TheNewYorkTimes recently declared Canada “suddenly hip,” profiling 17 celebs including the likes of Drake, Justin Bieber, filmmaker Xavier Dolan and actress/director Sarah Polley. And plenty of Canadians were glad (if not somewhat amused) to see that Americans were finally getting up to speed! Because Canada has been full of plenty of talented cultural influencers making our country hip for a long time.
More:Justin Trudeau’s response to the question of gender balance is perfect
“The notion that our neighbour to the north is a frozen cultural wasteland populated with hopelessly unstylish citizens is quickly becoming so outdated as to be almost offensive,” reads the Times‘ article. “An expanse once stereotyped as the home to square-jawed Mounties and beer-swilling ‘hosers’ has quietly morphed into a multicultural breeding ground.”
The idea that Canada is “suddenly” cool (thanks to the recent wave of Trudeau-mania) and not simply a “frozen cultural wasteland” is causing quite a bit of chatter on Twitter. Some Canadians were surprised to find that Americans didn’t think we were hip before, while others were relieved to finally be cool.
As further proof that Canada is, indeed, cool, take a look at five more notable Canadian women, who may not have been on the Times‘ list, but who are helping Canada sit at the cool table:
1. Ellen Page
Ellen Page has been “hip” for a long time. You probably got to know her in Juno, Hard Candy or in her earlier days as a child actress in TheTrailerParkBoys. And she’s been keeping busy since, recently starring alongside Julianne Moore in Freeheld, a film in which the two stars play a couple battling to secure Moore’s character’s pension when she finds out she has terminal cancer. And look out for Page next in Tallulah, a film set in Beverly Hills about a babysitting gig that goes unexpectedly wrong.
More:6 Reasons Beasts of No Nation should be an Oscar nomination
2. Kiesza
How could we forget the talented Calgary-born singer Kiesza? She probably caught your attention first with her video “Hideaway,” with her unforgettable choreographed dance number in the streets of Brooklyn. Or you may have even danced in your living room to her debut album, “Sound of a Woman.” And her club banger, “Give It To The Moment,” should give us some hints as to what to expect from her upcoming album.
3. Anna Paquin
Who knew TrueBlood‘s Anna Paquin was born in Canada? Because she is — and as someone who has spent hours upon hours of my life with Sookie Stackhouse, I think that’s something worth celebrating!
4. Sarah Gadon
Sarah Gadon has starred in lots of buzzworthy movies, from heady boundary-pushing films by Canadian director David Cronenberg like Cosmopolisand ADangerousMethod, to supernatural thrillers like DraculaUntold and heart-wrenching historical dramas like Belle — a film based on a true story of a mixed-race woman, inducted into 18th-century aristocratic society (Gadon plays her sister). Gadon has a broad range as an actress and the chops to pull off a number of dramatically different characters.
5. Rochelle Jordan
The Weeknd isn’t the only R&B star to come out of Ontario. Up-and-comer Rochelle Jordan is a Scarborough native working between Toronto and LA. Her song-writing abilities snagged her a Grammy nomination for “Telegraph Ave” on Childish Gambino’s album, “Because The Internet.” And she’s been keeping busy since, releasing her mixtape, “Killah,” and a fresh new album, “1021.”
More:Canadian Films making a splash at Palm Springs Festival
Leave a Comment