Jay Brazeau

Prolific Canadian-born character actor Jay Brazeau has already appeared in more than 200 film and television productions since his screen debut in the largely forgotten 1975 Canadian feature, "The Melting Pot." After a string of short films and TV movie appearances, Brazeau began landing steady TV work with one-off roles on such popular programs as the undercover cop drama "21 Jump Street," the iconic secret agent adventure "MacGyver," and the family-man crime drama "The Commish." Eternally "that guy," Brazeau has landed small roles in a number of notable films, including Disney's Olympic bobsled comedy "Cool Runnings," Christopher Guest's dog show mockumentary "Best in Show," and Zack Snyder's controversial superhero drama "Watchmen."

Despite his long list of film and TV credits, Brazeau has rarely snagged award attention. However, he has earned a Gemini Award nod for his guest spot on the long-running sci-fi series "Stargate SG-1" and an Honorary Award from the Vancouver Film Critics Circle for his contribution to film. Among his odder distinctions, Brazeau was the first to play kitschy concerned mother Edna Turnblad onstage in the original Toronto production of the comedy musical "Hairspray," which was based on the John Waters film of the same name.