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Carolyn Fe

Carolyn Fe
Born (1961-08-01) August 1, 1961 (age 63)
Quezon City, Philippines
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Websitecarolyn-fe.com

Carolyn Fe (born August 1, 1961) is a Filipino actress based in Montreal. She has released three full-length albums and an EP with the Carolyn Fe Blues Collective. Fe is also the recipient of 2018 Toronto Theatre Critics' Awards for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Calpurnia.

Early life

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Fe was born in Quezon City, Philippines.[1] Her family moved to the US and then to Canada when she was eight years old, settling in Montreal.[2]

Career

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Music

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In 2008, Fe and the Carolyn Fe Blues Collective (guitarist Rami Cassab, keyboardist Tim Alleyne, bassist Oisin Little, and drummer Dan Legault) launched their first EP, 100%. Their first full-length album, Original Sin, was released in 2011. Following Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, Fe and the members Carolyn Fe Blues Collective held a fundraiser to support the Red Cross's humanitarian efforts. The fundraiser, held at the House of Jazz in Montreal, raised over $300,000.[1]

In 2014, Fe released her second full-length album, Bad Taboo. Bad Taboo had 13 tracks and was recorded by Fe and the Carolyn Fe Blues Collective.[3] The album featured performances from Guy Bélanger ("Whole Lotsa Trouble" and "Life’s Just That Good") and Shun Kikuta ("Bad Taboo").[1] Fe released her fourth self-produced album, Sugat Ko, in August 2018 after a four-year break from releasing music. "Sugat Ko" means "my wounds" in Tagalog.[4]

Acting

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In 2018, Fe played Precy, the Filipina housekeeper, in Audrey Dwyer's Calpurnia.[5] She was awarded the Toronto Theatre Critics' Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Calpurnia.[6] At the 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival, Fe played Lola[Note 1] in Through the Bamboo.[7] She played Manang Flor, the matriarch, in Jo SiMalaya Alcampo's Hilot Means Healer in 2019 at The Theatre Centre.[8] In 2020, Fe was cast as Lola, the grandmother of the main character, in the Nickelodeon show Blue's Clues & You!.[9]

Other

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Fe's formed the theatre company, Altera Vitae, in 2007. In 2009, Fe directed Altera Vitae's production of Martin Sherman's Bent in partnership with GRIS-Montreal.[10][11]

Filmography

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Television

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2010 The Perfect Teacher Rosa TV movie
2020 Condor Carla's Mother Season 2: episode 8 "The Road We Take" [12]
2020 Meilleur Avant Madame Z Web series (French) [12]
2020 Blue's Clues & You! Lola Season 2: Episodes 4 and 7
2022 Work It Out Wombats! Gabriela "Hopping Helpers," "Sparkle Pants"

Film

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2015 The Saver Lita
2018 "Auring’s Words" Auring Short film [13]
2018 "In Loving Memory" Zhu Jin Short film

Theatre

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Year Title Role Ref.
2009 Death and the Maiden Paulina Salas [14]
2013 Marg Szkabula (Pissy's Wife) Marg Szkaluba [15]
2016 Sylvia Kate [16]
2018 Calpurnia Precy [17]
2019 Through The Bamboo Lola [7]
2019 Hilot Means Healer Manang Flor [8]
2022 Three Women of Swatow Grandmother [18]
2022 Uncle Vanya Marina [19]

Discography

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List of albums
Title Album details
Sugat Ko Released: August 1, 2018
Bad Taboo Released: 2014
Original Sin Released: 2011
100% Released: 2009

Awards

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2012 Lys Blues Awards Best Blues Album & Associated Styles Original Sin Won [20]
2018 Toronto Theatre Critics' Awards Best Supporting Actress Calpurnia Won [6]

Notes

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  1. ^ Lola is the Tagalog language word for grandmother.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Carolyn Fe's blues boosts the spirit". Montreal Gazette. 2014-05-27. Archived from the original on 2018-07-05. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  2. ^ Mutuc, Mikee (2020-11-29). "How a Canadian actress is helping kids connect with Filipino culture on U.S. TV". CBC. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  3. ^ Szalony, Greg (2014-10-21). "Carolyn Fe Blues Collective – Bad Taboo | Album Review". Blues Blast Magazine. Archived from the original on 2014-11-01. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  4. ^ Greenblatt, Mike (2018-10-04). "Bluegrass, Synth-Pop, Soul, Rock, Jazz, Americana CDs Rule". Goldmine Magazine. Archived from the original on 2018-10-04. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  5. ^ Fricker, Karen (2018-01-22). "Racial drama Calpurnia is smart and important — but imperfect". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2018-01-23. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  6. ^ a b Sumi, Glenn (2018-05-23). "Toronto theatre critics vote on best of 2017-18 season". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  7. ^ a b Trapunski, Richard (2019-07-06). "Fringe review: Through The Bamboo". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  8. ^ a b Edwards, Samantha (2019-10-11). "Hilot Means Healer blends Philippine folklore and a wartime tale about family". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  9. ^ "'Blue's Clues & You' gets a second season and a Filipino 'lola'". INQUIRER.net USA. 2020-02-07. Archived from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  10. ^ Smith, DeAnne (2009-11-02). "Bent examines the persecution of gays in Nazi Germany". Xtra Magazine. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  11. ^ Watson, John (2009-11-12). "Crooked world". The McGill Daily. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  12. ^ a b Alper, Eric (2020-06-04). "'Not your grandma's blues': Carolyn Fe releases 'Jerusalem's Thorns: Civilian Remix'". Roots Music Canada. Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  13. ^ "Auring's Words". Winnipeg Film Group. Archived from the original on 2019-12-30. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  14. ^ Christina (2009-05-01). "Death and the Maiden". Invisible Cities Network. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  15. ^ BWW News Desk (2013-05-15). "Blues Singer Caroline Fe Returns to Theatre in MARG SZKABULA (PISSY'S WIFE) at Rialto, Now thru 5/26". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  16. ^ "Brave New Productions Presents A.R Gurney's SYLVIA at MainLine Theatre This May". BroadwayWorld.com. 2016-04-10. Archived from the original on 2020-11-02. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
  17. ^ Nestruck, J. Kelly (2018-01-18). "Review: Calpurnia's inconsistent characters undermine a play with promise". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
  18. ^ Wild, Stephi (2021-12-17). "World Premiere Of Chloé Hung's THREE WOMEN OF SWATOW Set For January". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  19. ^ Wild, Stephi (2022-08-08). "Crow's Theatre Presents UNCLE VANYA and THE SHAPE OF HOME, SONGS IN SEARCH OF AL PURDY". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
  20. ^ "My Montreal: Carolyn Fe". Montreal Gazette. 2013-01-30. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
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