Anthony Bekenn's life story is a fascinating tale of adventure and transformation. Born in East Africa, Tanzania, during a cyclone, his early years were marked by a peripatetic lifestyle due to his father's position as a district officer in the Tanganyika government. Anthony's mother, Sheila, a former school teacher from Wolverhampton, UK, took on the responsibility of homeschooling him until the age of eight.
As his family relocated to England in the early 1960s, Anthony began attending Tettenhall College, where he continued his education. His parents' decision to emigrate to Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1967 marked a significant turning point in his life. He completed high school in Canada and went on to earn a degree in History and English from the University of British Columbia in 1974.
Anthony's desire to pursue a career in acting led him to enroll at the Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England. This institution merged with Central School of Speech and Drama in 2006. Anthony's professional stage debut was in Victoria, British Columbia, in the production of "Equus".
Throughout his extensive career, Anthony has worked in television and numerous theatres across Canada, including the Stratford Festival and the Shaw Festival. Some of his most notable roles include the title role in the CBC film "The Greening Of Ian Elliot", Bluntschli in "Arms and the Man", Gary in "Noises Off", The Archbishop of Rheims in "St Joan", Oxenby in "The Dresser", the Colonel in "Journey's End", Alfred Bridgenorth in "Getting Married", Giles Lacy in "Rebecca", Fancourt Babberley in "Charley's Aunt", and Jesus in the female "Odd Couple" with Sandy Dennis and Stella Stevens.
Starting in 1993, Anthony became a part of the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, appearing in thirty-eight productions over the course of two decades.
