TMN series star has roots in Torbay

Gemini nominee Sarah Manninen is no stranger to the stage, screen or this province.
"I have a cousin who is a musician in Newfoundland, his name is Sandy Morris. Do you know him?" Manninen asks during a recent telephone interview from Toronto.
"Sandy is amazing. It's so great to have him as a great supporter of mine."
Manninen has had plenty of meaty acting roles in her career, and perhaps none more challenging than her part in "The Weight," The Movie Network series that will premiere next fall.
Manninen plays Lucie in the eight-part series - the single parent of a nine-year-old daughter, a recovering addict and drug-dealer's wife.
"Lucie's estranged husband is being released from prison in the first episode of the series. The police are following him because he plays a big part in the drug trade in Toronto," Manninen explained.
The series was created by executive producer George F. Walker, whose credits include CBC's "This Is Wonderland."
Touted as an intensive drama, Manninen says "The Weight" is every actor's dream.
"(Walker) describes the show as a visual novel, and that's so accurate," she said.
Her mother, Valda Hickey, is from Torbay.
Manninen was born and raised in Kitchener, Ont., but relishes opportunities to return to her Newfoundland roots.
"I just absolutely love Newfoundland and I spent a lot of time there as a child," she said.
"A lot of times in Toronto people don't look at each other … whereas when I'm in Newfoundland, I calm down … I look at people, they look at me. We have connections. And that's nice."
Manninen's most recent trip to this province was earlier this year when she visited the St. John's area with her partner, Philip Riccio.
"Philip (co-owns) The Company Theatre with Allan Hawco from the Goulds and they brought the show 'A Whistle in the Dark' to the LSPU," she explained.
She'd seen the show several times when the company took it to Toronto stages, but this time was different, she said.
"The audience there was just amazing - they were so responsive. For me, sitting there with my family was the most exciting thing ever."
Manninen said she loves getting the chance to spend time near the ocean.
"My Aunt Gail (Manning), she lives in Torbay. You can see the ocean from her back deck," she said. "The history of my family being from there, there's just a closeness that I don't have here in Toronto. I feel like I'm closer with my cousins there than with some of my family here.
"I hope at some point in my life that I can buy a place in Newfoundland and spend more time there."
Manninen completed the theatre arts program at George Brown University in Toronto. Though she's yet to celebrate her 30th birthday, she's starred in several television shows and feature films including "Mayday," "The Eleventh Hour" and "The Prince and Me."
Last year, she landed a role in "Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front," where her costars included Maya Ritter, Molly Ringwald, Genevieve Farrell, and Andrew Chalmers.
She was nominated for a Gemini Award in 2003 for best actress in a leading role for her performance in "A.K.A.: The Albert Walker Story."

danette@nl.rogers.com