When asked what she likes about being an actress, Shauna Bonaduce responded with “almost everything.” She is one of the lucky people that truly loves what she does. Every day is new and different with acting, and no matter how seasoned of an actor you are, every day you learn something new. She talks about her job with an intensity that can only come from someone who is truly passionate about what they do, and she is talked about by other industry professionals in a way that can only be for someone who is truly outstanding at what they do. There is no doubt why Bonaduce is one of Quebec’s finest actresses.
Being truly versatile, playing comedic roles and very serious ones, Bonaduce can portray characters in four languages: English, French, Italian and Yiddish. In the popular television series Comment devenir une legende, she played a ditsy but fierce princess, leaving viewers in stitches, but in the films Embrasse-moi comme tu m’aimes and La passion d’Augustine, she would transport audiences to another time and place, keeping them captivated. There is nothing Bonaduce can’t do, and nearly nothing about being an actress that she doesn’t enjoy.
“I like that every project is a new challenge I have never faced, that it changes me as a person as I try to understand the essence of my work and of the person I’m about to portray. I think it makes you a better human being as it forces you to stop yourself before judging and try to understand reasons behind certain social behaviors. I love that my life is never the same, that I get to meet awesome people, cast and crews and directors. Being an actress is very hard, nothing can ever be taken from granted. But it also is a privilege and an honor to be able to create every day of my life,” she said.
Bonaduce quickly won the heart of the audiences of the hit show 30 Vies with her portrayal of the DPJ secretary. 30 Vies is a daily serial drama surrounding those of a high school class, seen through the eyes of the lead character: their teacher. Viewers share in every challenge faced, every life lesson learned. Journeying into the private lives of students and tackling such topical themes as street violence, bullying and rising dropout rates, 30 Vies is a compelling, inspiring social drama and extremely popular. Bonaduce worked alongside an all-star cast of popular Quebec television actors, including Michel Charrette, Jessica Barker, Benoit McGinnis and Benedicte Decary.
In the film C’est plus facile de liker que dire je t’aime, Bonaduce once again perfectly encapsulated a multi-dimensional character. The film tells the tale of Alex, a young actor in his thirties, who grows increasingly jealous as different men like his girlfriend Clara's Facebook photos and post comments regarding her good looks online. Following Clara's less than reassuring explanations, Alex meets Laurence, a beautiful actress with whom he is to rehearse a love scene in the language of generation 2.0. Moved by this encounter, Alex starts fantasizing about taking things furthers with the charming actress.
“The film characterizes love in the social media age,” said Bonaduce. “Reading the script made it obvious that the writer and director of the film was quite talented and after meeting him the day of my audition, I just loved his vibe and was enchanted to work with him.”
Bonaduce plays Karine, one of Clara’s best friends even though the two are quite different. Where Clara is more outgoing and even has a ‘bad girl’ side to her, Karine is more the voice of reason, the good girl. Though she admires her friend Clara for her guts and her ways, she has a hard time understanding them, a mix of admiration and discouragement for her ‘wild friend.’ Clara calls a girl’s night where she tells them all about this new flirtation and Karine, though amused, is also a bit shocked about her friend’s frivolous behavior. Bonaduce felt she could relate to the characters personally.
“At the time of the shoot, I was more of a Karine myself and Clara reminded me of my older sister. It therefore wasn’t too hard for me to put myself in her shoes,” she said.
The director, William Mazzoleni, sensed this connection to the character right away and knew Bonaduce would be perfect for the part. The film went on to have great success, including a win at the Longue Vue Sur le Court Film Festival and overwhelming praise from critics and audiences alike, for which the director says Bonaduce was an undeniable part of.
“Shauna performed this lead role excellently, taking all the notes I gave her to heart, while still owning the role; she has a signature flair that unites all her performances in quality, and Karine was no different. Shauna possesses a youthful vibrancy that made her perfect for the role as well. The film is concerned with young love in the modern world, and Shauna’s performance was permeated with all the qualities of the modern woman – vivacious, strong, and decisive, while still open about the romantic problems of the digital age, engaging in honest and open conversation. The dedication to realism and the overall production was more than impressive, and inspired the other performers to maintain her standard of commitment and quality. For this reason, she made filming a joy, and offered significant contributions to the overall success of the film,” said Mazzoleni.
Photo by Andréanne Gauthier