Vanessa King (born September 19, 1980) is a Canadian actress from Coquitlam, British Columbia,[1] known for her role as Anika in the television series Edgemont,[2] a role for which she was nominated in the category Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series for the Gemini Awards in 2001,[3] a Leo Awards 'Best Performance' nomination in 2002 and a Leo Awards win in 2003.
As an eleven-year-old actress, previously having acted only in two commercials,[4] she received acclaim for her starring role in the 1993 TV movie Liar, Liar, including a Gemini Award nomination in the category Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-series.[5] She plays a troubled girl who accuses her father of sexually abusing her. Tom Barrett of The Vancouver Sun wrote that King's performance "is remarkable, showing a poise and subtlety beyond the range of most child actors."[4] Critic Ray Loynd of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the role was "very well played ... in a believably spiteful, hateful way".[6] John Haslett Cuff of The Globe and Mail wrote that she "so effectively captures the confusion and rebelliousness of the young girl that viewers' doubts about her story are genuine from the beginning."[7] The Austin American-Statesman stated, "The acting is low-key and honest, with young King turning in a powerful performance as the enigmatic child."[8] Critic Victor Dwyer, writing in Maclean's, said that King "does a convincing job as Kelley, portraying the young girl as equal parts crafty and oddly naive, her measured performance giving nothing away."[9] The Toronto Star's TV critic, Greg Quill, called King's performance "a stunning debut".[10]
^Inwood, Damian (28 April 1992). "Incest on trial: Coquitlam girl carries CBC movie", The Province, p. C3.
^McNamara, Lynne (3 January 2001)."Generation next: The teen drama Edgemont took four months to cast – the result is an ensemble of young acting talent that viewers will be seeing for a long time", The Vancouver Sun, p. B6.
^ abStrachan, Alex (18 September 2001). "B.C has some big guns vying for Geminis", The Vancouver Sun, p. F9.
^ abBarrett, Tom (23 January 1993). "Emotional First Aid: Liar, Liar Starring Art Hindle and Vanessa King", The Vancouver Sun, p. D8.
^Inwood, Damian (26 January 1994). "Six vie for awards: Vancouver-made movie Liar, Liar up for best film", The Vancouver Sun, p. B5.
^Loynd, Ray (22 June 1993). "TV Review: 'Liar, Liar': A Telling and Suspenseful Molestation Story", Los Angeles Times, p. 8.
^Haslett Cuff, John (23 January 1993). "Liar, Liar: Superb cast the saving grace", The Globe and Mail, p. C6.
^(22 June 1993). "Shocking 'Liar, Liar' a well-made, suspenseful movie", Austin American-Statesman, p. B4.
^Dwyer, Victor (25 January 1993). "Trouble with angels: Liar, Liar / I'll Never Get to Heaven", Maclean's106 (4): 46.
^Quill, Greg (24 January 1993). "Cast, script make incest drama powerful", Toronto Star, p. C6.
