Actress. Known for her work on Canadian stage and television, she was once labelled the funniest woman in Canada. Born in Kingston, Ontario, Hamilton attended the University of Toronto before embarking on a career in theatre arts. Her father, who raised her and sister Mary, alone since the death of her mother when she was three years old, disapproved of her choice of profession, referring to it as a ‘vagabond lifestyle.’ Hamilton was persistent, however, and her first big break came with a role in Arsenic and Old Lace at Toronto’s historic Royal Alexandra Theatre. From there, she went on to perform in theatres across the country, in works that ranged from classical tragedies to modern comedies. She gained international acclaim in the early 1970s and a drama critics award for Best Actress for playing Marilla Cuthbert in the London stage version of Anne of Green Gables. Hamilton worked frequently in television over the years in countless supporting roles, which included Aggie Apple in The Forest Rangers and Eulalie Bugle in Road to Avonlea. She has the distinction of appearing at the Royal Alexandra theatre more than any other actor, and in fact, one of her last performances was on that stage in the musical comedy, Crazy For You.