THE DAILY NEWS, Tarrytown, N.Y., Mon., December 1, 1975
Versatility is foremost for Canadian Actress BY CARMEL CAMISE MARCHIONNI
Tudi Wiggins, whose career has altered between the stage, television and radio—with a few films tossed in—says she never intended to become an actress.
A theater critic once called her a Deborah Kerr/ Margaret Leighton/Maggie Smith lady fitted into one designer styled suit. On stage or sipping a cup of hot coffee at the home of Dr. Rocco F. Troiano, Yonkers pediatrician, discussing the role of the volunteer worker with handicapped children, Canadian born actress Tudi Wiggins exudes an air of refined elegance. Call it class. She is regal in manner and speech and one suspects she can play royalty with little or no effort. Yet versatility is the name of the game on stage and before the television cameras.
IN ONE season at the Goodman Theater in Chicago, she played an elderly matron, sophisticated Mediterranean villa dweller, witch , humble Buffalo housewife, a German maid and a kindly psychiatrist. She has enacted roles in all age categories, from 19 to 90, and is currently appearing in the CBS-TV daytime soap opera, "Love of Life."
The role of "Meg" played by Miss Wiggins was originally held by Jean McBride. The character was written out of the script 18 years ago and returned to the show in December 1973. "Meg is very jet-set," says Miss Wiggins. "She causes all the trouble on the show, but rather than being an evil person, she is just self-centered. She tries to make things go her own way." Meg is the sister of the lead, "Van," played by Audrey Peters. "The people on the show are all marvelous," says Miss Wiggins. "They are all very human, down-to-earth. There is no time for temperament. "Everyone is there with the same pressures and tension and so you don't find some of the temperament that you might have on stage."
TEMPERAMENT in the theater is publicized for publicity's sake, she feels "I think it is kind of fun for people to think actors are temperamental." Miss Wiggins lauds the talents of Larry Auerbach, who has directed "Love of Life" for the past 24 years. "I have been acting for 27 years and have found him to be among the finest I have ever met." Miss Wiggins, whose career has alternated between the stage, television and radio-with a few films tossed in-says she never intended to become an actress. It all began back in Canada when she was 12 years old and her brother, an aspiring artist, dragged her to the theater because he wanted to learn about set design. While he was there, the Ottawa Saturday Players cast him in a play and since they needed a young girl for another role he suggested they use his kid sister. "The manager kept after my mother until she finally consented," Miss Wiggins recalls. "And so I joined the company."
She spent five years in the Ottawa Children's Theater before joining the Canadian Repertory Theater and then struck out on the North American tour of "Oh, What a Lovely War." Then, like so many Canadian performers who see brighter horizons in the south, she headed for New York. In 1968, she auditioned for "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and was given the role of a nun in the production. She was understudy for the lead played by Zoe Caldwell and went on stage for Miss Caldwell at the Helen Hayes Theater six times. Miss Wiggins also appeared in the Broadway show, "There's One in Every Marriage."
WHILE appearing in "There's One..." with Peter Donat and Roberta Maxwell, she was performing in the soaper, "The Guiding Light," on television. When "Guiding Light" was unceremoniously doused, she went to Chicago and the Goodman Theater where she played in Anna in Old Times," was the lead in a review. "Scenes from American Life," and enacted the role of Jennet' in "The Lady's Not For Burning". Miss Wiggins returned often to Canada for radio and television roles. She also appeared with Don Knotts in The Mind With a Dirty Man' and went on tour with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in The Secretary Bird ' Two years ago. little more than an hour after the curtain rang down on stage at Arlington Park in Chicago. Miss Wiggins was on a flight to New York to start "Love of Life."
In Manhattan, she lives in a terrace apartment complete "with trees, rose bushes and cherry vine tomatoes." She also nurtures herbs which she uses for gourmet cooking- Right now I'm on a Japanese kick." I love to cook for people... I won't cook for myself, but love nothing better than having a couple of people up for dinner. At home with Miss Wiggins are a female miniature poodle named "Cookie' and a peach-faced parakeet she calls "Hallelujah Passover. " Two Easters ago. Miss Wiggins explains she heard a rush of wings and a parakeet flew into her apartment. "Since he arrived on Easter Sunday, his name is Hallelujah. I was singing at the Riverside Church at the time, and since he flew over all those apartments to get to my terrace, his last name is Passover. Two months ago. Hallelujah Passover was acting peculiarly. And in a few days. Hallelujah Passover laid live eggs. "He is a she " says Miss Wiggins "So the only man in the household has turned out to be a girl It is a shock to the whole household, you can be sure'
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Paul Raven ·
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