A tribute to Jackie Burroughs: the most memorable moments from her career
To anyone who grew up watching Road to Avonlea or had children during the show’s seven-season run, the death of beloved actor Jackie Burroughs on Wednesday came as a shock. Burroughs, who lived in Toronto, was 71 and suffering from gastric cancer. In honour of the Canadian legend, we’ve compiled our favourite moments from her career.
See them in our slide show >>
The Grey Fox
Burroughs gave a touching, Genie-snagging performance as the feisty feminist photographer Kate Flynn in this gentle western. But we have to admit that the best thing about it was seeing her fall for Anne of Green Gables softie Richard Farnsworth. Matthew Cuthbert and Hetty King?! If wishing made it so…
The More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City miniseries
Her name is Mother Mucca. She runs a whorehouse. She’s also the mother of Olympia Dukakis, who used to be her son but is now her daughter. Thank you, Armistead Maupin. (Take a look at 3:40 of the clip.)
Last Night
Don McKellar’s apocalyptic 1998 film is a Canadian casting agent’s dream: Geneviève Bujold, David Cronenberg, Callum Keith Rennie, Sandra Oh and Sarah Polley all appear. And Burroughs blasts past them with her ridiculously awesome cameo as a crazed doomsday jogger bent on spending her final moments sprinting through the streets of Toronto, counting down the minutes (at o:46 of the clip).
Road to Avonlea, moment one
Gus Pike and Hetty King are an opposites-attract match made in heaven. In the episode, Gus goes to school and Hetty shows him how to write his name and act like a gentleman. But she’s a subscriber to the tough-love teaching philosophy and has a fantastic r-rolling Hetty outburst—she’s offended by Gus’s rough edges and fiddle playing—but of course warms up to him: “I will help you, Gus, as much as I’m able… Mark my words, boy, you’ll never regret coming to school.” Oh, Hetty—you’re such a softie under that hard shell. (Watch the whole clip up to 5:00.)
Road to Avonlea, moment two
We love it when Aunt Hetty gets all swoony because it means Burroughs awkwardly batting her lashes. One of the best examples is when fellow educator Clive Pettibone gives Hetty a bottle of back medicine, and she hilariously considers it a romantic gesture (8:35 of the clip).
Road to Avonlea, moment three
The speech Hetty gives at the end of the final episode of Road to Avonlea still manages to draw a tear (12:00).
The Care Bears Movie
Sure, Aunt Hetty’s strict schoolmarm routine was pretty terrifying (at least to her students), but Burroughs’ voice work as the evil “Spirit” in 1985’s The Care Bears Movie was shudder-inducing. (Also, how awesome is it that she did The Care Bears Movie?) Take a look at 4:45 of this clip to see what we mean.
Anne of Green Gables
Remember when Anne Shirley recites “The Highwayman” at the Charlottetown Hospital benefit? Now remember the headliner at the event, Amelia Evans? That’s our girl, Jackie, giving a fabulously over-the-top reading of “Wreck of the Hesperus.” Unfortunately, the clip isn’t embeddable, but you can view it here.
Jackie Burroughs spotting
After her death was announced, our Facebook news feed was full of friends’ accounts of their Toronto run-ins with Burroughs. We spotted her regularly on the Dupont bus, at a drop-in dance class and in the village—her look (red capri pants and wild hair) was a wonderfully shocking contrast to Road to Avonlea’s early-20th-century garb.
A video tribute to Jackie Burroughs: http://www.roadtoavonlea.com/blogs/category-news/item/272-tribute-to-jackie-burroughs
I cant even tell you how greatly appreciated i am that this was even sent to me.. i am a very big fan of avonlea. Jackie was the whole show.. and i always understood where she came from.. i loved her. may she rest in peace..
Jackie was small in stature but huge in talent. I
loved her role as Hetty King in Road to Avonlea among
her many other roles. I occasionally would see Jackie
just wandering around Hazelton Avenue smoking a cigarette.
Jackie would never put on airs. She possessed a unique personality and talent. She will be missed.
when road to avonlea serial start i was 12 years old.i have many many good memories from that serial specially hetty king.i love jackie and even i called her hetty aunt.her soul be in calm.
Jackie was my friend and neighbour on Yorkville Avenue in the ’90s. She was a talented actor, and also a wise and caring person. I have many fond memories of our friendship.