Elyse Levesque always knew what she wanted to achieve from her life at a very early age, when she was 11 years old, and while she probably could not articulate it at the time, she understood, inherently, that her destiny was to stand in front of the cameras, making truth out of lies, bringing incredible stories to life as an actress
Regina from the Leader Post, has sat down with the Stargate Universe star to discuss her role on the show, her child hood dreams and much more
You can read an excerpt below:
REGINA — Let’s be honest. Most people are fortunate to find their calling, period. To find it at all is a wonderful thing. To find it before you are a teenager is a blessing. “And that’s exactly how I feel,†Elyse Levesque says with a magazine-cover smile. “I feel blessed.â€
The future cast member of the science-fiction television series Stargate Universe found her calling when she was 11 years old, and while she probably could not articulate it at the time, she understood, inherently, that her destiny was to stand in front of the cameras, making truth out of lies, bringing incredible stories to life as an actress. “It was almost as though I had no choice,†she says. “It was not a conscious decision. It happened because it was meant to happen. I really and truly believe that.â€
It happened largely because of Incredible Story Studio, the Gemini Award-winning television series from the late 1990s that was produced by Kevin DeWalt and Virginia Thompson, with script developer Robert de Lint in the director’s chair. The show was shot in Regina and broadcast for several seasons, after which it went into syndication, having attracted a fan base that stretched not only across Canada but to many parts of the world. The format was a simple one of continuous but non-related short “movies†that were written and performed by young people. One of those young people was an 11-year-old named Elyse Levesque, who made her film debut as Candace Wilkes, a spoiled-brat teacher’s pet, in an episode called Hugo and the Haunted Cheese.
A teacher at MacNeill elementary school, a certain Miss Kraus, had encouraged her sixth-grade student to attend an open casting call, during which (among other things) Levesque met with the producers and was required to answer two profound and revealing questions. They asked: Who would you like to go on a date with? “Leonardo DiCaprio.†Where would you go on your date? “McDonald’s.†They must have been the correct answers, because in less time than it takes to say the key grip wears clown shoes, Levesque was an actress. “That was it,†she says, laughing. “Incredible Story Studio sealed the deal. I had found my calling.â€