by Melissa Bessey
In a world where the economy is ever-changing and unreliable, people may expect to do many different things over the span of their career. Why then, is there such a stigma around actors, singers, and famous people exploring more than one talent? This is a question that multi-award winner and Little Mosque on The Prairie star, Arlene Duncan, would like to demystify.
“Back in the day when people like Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire were coming up, you had to be able to do everything. People would do drama, variety, singing, and dancing and they all came up in that time when you did do everything. For some reason today, people are surprised by say singers who want to act (like Beyonce) or actors who want to rap (like Drake). If you’re a creative person you should be able to be creative.”
To call Arlene a ‘triple threat’ talent is an understatement, as her repertoire includes acting for film & TV, theatre, singing & dancing, fashion design and more. A graduate of Ryerson’s Theatre Arts program, Arlene’s career first took off when she won the DuMaurier Search for Stars (precursor to Canadian Idol) competition and went on to host the event for several years. She also gained global acclaim when she represented Canada at the Pacific Song Festival in New Zealand and won an Artistic Merit Award.
Arlene speaks fondly of her Little Mosque character, Fatima Dinssa, expressing that she’s ‘gained confidence’ from playing such an abrasive (but lovable) business woman. “I remember during the filming of the first couple episodes, I walked into the café I own [in the show], looked around and said to myself, ‘okay, this is my domain, I rule.’ It’s like playing a judge, or a Queen, you can’t have any fear.” Reflecting back on her character’s development throughout the six seasons of the series she recalls, “I think her character [Fatima] brought something to me and I rounded it out by bringing some of my personality to it, trying not to make her just one-dimensional.”
After a very successful run with the complete Little Mosque series, Arlene is moving on to debut as the lead character in Tony award-winning musical, Caroline or Change, set to open in Toronto with Acting Up Stage Theatre Company in mid-January.
If you’re wondering where a woman of such creative prowess and award-winning talent finds inspiration, Arlene finds Samuel Jackson’s attitude towards his career admirable. “He’s always saying, ‘when I was growing up, my dad went to work everyday. I just feel that’s what I should be doing, getting up and going to work. I can only play so much golf,'” she explains. She does not prefer one form of expression above another, though she admits that recording in a studio is the ‘ultimate environment.' Instead, Arlene puts emphasis on creating quality work whether she’s acting, singing, or designing one-of-a-kind jewelry during her ‘down’ time.
“I like to feel like I’m growing and like I’m challenging myself as an artist.”
To see Arlene’s much anticipated return to theatre, Caroline or Change runs from January 21- February 11th and be on the lookout later this year, for her full-length album. Stay up to date with all of Arlene’s creative endeavors at www.arleneduncan.com
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