Actor and Theatre Director Janet Wright Dies At 71

JANET WRIGHT | IMAGE: THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT

Actor and director Janet Wright died in Vancouver on the morning of November 14 after years of failing health. She was 71.

Wright is best known to television audiences for her role on Corner Gas, on which she portrayed series matriarch Emma Leroy from 2004-2009. She was also a prominent fixture in Canadian theatre, especially in Vancouver, where she cumulatively directed and acted in over 30 Arts Club productions over the course of 50 years.

In a statement released by the Arts Club, actor Robert Moloney said, “Janet Wright was the fiercest and yet the most sensitive and compassionate artist I have ever had the honour of working with. She had deep intuitive instincts for what great theatre and great performance is. She did not suffer fools or lazy artists. She pushed me constantly to go beyond the limits of what I thought I was capable of. She made me a better person and a better actor, and for that she has my deepest gratitude and sincerest love. She was a theatre giant. We have lost a champion.”