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Sara Canning (born July 14, 1987) is a Canadian actress. She co-starred in the CW television series The Vampire Diaries as Jenna Sommers and appeared in the 2009 feature film Black Field. She starred as Dylan Weir in the Canadian television series and as Dr. Melissa Conner on the Global medical drama Remedy. Canning appeared in the 2017 theatrical film War for the Planet of the Apes. She is also known for her role as Jacquelyn Scieszka in the Netflix TV series A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Canning made her professional acting debut in George Orwell's 1984 at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton at the age of 18. She began studying general arts at the University of Alberta, and considered going into journalism. Still interested in performing, Canning left university at 19 and moved to Vancouver to pursue a career in acting. She graduated from a year-long screen acting program at Vancouver Film School in 2007.
In 2009, Canning filmed a television pilot for the CW network television series The Vampire Diaries. She then starred in the feature film, Black Field, a 19th-century Gothic fiction period piece directed by Danishka Esterhazy. Canning shot the drama near Tyndall, Manitoba, Canada in May 2009.Caddell, Ian (October 2009). " Field of Dreams ". Reel West. Retrieved on October 9, 2009. She played Maggie McGregor, the older of two British sisters struggling take make their way on the Canadian Prairies. The film premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2009.Mithrush, Fawnda (April 30, 2010). " Vampire Vixen". Avenue Magazine. Retrieved on May 1, 2010. The Vampire Diaries series was picked up three weeks after she completed work on the film.
Canning co-starred on The Vampire Diaries as Jenna Sommers, the aunt and guardian of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), and her younger brother Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen).Gilovoy, Jackie (September 25, 2009). " In Review: The Vampire Diaries". Ponte Vedra Recorder. Retrieved on October 17, 2009. Canning was younger or the same age as her fellow cast members who played high school students. Makeup artists and the wardrobe team worked to make her look older. Canning also downplayed her Canadian English for the role. Matthew Davis played her character's love interest, Alaric.MacKenzie, Carina (March 25, 2010). " 'The Vampire Diaries': Sara Canning makes her own luck ". Los Angeles Times Retrieved on May 8, 2010. Canning appeared on the second season of The Vampire Diaries from 2010–2011, until her character was killed in the episode "The Sun Also Rises".
Canning is interested in writing and directing. As of September 2010, she was co-writing a love story set in the Western time period. In 2011, she worked on a short film noir, titled Corvus, and shot the Lifetime network film, Hunt for the I-5 Killer, in Vancouver.Wilkinson, Amy (May 5, 2011). " 'Vampire Diaries' Post-Mortem: Sara Canning Talks About Last Night's Shocking Episode ". MTV. Retrieved on May 13, 2011. She filmed the Hallmark Movie Channel Western, Hannah's Law, in Calgary, Alberta in late 2011, starring alongside Greyston Holt.Nordyke, Kimberly (October 3, 2011). " 'Vampire Diaries' Actress to Star in Hallmark Movie Channel Western (Exclusive) ". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on November 9, 2011.
Canning appeared in I Think I Do, which began filming in January 2012 in Edmonton. She starred as Audrey, an event planner who runs a business alongside her two sisters (Mia Kirschner and Jenny Cooper).Baxter, Meaghan (January 31, 2012). " Park actress branches out to comedy ". Sherwood Park News. Retrieved on January 31, 2012. The romantic comedy aired in 2013 on the W Network and Lifetime networks.Hall, Jamie (January 12, 2012). " A movie 'for the world to see'". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved on January 14, 2012. She filmed the independent romantic comedy, The Right Kind of Wrong, in Banff, Alberta in late 2012, starring alongside Ryan Kwanten and Catherine O'Hara, directed by Jeremiah Chechik.Volmers, Eric (October 4, 2012). " Alberta ranch plays host to stars of romantic comedy, The Right Kind of Wrong ". Calgary Herald. Retrieved on October 5, 2012.
Canning starred in the 2012–2013 Space channel television series , a Canadians spin-off of the British sci-fi series Primeval.Vlessing, Etan (March 7, 2012). " Sara Canning Stars in Canadian 'Primeval: New World' Sci-Fi Drama ". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on March 9, 2012. She played predator control expert Dylan Weir, a member of a dinosaur hunting team; the series was filmed in Vancouver.Leiren-Young, Mark (January 3, 2013). " Hollywood North: Vancouver’s Sara Canning takes a vacation from vampires and velociraptors ". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved on January 5, 2013. Canning also starred in 2012 with Aaron Ashmore in the dark romantic comedy, I Put a Hit on You.Vlessing, Etan (November 9, 2012). " Sara Canning, Aaron Ashmore Cast in Canadian Indie 'I Put a Hit on You' ". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on November 10, 2012. In 2013, she joined the cast of the psychological drama film, Eadweard, starring Michael Eklund. She played Flora, the wife of 19th-century photographer Eadweard Muybridge.Kit, Borys (June 28, 2013). " 'Vampire Diaries,' 'Continuum' Actors Join Eadweard Muybridge Movie ". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on June 29, 2013.
Canning played general surgeon Mel Conner in the Global medical drama, Remedy, co-starring Sarah Allen, Dillon Casey, and Enrico Colantoni. The television series was in production in Toronto from October 2013–January 2014.Vlessing, Elan (October 2, 2013). " Sara Canning, Sarah Allen Board Canadian Medical Drama 'Remedy' ". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on October 2, 2013. Broadcast company Shaw Media renewed the series for a second 10-episode season.Vlessing, Elan (May 1, 2014). " Sara Canning-Starring Medical Drama 'Remedy' Gets Second Season ". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on May 4, 2014. Canning won the 2014 UBCP/ACTRA best actor and the 2015 Leo Award for Best Lead Performance for her role.
Canning co-starred in War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), a sequel to 2014's Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. She appeared in On the Farm, a Rachel Talalay-directed TV film about serial killer Robert Pickton, and in Hello Destroyer, which premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. Canning played Jacquelyn Scieszka in the 2017 Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events, based on Daniel Handler's book series of the same. She also starred as the head of a boarding school, Ms. Brixil, in the dystopian thriller, Level 16, written and directed by Danishka Esterhazy. Canning collaborated with Esterhazy a third time in The Banana Splits Movie, a film shot in Cape Town, South Africa.
Canning was nominated for the 2020 UBCP/ACTRA award for best female lead performance for her work on the Web series Hospital Show.
She starred in the 2021 film Superhost and stated that she had hard time filming the YouTube vlogging scenes.
| 2008 | Hope | Direct-to-video film | |
| 2009 | Black Field | Maggie McGregor | |
| 2013 | The Right Kind of Wrong | Colette | |
| 2014 | I Put a Hit on You | Harper | |
| 2015 | Eadweard | Flora Shallcross Stone | |
| 2016 | Hello Destroyer | Wendy Davis | |
| 2017 | Prodigals | Jen | Stage play adaptation |
| War for the Planet of the Apes | Lake | ||
| 2018 | The Fish and the Sea | Real estate agent | |
| Level 16 | Miss Brixil | ||
| 2019 | The Banana Splits Movie | Rebecca | |
| 2020 | An Awkward Balance | Venice | |
| 2021 | Superhost | Claire | |
| 2022 | Influencer | Jessica | |
| 2023 | Sweetland | Clara | |
| The Burning Season | Alena | ||
| 2024 | Dark Match | Kate the Great |
| 2008 | Paparazzi Princess: The Paris Hilton Story | Nicky Hilton | Television film |
| Smallville | Tess' Assistant | Episodes:"Odyssey", "Plastique" | |
| 2009 | Black Rain | Jenny | Television film |
| Taken in Broad Daylight | Anne Sluti | Television film | |
| Kyle XY | Redhead | Episode: "In the Company of Men" | |
| Come Dance at My Wedding | Andrea Merriman | Television film | |
| 2009–2011, 2014, 2017 | The Vampire Diaries | Jenna Sommers | Main role (seasons 1–2); guest role (seasons 3, 5 and 8); 46 episodes |
| 2011 | The Hunt for the I-5 Killer | Beth Williams | Television film |
| 2012 | Supernatural | Lydia | Episode: "The Slice Girls" |
| Hannah's Law | Hannah Beaumont | Television film | |
| Halloween Wars | Herself | As a judge (season 2); episode: "Zombie Wedding" | |
| 2012–2013 | Dylan Weir | Main role | |
| 2013 | I Think I Do | Audrey Ryan | Television film |
| King & Maxwell | Claire Culpepper | Episode: "Family Business" | |
| Garage Sale Mystery | Hannah | Television film | |
| Republic of Doyle | Jessica Dwyer | Episodes: "If the Shoe Fits", "Major Crimes" | |
| 2014–2015 | Remedy | Dr. Melissa Conner | Main role |
| 2014 | Hell on Wheels | Charlotte Royce | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Motive | Tracy Blaine | Episode: "Interference" |
| On the Farm | Sinead McLeod | Television film | |
| 2017–2018 | Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events | Jacquelyn Scieszka | Recurring role; 10 episodes |
| 2018 | Once Upon a Time | Gretel | Episode: "Sisterhood" |
| Van Helsing | Carter | Episode: "Been Away" | |
| Take Two | Melissa | Episode: "It Takes a Thief" | |
| 2019 | Wu Assassins | Alana | Episode: "Gu Assassins" |
| Nancy Drew | Katherine Drew | Recurring role; 5 episodes | |
| Amish Abduction | Annie | Television film | |
| The Christmas Temp | Hazel | Television film | |
| Hospital Show | Charlie | Web series | |
| 2020 | The Christmas Yule Blog | Caroline Williams | Television film |
| 2021 | Big Sky | Rachel Westergaard | Episodes: "The End Is Near", "Let It Be Him" |
| 9-1-1 | Sheila | Episode: "Suspicion" | |
| A Christmas Star | Madeline | Television film | |
| 2023 | The Irrational | D.A. Elise Bowen | Episode: "Pilot" |
| Creepshow | Astrid | Episode: "The Hat" |
| 2012 | Leo Award | Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Feature Length Drama | Hannah's Law | ||
| 2014 | UBCP/ACTRA Awards | Best Actress Award | Remedy | ||
| 2015 | Leo Award | Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | Remedy | ||
| Best Guest Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | Hell on Wheels | ||||
| UBCP/ACTRA Awards | Best Actress Award | Eadweard | |||
| 2016 | Leo Award | Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | Remedy | ||
| Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Television Movie | On the Farm | ||||
| 2017 | Leo Award | Best Guest Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | A Series of Unfortunate Events |
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