Mary Cynthia Walsh (born May 13, 1952) is a Canadian actress, comedian, and writer. She is known for her work on CODCO and This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
Early life
Walsh was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, the daughter of Mary and Leo Walsh. Leo was a merchant marine turned firefighter on commercial vessels. She is the seventh of eight children, and is of Irish ancestry. She is a past member of Girl Guides of Canada.
Career
Walsh studied theatre in Toronto at Ryerson University but dropped out to work with the CODCO comedy troupe on a series of stage shows, which eventually evolved into a sketch comedy series. The CODCO series ran from 1988 to 1993 on CBC Television.
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
In 1992, she began to work with former co-star Rick Mercer and former CODCO co-stars Cathy Jones and Greg Thomey to create a new television series called This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Usually Marg Delahunty would recite a scripted piece intended to humiliate the politician, often by providing criticism and "grandmotherly" advice. Sometimes Marg appeared as "Marg, Princess Warrior", a parody of the title character of Xena: Warrior Princess portrayed by Lucy Lawless. Walsh is also noted for her comical segment chronicling the Canadian Auto Workers Union's tense blockade of the Volvo Halifax Assembly plant in 1998. In 2007, she revived Marg Delahunty for the Royal Canadian Air Farce's 300th episode. On October 24, 2011, Walsh was once again in the spotlight as she reprised the role of Marg Delahunty conducting an ambush interview of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford at his home. Ford's reaction and alleged verbal abuse directed at a 911 operator made national headlines. She also reprised Marg, Princess Warrior for an episode of the 25th season of 22 Minutes in December 2017. Marg was reprised again for National Canadian Film Day on April 16, 2025 to "Fight in the 2025 Trade War"
In 2020, Walsh reprised her longtime 22 Minutes character of Miss Eulalia in the CBC Gem web series Broad Appeal: Living with E's, for which she received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Lead Performance in a Web Program or Series at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022.
Other work
Walsh's other television work included the short-run sitcoms Dooley Gardens (1999); Hatching, Matching and Dispatching (2006); and a guest starring role as Miranda Cahill on the CBC television series Republic of Doyle. She currently has a recurring role on CBC's Little Dog. She created the CBC program Mary Walsh: Open Book, a talk show about books and literature, in 2003. in 2017.
Besides TV acting, she has worked on movies such as Mambo Italiano, Rain, Drizzle and Fog, Buried on Sunday, The Divine Ryans, Young Triffie, Violet, and The Grand Seduction.<!-- WP:RS needed; removed link to WP-->
2004 saw Walsh host a segment on the CBC documentary series The Greatest Canadian, in which she championed the case for Sir Frederick Banting (the Nobel prize-winning discoverer of insulin) as the greatest Canadian who ever lived.
In 2017, Walsh published her debut novel, Crying for the Moon. In 2026, Walsh published Brassy Bit of Aging Crumpet: A Memoir in Pieces, a collection of essays that detail her time growing up, her relationship with her family, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of her CBC shows, including This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
Directing
Walsh made her feature directorial debut with the 2007 movie Young Triffie. She was the first Newfoundlander in six years to have a film in general release across Canada.
Personal life
Walsh has battled alcoholism. The Toronto Star reported that the end of CODCO coincided with the end of Walsh's active alcoholism, with Walsh stating "which was a damn good thing because I could have never done This Hour Has 22 Minutes if I'd been drinking."
Honours
Performing arts
She won Best Supporting Actress at the Atlantic Film Festival in 1992 for her performance in Mike Jones' Secret Nation.
She has won 18 Gemini Awards. She won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021, for the film Happy Place.
Walsh received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts, in 2012.
At the 2025 Atlantic International Film Festival, she won the Joan Orenstein & David Renton Award for Outstanding Performance in Acting, for her performance in Dancing on the Elephant.
Charity and activism
A sufferer of macular degeneration, she has served from time to time as a spokesperson for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).
In 1993, Walsh was chosen to deliver the prestigious Graham Spry lecture which was broadcast nationally on CBC Radio.
On May 29, 1998, Mary Walsh received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Trent University.
McGill University honoured Walsh with an honorary doctorate during the November 2008 convocation ceremony. Her speech to the class of 2008 focused on political satire.
National Honours
Mary Walsh was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada on 27 April 2000. This gave her the Post Nominal Letters "CM" for Life. She was awarded the Canadian Version of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002. She was awarded the Canadian Version of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
Filmography
Film
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1976
| Dolly Cake
| N/A
| Short film<br/> Writer
|-
| 1983
| Stations
|
|
|-
| 1986
| data-sort-value="Adventure of Faustus Bidgood, The" | The Adventure of Faustus Bidgood
| Heady Nolan
| Production manager<br/> Casting director
|-
| rowspan=2|1992
| Buried on Sunday
| 2nd Biker
|
|-
| Secret Nation
| Oona Vokey
|
|-
| 1998
| Extraordinary Visitor
| Marietta
|
|-
| 1998
| Rain Drizzle and Fog
| Herself
| Documentary
|-
| rowspan=2|1999
| New Waterford Girl
| Cookie Pottie
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Divine Ryans, The" | The Divine Ryans
| Aunt Phil Ryans
|
|-
| 2000
| Violet
| Violet O'Brien
|
|-
| rowspan=2|2001
| data-sort-value="Frank Truth, The" | The Frank Truth
| Herself
| Documentary
|-
| Tommy... A Family Portrait
| Herself
| Documentary
|-
| rowspan=2|2003
| Behind the Red Door
| Anna
|
|-
| Mambo Italiano
| Lina Paventi
|
|-
| 2004
| Geraldine's Fortune
| Rose Owens
|
|-
| 2005
| Bailey's Billion$
| N/A
| Co-writer
|-
| 2007
| Young Triffie
| Aunt Millie Bishop
| Also known as:Young Triffie's Been Made Away With<br/> Director<br/> Producer
|-
| rowspan=2|2009
| Crackie
| Bride
|
|-
| Grown Up Movie Star
| Receptionist
|
|-
| 2010
| Poor No More
| Herself/host
|
|-
| 2012
| Imaginary Heroine
|
| Short film<br/> Writer<br/>
|-
| rowspan=2|2013
| data-sort-value="Grand Seduction, The" | The Grand Seduction
| Vera
|
|-
| Incident at Elysian Fields
| Yvonne
| Short film
|-
| 2014
| How to Be Deadly
| Dot Power
|
|-
| 2015
| Closet Monster
| Allison
|
|-
| 2016
| data-sort-value="Inn Of Olde, The" | The Inn Of Olde
| Sadie
| Short Film
|-
| rowspan=2|2019
| Radical
|
| Short film
|-
| Apocalyptic Rant
| Marg Delahunty
| Short film
|-
| 2020
| Happy Place
| Mildred
|
|-
| 2021
| Dad and the Fridge Box
| N/A
| Writer<br/> Producer
|-
| 2023
| Sweetland
| Queenie
|
|-
| 2024
| Deaner '89
| May
|
|-
| 2025
| Dancing on the Elephant
| Edna
|
|}
Television
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Television
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1974
| Cod on a Stick
| Various
|-
| 1975
| Peep Show
| Various
| Part of CODCO
|-
| 1978
| data-sort-value="Root Seller, The" | The Root Seller
| Various
| 6 episodes<br/> Writer - 6 episodes
|-
| 1980
| Up at Ours
| Verna Ball
| Miniseries
|-
| 1980-1983
| Wonderful Grand Band
| Various
|
|-
| 1986–1989
| CODCO
| Various
| 35 episodes<br/> Writer - 35 episodes<br/> Producer - 21 episodes
|-
| 1992
| data-sort-value="Boys of St. Vincent: 15 Years Later, The" | The Boys of St. Vincent: 15 Years Later
| Lenora Pardy
| Miniseries
|-
| 1993–2013
| This Hour Has 22 Minutes
| Various
| 122 Episodes
|-
| 1995-1997
| data-sort-value="Adventures of Dudley the Dragon, The" | The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon
| Willomena / Princess
| 3 episodes
|-
| 1996
| Genie Awards
| Herself/host
| TV special
|-
| rowspan=2|1997
| data-sort-value="New Adventures of Robin Hood, The" | The New Adventures of Robin Hood
| Police Guard #1
| Season 2 episode 9: "Outlaw Express"
|-
| Major Crime
| Patty Reckles
| TV movie
|-
| 1998
| Emily of New Moon
| Miss Pick
| Season 2 episode 6: "By the Rivers of Babylon"
|-
| 1998–1999
| data-sort-value="Rosie O'Donnell Show, The" | The Rosie O'Donnell Show
| N/A
| Writer - 193 Episodes
|-
| rowspan=3|1999
| Lexx
| Heedia
| Season 2 episode 13: "Twilight"
|-
| Dooley Gardens
| Marilyn Benoit
| 7 Episodes
|-
| Life and Times
| Herself
| Season 4 episode 1: "Mary Walsh: Princess Warrior
|-
| 2000
| Our Daily Bread
| Edna Barkhouse
| TV movie
|-
| rowspan=3|2002
| data-sort-value="Joke's on Us: 50 Years of CBC Satire, The" | The Joke's on Us: 50 Years of CBC Satire
| Herself
| Documentary
|-
| Bleacher Bums
| Rose
| TV movie
|-
| Random Passage
| Mrs. Armstrong
| Miniseries
|-
| 2003
| data-sort-value="Strategic Humour Initiative, The" | The Strategic Humour Initiative
| Herself/co-host
|
|-
| 2003-2004
| Mary Walsh: Open Book
| Host
| Writer<br/> Producer
|-
| 2004
| data-sort-value="Greatest Canadian, The" | The Greatest Canadian
| Herself
| Advocate for Sir Frederick Banting
|-
| 2005–2006
| Hatching, Matching and Dispatching
| Mamie Lou Furey
| Writer<br/> Producer
|-
| 2006
| data-sort-value="Wind in the Willows, The" | The Wind in the Willows
| Washerwoman
| TV movie
|-
| 2007
| Who Do you Think You Are?
| Herself
| Episode 7: "Mary Walsh"
|-
| rowspan=3|2008
| Sophie
| Sarah Sloane
| Season 1 episode 12: "Read the Signs"
|-
| Gossip
| Carolyn Johnson Wright
| TV movie
|-
| data-sort-value="Quality of Life, The" | The Quality of Life
| Katherine Greenborne
| TV movie
|-
| 2009
| Murdoch Mysteries
| Sally Smoot
| Season 2 episode 6: "Shades of Grey"
|-
| 2010
| Great Canadian Books
| Herself
| 2 episodes
|-
| 2010–2014
| Republic of Doyle
| Miranda Cahill
| 2 episodes
|-
| 2012
| Little Mosque on the Prairie
| Mayor Glenda Beckford
| Season 6 episode 8: "Finders Weepers"
|-
| 2014–2016
|| Sensitive Skin
| Sarah Thorn
| 2 episodes
|-
| 2015
| Rookie Blue
| Odelle
| Season 6 episode 3: "Uprising"
|-
| 2016
| Slasher
| Verna McBride
| Season 1: The Executioner<br/> Episode 1: "An Eye for an Eye"
|-
| 2017
| data-sort-value="Christmas Fury, A" | A Christmas Fury
| Mamie Lou Fur
| TV movie<br/> Writer
|-
| 2018
| Little Dog
| Tucker
| 12 episodes
|-
| rowspan=2|2020
| Hudson & Rex
| Vicky Gumble
| Season 2 episode 13: "In Pod We Trust"
|-
| Canada's Drag Race
| Herself/Guest Host
| Season 1 episode 5: "Snatch Game"
|-
| 2020–2021
| Broad Appeal: Living with E's
| Miss Eulalia
|-
| 2021–present
| data-sort-value="Missus Downstairs, The" | The Missus Downstairs
| The Missus
| Writer<br/> Producer<br/> Director
|-
|2024
|Resident Alien
|Patty Baker
|2 episodes
|}
Bibliography
Crying for the Moon: A Novel (April 18, 2017 HarperCollins, )
Brassy Bit of Aging Crumpet: A Memoir in Pieces (March 31, 2026 HarperCollins, )