Greg Kramer
Greg Kramer
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Greg Kramer (11 March 1961 – 8 April 2013)[1] was a British-Canadian author, actor, director, and magician.[2] Born and raised in Hertfordshire, England, he emigrated to Canada in 1981 and spent the remainder of his life living in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.[2]

Key Information

Early life

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Kramer was born in Hertfordshire, England on 11 March 1961.

Career

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His first novel, The Pursemonger of fugu, published by Riverbank Press in 1995,[3] was shortlisted for the City of Toronto Book Award. His other novels included Couchwarmer (1997) and Wally (2004). His short story collection Hogtown Bonbons (1999) was originally published by Xtra! in Toronto as a regular column.[1] He also wrote several theatrical plays.[1]

As an actor, he appeared regularly on the television series Forever Knight, John Woo's Once a Thief and Tales from the Neverending Story, and as a voice actor in Tripping the Rift, George and Martha and Arthur. He also had supporting roles in numerous films, including 300, The Day After Tomorrow, I'm Not There and On the Road.[1] In theatres he worked across Canada, from the Vancouver Playhouse to the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.[1]

Directing credits include Tiger's Heart at the Centaur Theatre, Marat/Sade (Dora nomination, best production), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts in Montreal, which garnered him a Best Director MECCA award. Also a magician,[1] Kramer was the magic consultant and coach for Des McAnuff's production of The Tempest at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, featuring Christopher Plummer.[1] As a playwright, his credits included Lies of the Vampyre, Skateboard Tango, and Isadora Fabulist! written for Imago Theatre,[4] as well as Queens and the Great Out Doors.

Personal life and death

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Kramer was found dead in his Montreal apartment on 8 April 2013.[1] Although a cause of death was not immediately confirmed, Kramer was HIV-positive and had previously had a lung removed due to a bout of lung cancer.[5] His last play Sherlock Holmes was performed at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts in Montreal from 4 to 26 May 2013. The play, which starred Jay Baruchel in the titular role, had also cast Kramer as Inspector Lestrade.[6] The play went ahead, with fellow cast member Patrick Costello stepping in to replace Kramer as Lestrade.[7]

Kramer was openly gay.[5]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
2000 Wilder Dugald Ferdinand
2001-2014 Arthur Nemo (voice)
2002 Abandon Andre
2004 The Day After Tomorrow RAF #2
2006 300 Ephor #1
2007 I'm Not There Drunk
2012 On the Road Mississippi Gene

References

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Greg Kramer

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Greg Kramer was a British-born Canadian actor, director, writer, and magician known for his versatile career in theatre, film, television, and voice acting, as well as his contributions as a playwright and novelist. [1] [2] Born on March 11, 1961, in Hertfordshire, England, he emigrated to Canada in 1981 and spent the next three decades building a prolific presence in the Canadian arts scene, performing in over 100 theatre productions across cities including Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. [2] [3] He was recognized for his work on stage with companies such as Centaur Theatre, Buddies in Bad Times, and the Stratford Festival, while also directing acclaimed productions and authoring several plays and books. [2] Kramer's screen career included supporting roles in major films such as 300 (2006), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), I'm Not There (2007), and On the Road (2012), alongside television appearances in series like Goosebumps, Tales from the Neverending Story, and Forever Knight. [1] He provided voice work for the long-running animated series Arthur, where he voiced Nemo from 1999 until his death, and contributed additional voices to video games including Assassin's Creed (2007) and Assassin's Creed III (2012). [1] As a writer, he published novels such as The Pursemonger of Fugu (1995), Couchwarmer (1997), and Wally (2004), along with the short-story collection Hogtown Bonbons (1999), and penned plays including Isadora Fabulist and Sherlock Holmes. [2] Kramer died on April 8, 2013, in Montreal at the age of 52, shortly before he was scheduled to appear in his own play Sherlock Holmes at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts. [1] [3] His multifaceted contributions left a lasting impact on Canadian performing arts, particularly in theatre and independent film, where he was celebrated for his dedication and range. [2] [3]

Early life

Early life and immigration

Greg Kramer was born on March 11, 1962, in Hertfordshire, England, UK. [4] [1] He trained at Mountview Theatre School in the United Kingdom. [4] [5] In 1981, Kramer emigrated to Canada. [4] [5] Following his relocation, he lived in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. [5] This move marked the beginning of his theatre involvement in Canada. [4] [5] He later made Montreal his primary base. [5]

Acting career

Film and television roles

Greg Kramer appeared in several supporting roles in feature films and television productions, primarily in Canadian and Hollywood projects. His on-screen credits showcased his versatility in small but memorable parts across genres ranging from disaster epics to literary adaptations. In 2000, Kramer played Dugald Ferdinand in the crime thriller Wilder. He followed this with the role of Andre in the 2002 mystery film Abandon. In 2004, he portrayed RAF #2 in the science-fiction disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow and appeared as Flynn in the Canadian television mini-series Il Duce Canadese. Kramer took on the role of Ephor #1, one of the Spartan elders, in Zack Snyder's 2006 action film 300. In 2007, he appeared as Drunk in Todd Haynes' experimental biographical film I'm Not There. One of his later credits was as Mississippi Gene in the 2012 adaptation of Jack Kerouac's On the Road, directed by Walter Salles, where he also contributed a vocal performance of the song "Sweet Sixteen" to the film's soundtrack.

Voice acting

Greg Kramer was a prolific voice actor, contributing to a variety of animated television series and video games, often in Canadian productions. His voice work spanned children's programming, fantasy series, adult animation, and major video game franchises. One of his most prominent and enduring roles was voicing Nemo in the children's animated series Arthur, where he appeared in 15 episodes from 1999 to 2013.[1] He also voiced George in two episodes of the 1995 television adaptation of Goosebumps.[1] Kramer provided the voice of Anton in the animated series George and Martha from 1999 to 2000. In the fantasy miniseries Tales from the Neverending Story, he portrayed Rip Rowdy from 2001 to 2003, appearing in four episodes of the television series as well as in two related TV movies, Resurrection and Badge of Courage.[1] In adult-oriented animation, Kramer contributed additional voices to three episodes of Tripping the Rift in 2004.[1] He also performed additional voices in the video games Assassin's Creed (2007) and Assassin's Creed III (2012).[1]

Writing career

Novels and prose

Greg Kramer authored three novels and a collection of short stories, drawing on wry, often satirical perspectives to explore themes of identity, chaos, and urban life. His debut novel, The Pursemonger of Fugu: A Bathroom Mystery, was published in 1995 and shortlisted for the City of Toronto Book Award in 1996. [4] [6] This murder mystery introduced the amateur sleuth Adelaide Simcoe, blending eccentric characters with absurd settings. [7] His second novel, Couchwarmer: A Laundromat Adventure, followed in 1997. [6] His third novel, Wally, appeared in 2004. [6] Kramer also wrote a regular biweekly fiction column for Xtra! magazine, Toronto's lesbian and gay newspaper, beginning in spring 1998. [7] [4] These serialized stories were collected into the short story volume Hogtown Bonbons, published in 1999 by The Riverbank Press. [7] The 160-page collection features six loosely linked tales set in Toronto's gay village, populated by recurring characters including Adelaide Simcoe, dominatrix Cherry Beach, and others, using affectionate and insightful humour to reflect on gay and lesbian experiences in the 1990s. [7] [3]

Playwriting

Greg Kramer was a respected Montreal-based playwright whose works were known for their irreverent style and originality. His original produced plays included Lies of the Vampyre—a one-man show he wrote and produced—Skateboard Tango, and Isadora Fabulist! (created for Imago Theatre).[4][8] Kramer's final play, Sherlock Holmes, was a beautifully twisted, fun, and irreverent adaptation of the classic detective tales.[9] The work was scheduled to premiere at Montreal's Segal Centre in May 2013, with Kramer set to perform as Inspector Lestrade in addition to serving as playwright.[9] Following his death on the eve of rehearsals, the Segal Centre proceeded with the production in his honor, recasting his role while retaining the rest of the cast, including Jay Baruchel in the lead.[9] The play's continuation underscored Kramer's standing within Montreal's theatre community as a distinctive creative voice.[10]

Directing and other contributions

Theatre directing and magic

Greg Kramer contributed to Canadian theatre as a director, staging productions across various companies and earning recognition for his work. He directed Kit Brennan's Tiger's Heart at the Centaur Theatre in Montreal. [6] Among his other directing credits was Peter Weiss's Marat/Sade, which received a Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination for Outstanding Production. [6] He also directed Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts, winning the Best Director award from the Montreal English Critics' Circle Awards (MECCA). [11] [3] In addition to directing, Kramer worked as a magic consultant and coach, leveraging his expertise as a magician. He served as magic coach for Des McAnuff's production of Shakespeare's The Tempest at the Stratford Festival in 2010, which starred Christopher Plummer. [12]

Personal life

Personal life and health

Greg Kramer was openly gay and chose not to conceal his sexuality in his career, stating that he never compromised his identity despite potential challenges in the commercial entertainment industry. [3] He had lived with HIV for many years, having contracted it in the mid-1980s. [13] [3] Kramer survived multiple bouts of cancer, including a diagnosis in 2004 that led to the surgical removal of one of his lungs following the discovery of a large tumour in his chest after he quit a long-term smoking habit. [13] [3] [4] After relocating to Montreal in 1999, he became a prominent presence in the city's English-language arts scene, where he contributed as a biweekly fiction columnist for Xtra magazine; his columns were later compiled into the short story collection Hogtown Bonbons. [3] [10] In tributes following his death, Kramer was described as a "punk-rock renaissance man." [10]

Death

Death and legacy

Greg Kramer died on April 8, 2013, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, at the age of 51. [10] He was found dead in his apartment after failing to appear for scheduled rehearsals. [3] Although Mr. Kramer had twice been diagnosed with cancer, had a lung removed, and had been living with HIV, his death at 51 was unexpected. [4] His final work, a new adaptation of Sherlock Holmes that he had written and was set to perform in, opened posthumously in May 2013 at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts, with another actor stepping in to replace him. [14] Colleagues and the arts community paid tribute to Kramer as a multifaceted figure whose contributions spanned Canadian theatre, literature, acting, directing, and the LGBTQ+ community, remembering him as a punk-rock renaissance man whose passion for performance and creativity left a lasting impact. [10] [3] The production of Sherlock Holmes proceeded as planned, with statements from the Segal Centre expressing mourning for their friend and colleague while honoring his legacy through the continuation of his work. [14]
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