Trades was cancelled, Cleopatra 2525 was expanded into an hour series. Unfortunately that didn't last too long and the series was cancelled mid-season, oddly enough at the height of its popularity. Next Victoria found herself shooting in Vancouver on an HBO movie called Blacktop. The film stars Meatloaf (Fight Club), Kristen Davis (Sex In the City) and Lochlyn Munro (Scary Movie). Victoria plays a small town hitchhiker called Charlie who is picked up by Lochlyn Munro (David), for company and guidance as he looks for his girlfriend Kristen Davis (Sylvia), who has been kidnapped by Meatloaf (Jack). Unfortunately, Jack doesn't think that Charlie should be part of the game - "One dead cowgirl" - and Victoria is back looking for work. The producers of the Sci-Fi series First Wave found out that Victoria was in Vancouver and brought her in to audition for their show. She landed the two character part of Claire and Gia playing opposite Sabastien Spence. Her role on First Wave filled in the space before Pilot Season just fine. Pilot Season is that dreadful time for actors where there is a flurry of auditions for shows that might never go. Actors must audition, up to five times, for a show as the field is narrowed down. If they are lucky enough to make it to the final four or five actors for a part, their agents then negotiate a "test deal". This deal is a long term contract (often six years) that binds them to that show, if they get the part. There is no turning back and they can only test for one show at a time. When actors "test" they audition before a room full of executives who decide their fate that day. It is not fun for actors. If the Actor is lucky enough to get the part, the pilot is filmed and only when it is completed do the network executives decide whether they will turn it into a series. Each year many pilots are shot, but few series are green lit, so deciding what to "test" for is a nerve racking experience for actors. It's Pilot season 2001. Victoria has been in talks with Fireworks Entertainment and Tribune Entertainment about their new Marvel series Mutant X. Both co-producing companies are very interested in Victoria for a series lead part called Shalimar Fox. In fact they have written the role with Vicky in mind. The upside is that the show has been green lit for two seasons without a pilot. There are only two catches. There isn't a script yet to read and Victoria must "test" for the part and the "testing" is scheduled at the very end of pilot season. What to do? It's not really a bird in the hand, its just feathers. Victoria wanted the part of Shalimar, from the talks she had had with Jay Firestone the Executive Producer, but hey, this is the film business strange thing happen. While trying to decide whether to sit out pilot season Victoria was sent a pilot script called HRT (Hostage Rescue Team) for CBS. It was the best pilot script she has ever read. There was a perfect part of a series lead hostage rescue woman, who is as tough as the guys, is funny and has a great heart. Victoria called her agent to get an audition. It is late in the game, but the role hasn't been cast. She puts an audition on tape and it is sent to the Producers and Director who are scouting locations in Vancouver and New York. They liked her tape and she is immediately asked to "test" for the pilot. Victoria decides to take the gamble. She tests for HRT and thinks she has nailed the audition. The phone rings. She's got the part. Wrong. She doesn't get the part. "Oh damn and HRT is going to be the best series ever" -- Two months later the Network throws the pilot out and the series never goes. It's a strange business. Meanwhile back at the Mutant X testing. Pilot season is all but over. The pressure is on. Victoria auditions against four other actors for Shalimar and damn it if she is not having a completely off day. Her contract isn't ready, her hair and makeup sucks, she got sent the wrong scenes and is now scrambling to learn the new lines. When Victoria goes in she knows the part is hers to lose and when she leaves she's positive she's lost it. Back at home the phone doesn't ring that day, Friday, or over the week-end or even on Monday. Victoria is sure that she will be unemployed for ever. On Tuesday the phone finally rings and a voice on the other end says, "Hi am I speaking to Shalimar Fox?" Victoria says, "I don't know, are you?" "I sure am" the voice says. Victoria shrieks with glee. Two seasons of a show guaranteed. It's almost unheard of. Shooting in …Toronto.< Victoria has at this point lived in Los Angeles for four years, but has still never filmed a day there. At least Toronto is close to her hometown and her family. Victoria finds that the Mutant X crew, the producers, the staff and the cast are all great. She bonded immediately with John Shea (Adam), Victor Webster (Brennen), Lauren Lee Smith (Emma) and Forbes March (Jessie). The Mutant X team became a family unit as soon as they met. Shortly after beginning the filming of Mutant X in Toronto, Victoria got a call asking if she would play a role in an independent film called The Mallory Effect, filming in Montreal. The film's producers would be willing to shoot around her Mutant X schedule. The part of Jennifer was irresistible for Vicky. Jennifer is a "cross-eyed pity date" who falls for the lead male Steven Roy and reveals all of her most inner secrets…all while being cross eyed. The Mutant X producers were so taken by Victoria's enthusiasm for the project, that they agreed to help facilitate the crazy schedule. For two weeks Victoria filmed Mutant X during the day and then flew to Montreal where she filmed The Mallory Effect at night. The effort was worth it. The Mallory Effect became the official opening night film for the Sundance film festival in Park City Utah this year and is also screening at the Just for Laughs Film Festival in Montreal (July 2002). Victoria is currently filming season two of Mutant X in Toronto. The show has great ratings and consequencely more and more magazines are calling to book pictorials and cover shoots with Victoria. I guess they just see what Robert Kennedy saw when Vicky walked into his office not so long ago. A woman who was meant to share her life with us, by being in front of the camera. |
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