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      LORNA CORBETT

      played by Meg Tilly

      LORNA CORBETT (43) has one twisted heart but if she can clear out the thickets of her past struggles, it just might blossom. She met her husband Bob at age 18 before he shipped out to the Great War, and married after their affair left her pregnant. Upon his return, Bob was left a broken man, shell-shocked and paralyzed, and their dream of a happy life vanished. Lorna quietly relishes her new job as it's a chance to escape an oppressive home. While secretly fascinated by the women around her with their blossoming sexuality, and expanding horizons — Lorna's jealous of their happiness, and determined not to let them make the same mistakes she did. Lorna is especially resentful Gladys and seeks to break the spirited girl, even though she recognizes her own long-lost exuberance.

      Born in Long Beach, CA and raised in British Columbia, Meg Tilly had set her sights on a dance career, until a fractured vertebra led her to acting. A few brief TV roles and her performance in the film Tex led to a star-making turn as Chloe in the generation-defining film The Big Chill, followed by her performance as Sister Agnes in Agnes of God, a role that garnered her a Golden Globe® award, as well as an Oscar® nomination for best supporting actress. After a busy decade and a half, Tilly stepped away from acting to focus on her family, raising three beautiful children. In that time, she also wrote four critically-acclaimed novels. After a 17 year absence, she has returned to acting in this, her first major television role.

      GLADYS WITHAM

      played by Jodi Balfour

      GLADYS WITHAM (22) is a wild child. The only daughter in a wealthy Rosedale family, Gladys's privileged life has made her fearless with an appetite for life. Gladys always got what she wanted; only what she wants is now changing. Although a privileged life has many advantages, it can also be suffocating. While her father works to expand the family's empire, her mother lives by her wealth and liquor. Given these silent and oppressive pressures, Gladys considers the war an escape and eagerly takes up an office job at Victory Munitions. After seeing what the other women do on the factory floor, Gladys insists on getting her hands dirty, and is drawn to this most difficult and dangerous work as a way to feel alive and connect with "real women."

      Born and raised in South Africa, Jodi Balfour spent her early youth working in Cape Town's burgeoning theatre and television industry.

      In 2009 she graduated with a BA in Theatre and Performance from the University of Cape Town. Upon graduating, Balfour landed a coveted role in the BAFTA nominated BBC mini-series The Sinking of the Laconia, and was hooked on making acting her career. She moved to Vancouver in 2010 where she's worked on such acclaimed projects as SyFy's Sanctuary, The CW's Supernatural, Shunji Iwai's Vampire and The Hub's The Haunting Hour.

      KATE ANDREWS

      played by Charlotte Hegele

      KATE ANDREWS (24) arrives on a raft of secrets. She's eager to please and gifted at lifting spirits — in a large part due to a staggeringly talented singing voice. Beneath her smile is a sheltered, insecure girl beginning to find her way in the world. She's on the run from her abusive street-preaching father and she needs this job.

      While she's fascinated by the wealth and confidence of Gladys, it's her friend Betty who unexpectedly becomes Kate's best friend. Cobbling together a new identity, Kate appears to have evaded detection and punishment...so far.

      Charlotte Hegele was born in Toronto but spent most of her formative years in London, Ontario. Although Hegele began acting in community theatre, she knew film was where her ambitions lay. She returned to Toronto in 2008 to attend Humber College’s Acting for Film and Television Diploma Program.

      After graduation Hegele began landing roles in several projects filming in Toronto. Her recent credits include: a guest star role on Murdoch Mysteries, Sunday at Tiffany's and the series XIII.

      BETTY McRAE

      played by Ali Liebert

      BETTY McRAE (28) An early arrival to Victory Munitions, Betty quickly rose through the ranks to be a well-regarded worker who doubles as Blue Shift's on-floor trainer of the new workers. She fled her troubling past to live and work in a more "female" milieu, with fewer of the men she mistrusts. Yet she struggles to connect within this new sisterhood. Among her new trainees, she finds Gladys frustratingly naïve, but in time discovers a grudging respect for her. Her hard attitude doesn’t apply to Kate. Kate inspires her to be a kinder, better person, to show the patience and understanding she lacks with others. Betty doesn't have the words to explain it, but we know... it's love.

      Duncan, BC native Ali Liebert studied musical theatre at the Canadian College of Performing Arts in Victoria before moving to Vancouver to pursue acting professionally. It wasn't long before she snagged the role she is perhaps best known for: sassy Nikki Bolton on the popular Global TV horror/drama TV series Harper's Island. Her over 45 credits include guest appearances on Hellcats, Human Target, Fringe, Dead Like Me, The L Word, The 4400, Whistler, Fallen, and Psych.

      In January 2011, Liebert was honored to work alongside Academy Award nominee Michael Clarke Duncan and Emmy® Award nominee Loretta Devine in the dramatic feature In the Hive directed by the legendary Robert Townsend.

      MARCO MORETTI

      played by Antonio Cupo

      MARCO MORETTI (35) is Blue Shift's materials controller, responsible for the raw materials coming into the factory, and the export of every finished bomb. He gained his experience from his family's fireworks factory, and now supports his mother, sister and nieces as the sole breadwinner — his father's been locked away in an internment camp alongside hundreds of other Italian immigrants.

      He has found that since the war, he's seen as a potential enemy, which is why he's unable to enlist. Before the war, he and Lorna would have never met — spaghetti is still a foreign food — but at the factory, their fiery rapport that starts with a clash, shifts into a growing attraction.

      Antonio Cupo was born in Vancouver to Italian parents. By his early 20s, his love for acting had developed into a full-blown career, landing roles in such shows as The L Word, Steven Spielberg's Taken and James Cameron's Dark Angel. When released in Europe, Cupo was noticed by an Italian director who cast him as the new lead character in the Italian series Elisa Di Rivombrosa. With over 14 million viewers, the role sprung Cupo's career to new heights. He has since worked opposite Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham in three films, September 11 1683, Sword of War and Carnera: The Walking Mountain, playing 1934 world boxing champion Max Baer. Antonio Cupo's artistic abilities also extend into music writing and production. He has written dozens of songs and fronted numerous bands.

      JAMES DUNN

      played by Sebastian Pigott

      JAMES DUNN (24) is smart, attractive, monied, and poised to take the world by storm. He's a decent man, one whose wealth and refinement haven't resulted in snobbery. Still, having been largely sheltered from the world's harsh truths, he's woefully innocent about matters of the heart — and the body. While he is drawn to Gladys (his fiance, with her free-wheeling spirit and is usually patient with her intensity), her exuberance often threatens to overwhelm him.

      In a world of soldiers, James chooses his battles carefully, preferring the fray of the men's club to skirmishes in the trenches. As an American before Pearl Harbor, James has yet to feel that the war is truly his to fight.

      Born in Toronto and educated at the Etobicoke School of the Arts, Pigott's numerous credits include the TV series The Listener, Haven, The Bridge and Deadliest Sea, as well as feature films Small Town Murder Songs and SAW 3D. Pigott had a recurring role on Being Erica and holds a supporting role in the film High Chicago. He is one half of the musical duo The Pigott Brothers, who are currently working on their sophomore album.

      VERA BURR

      played by Anastasia Phillips

      VERA BURR is a true survivor, smart, sassy and fast-talking she always expected her looks to be her ticket. But after a devastating accident on the factory floor forces her to re-evaluate, she digs deep - and with a combination of brains and courage, reinvents herself as an indispensable office worker. Hard-headed and capable, Vera's practical nature is married to the heart of an optimist. She might be able to deal with the worst life can throw at her, but she still hopes for the best.

      Born and raised in Toronto, Anastasia Phillips received a BFA in Acting from the University of British Columbia. Her professional acting career began with the title role in the Vancouver Arts Club production The Diary of Anne Frank, for which she received a Dora nomination for Best Actress. Phillips moved back to Toronto when she landed a lead on the CBC series MVP, where she played a flawed, but lovable small town girl. She played the lead role in Mary Walsh's comedy pilot for Global, Rise Up and was featured in an episode of Murdoch Mysteries, which led to a Gemini nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role. She recently joined the cast of SKINS (USA) for MTV and currently provides the voice of "Lo" on the Fresh TV animated series Stoked.

      BOB CORBETT

      played by Peter Outerbridge

      BOB CORBETT is a WWI vet who returned from the Great War a broken man, suffering crippling injuries that have left him in a wheelchair. For the past 20 years, he’s leaned heavily on his wife Lorna. Yet they survived the Depression and raised three children – including two sons now following in their father’s footsteps as servicemen overseas. Eking out a meager living as a painter of hand-crafted toys, Bob is further challenged by the advent of the Second World War, as he watches his wife take her first serious job — and thrive at it, meeting an array of people and gaining self-confidence. When the war machine repurposes tin, Bob is robbed of source of income. He’s faced with a difficult choice: will he lag behind while his wife continues to flourish or will he dig deep and seize this opportunity to reinvent himself? Theirs is a marriage on the cusp of reinvention – or collapse.

      Peter Outerbridge was born and raised in Toronto. He studied Theatre at the University of Victoria and later co-founded the fringe theatre company, Way Off Broadway, touring with various festivals across Canada for several years before crossing over to film and television. His credits include starring roles in the Showcase Lifetime movie My Name is Sarah, the drama series Whistler and the feature film Burning Mussolini. Other film credits include The Bay of Love and Sorrows (based on the novel by Giller Prize winner David Adams Richards), Men with Brooms, starring Paul Gross and Leslie Nielson; Marine and Better than Chocolate with Wendy Crewson. Early feature films also include Paris, France and Kissed with Molly Parker, in which he earned his first Genie nomination.

      LEON REILLY

      played by Jim Codrington

      Jim Codrington was born in Montreal, but calls Toronto home. A career which spans several decades includes memorable lead roles in the CBC series The Border, and in The Movie Network series Zone of Separation, in addition to the multiple-award-winning independent production A Passage to Ottawa. Recurring roles include Republic of Doyle, Da Kink in My Hair, DaVinci City Hall, Kevin Hill, Odyssey V, and Liberty Street among others. As a child, Jim was selected to attend St. Michael's Choir School where he received 9 years of intensive Vocal, Instrumental, and Music Theory training. He played the role of "Mufasa" in the Toronto production of The Lion King, and enjoys singing jazz and playing tenor sax.

      EDITH McCALLUM

      played by Lisa Norton

      Since graduating from George Brown Theatre School in her hometown of Toronto, Lisa Norton has worked at building a well-rounded life and career. As a stage actor, she has appeared in theatres across Canada. Lisa has proudly premiered new work at the Blyth Festival for three seasons, and was a member of the esteemed Shaw Festival acting company. On television, her latest adventure, Lisa has recently appeared in Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story for Lifetime; Fringe (Warner Bros./Fox), Rookie Blue (Global/ABC); and as the famous anarchist Emma Goldman in The Murdoch Mysteries (Shaftesbury Films). Other appearances include the Movie Central series Living In Your Car; Degrassi: The Next Generation; and the true crime show 72 Hours. Lisa makes her home mostly in Toronto, sometimes in Vancouver and maybe next in some sunny clime where she can work at improving her terrible Spanish and/or her embarrassing French.

      IVAN BUCHINSKY

      played by Michael Seater

      IVAN BUCHINSKY is an engineer hailing from Winnipeg, unable to serve because of asthma. Working at VicMu, he finds that there are benefits to being one of the few men in a factory full of women. Ivan is outgoing and warm, with a penchant for falling in love and breaking hearts – his own included. A newer addition to Victory Munitions, Ivan, nevertheless makes friends easily and is often the life of the party, is blending in just fine.

      Michael Seater is one of Canada’s hottest working actors. He has been nominated four times and won a Gemini once. He’s also won LA’s Young Artist Award and was one of the 2009 Hollywood Reporter’s Next Generation Stars Of International TV. Adept at both comedy and drama, Seater’s acting career began at the age of 10 in the short Canadian zombie movie Night of The Living. From that point on Seater has amassed an enviable list of leading roles in film and television. Some of his series include: Zack Files, Blake Hosley High, Re-Genesis, 18 to Life and more recently he played Derek in the internationally famous series Life with Derek for 4 seasons and a film. His film credits include: The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio starring Julianne Moore and Woody Harrelson, Blithe & Virginia, Shades of Black, Defending My Children, and more recently the independent film Sin Bin.

      HAROLD AIKINS

      played by Richard Fitzpatrick

      HAROLD AIKINS - After a middling career, blue shift manager Harold Aikins, finds himself a fox in the henhouse. The war, with its insatiable demand for labour, has created a brave new world full of trouser-wearing female workers - but Harold who's been schooled with notions of men never showing women their vulnerabilities, bristles at the thought of these girls taking over. He can bluster like a tyrant, haranguing his subordinates and berating his employees, but on occasion Harold is also capable of compassion and even heeding his employees' advice - although he'd never thanks them for it.

      Richard Fitzpatrick has worked on Broadway, in regional theaters in the U.S. and Canada and at the Stratford Festival. His extensive film and television credits include principal roles in Good Will Hunting, The Recruit, The Boondock Saints, 16 Blocks, The X-Files, Kingdom Hospital, The Reagans, November Christmas, and many more MOW’s and episodics.
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