John Dunsworth

Dunsworth was born in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, the second of ten children born to Frank and Frances Dunsworth. He grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Politics

In 1988, Dunsworth starred in a video documentary short entitled, John Dunsworth: The Candidate, which was written and directed by Neal Livingston. The film follows an underdog provincial candidate for the New Democratic Party, as he travels around Nova Scotia trying to win support for his campaign. Dunsworth's candidacy in this election was real, but by 1990, he left the political realm in favour of his growing acting career.

Acting

Dunsworth studied acting at the University of Guelph, but dropped out in his fourth year. He went on to act in numerous CBC radio dramas, and has had starring roles in many stage productions at the Neptune Theatre in Halifax. In 1970, Dunsworth leased an abandoned building on Halifax's waterfront, and converted it into a playhouse. Dubbing it the Pier One Theatre, it became the city's first and most successful alternative theatre production house. In 1987, Dunsworth founded Filmworks Casting where he worked as Halifax's most renowned casting director. Dunsworth met director Mike Clattenburg in the mid-1990s when he tried out for a bit part in Clattenburg's film short, One Last Shot. Dunsworth's small role gradually transformed into a leading part that earned him a Best Performance award from the Atlantic Film Festival. From there, he further developed the character into what would eventually become Jim Lahey in Trailer Park Boys.

Dunsworth, John Paul Tremblay, and Robb Wells can be seen in the 2002 movie Virginia's Run starring Gabriel Byrne and Joanne Whalley. Dunsworth plays a local cop while Tremblay and Wells play active and verbal townsmen similar to their Trailer Park Boys characters. Actors are credited as cop for John Dunsworth, J.P. for John Paul Tremblay (credits as J.P. Tremblay), and Robb Wells as Rob. The movie was filmed in Nova Scotia, Canada. Dunsworth stars in Haven, the television series adaption of the Stephen King novel The Colorado Kid.

In 2010, Dunsworth reunited with many of his former Trailer Park Boys castmates in the new series The Drunk and On Drugs Happy Fun Time Hour.

Dunsworth currently resides in Nova Scotia with his wife, three daughters, and one son. His daughters Sarah and Molly are both actresses.

Unlike the character he plays on Trailer Park Boys, Dunsworth rarely drinks alcohol. He has admitted suffering from a gambling problem in the past. As a result of his recovery, he has been instrumental in trying to remove Video Lottery Terminals from bars in Nova Scotia.

Dunsworth once appeared on stage with Guns n' Roses in Halifax, as Axl Rose is a fan of Trailer Park Boys and Dunsworth's character in particular. He is an avid boating enthusiast and frequently spends time on his yacht, The Emerald Princess. He also has a passion for building granite sculptures and walkways.

Film

• So Long to Run (1978)
• The Last Log Drive (1985)
• Deep Sea Conspiracy (1987)
• Justice Denied (1989)
• The Little Kidnappers (TV-1990)
• Buried on Sunday (1992)
• Mary Silliman's War (TV-1994)
• Life with Billy (TV-1994)
• Sweet Angel Mine (1996)
• Pit Pony (TV-1997)
• One Last Shot (1998)
• The Real Howard Spitz (1998)
• New Waterford Girl (1999)
• Deeply (voice, 2000)
• A Glimpse of Hell (TV-2001)
• Three Days (TV-2001)
• The Shipping News (2001)
• Virginia's Run (2002)
• Too Young to Be a Dad (TV-2002)
• Lift-Off (2002)
• The Christmas Shoes (TV-2002)
• Blessings (TV-2003)
• Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion (TV-2003)
• Reversible Errors (TV-2004)
• Sleep Murder (TV-2004)
• The Riverman (TV-2004)
• The Trailer Park Boys Christmas Special (TV-2004)
• Stone Cold (TV-2005)
• Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas (TV-2005)
• Serious Miracles (2005)
• Ambulance Girl (TV-2005)
• The Hunt for the BTK Killer (TV-2005)
• A Bug and a Bag of Weed (2006)
• Trailer Park Boys: The Movie (2006)
• Stuck (2007)
• Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day (2009)
• Cloudburst (2011)
• Take This Waltz (2011)
• Trailer Park Boys 3: Don't Legalize It (2014)
• Swearnet: The Movie (2014)
• Santa Quest (2014)
• Lizzie Borden Took An Ax (2014)

Television

• Lexx: The Dark Zone (mini-series, 1997)
• Lexx: The Series (1999–2002)
• Trailer Park Boys (2001–2008; 2013–present)
• Trudeau (mini-series, 2002)
• Funpak (voice, 2005)
• Trudeau II: Maverick in the Making (mini-series, 2005)
• Haven (2010–15)
• The Drunk and On Drugs Happy Fun Time Hour (2010)
• Titanic: The Aftermath (2012)
• Forgive Me (2013)