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Artscene Oakville Beaver · FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2006 By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF 31 Actress tells students to be relentless in pursuit of their careers There's no business like show business, but if any other career interests you, choose that instead. That was just one tidbit of the advice famed Canadian actress Sheila McCarthy passed on to a class of Sheridan film and media students during a guest speaking session Monday. "This is a tough business and God love you all for wanting to do it," a smiling McCarthy said, "but my advice to you is, if you can think of anything else to do, do it." In a career spanning more than 20 years, McCarthy has landed roles in movies like Die Hard 2, Being Julia, The Day after Tomorrow, Confessions of a Teenaged Drama Queen, I've Heard the Mermaids Singing and major TV series' including Emily of New Moon, and told students it's been far from easy. "The number of parts I didn't get, all of the rejection ­ it's tough," said the Stratford resident, who is also involved in the theatre scene there. "The rejection is very hard, the auditions are very hard. You have be thickskinned." At the same time, McCarthy told students she felt extremely fortunate to have made a career of what she loves, and advised anyone who decides to pursue the industry to be relentless. "He had a lot of casting power," she said. "I wrote him a letter and I said you were once given a break in your career, you should put that part back in the movie and I should play it." And that was that. Other advice McCarthy left with students is to dabble in everything the entertainment industry offers. Originally a professional dancer at age 16, McCarthy then got into acting in theatre, film and TV and has also done voice work for commercials, cartoons, and most recently got into writing and producing feature films. "What I love about being in Canada and what I find different in the states is we seem to be allowed to do many things in Canada in the career called acting," she said. "For me, this arena in Canada is a big, wide open spectrum. "I encourage you to keep your eyes open. Do it all." McCarthy's personal favourite, she says, is TV. "What I love about television is that you create that family of people and everything is new at the same time," she said. "It's fast, it's fun and you're with a lovely group of people where you get to do something different all the time." Her most current project is a role in a sitcom spoof of Little House on the Prairie called Little Mosque on the Prairie, a show about a Muslim community that tries to interact with its small town neighbours in Saskatchewan. The show is set to air on CBC in January and is directed by part-time Sheridan professor, Michael Kennedy, who arranged for McCarthy to speak to his students, introducing her as "a national treasure" and "huge in the industry." See Actress page 32 OPEN HOUSE Wednesday, Dec. 6 4 pm - 7 pm Sheila McCarthy "I have written a lot of letters in my time, and I encourage you to do it. Being Julia ­ I got that role because I wrote the director a letter," she said. "Half of the stuff I got was because I knocked and banged on doors." Including her small role as a reporter in Die Hard 2. "A 12-line part in Die Hard 2, really who cares? But a big picture like that is a big deal down there (in the United States)," she said. Bruce Willis set up a meeting with McCarthy and it was later decided the reporter role would be taken out of the movie. 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