Please Rewind Talent Wall

Allan F. Nicholls

Allan F. Nicholls is a Canadian film actor whose creative work extends well beyond performance. Born in Montreal on April 8, 1945, he is also associated with directing, composing and screenwriting—a combination that places him on several sides of the filmmaking process. That range gives Nicholls a distinctive profile. Acting may provide the most visible connection between performer and audience, but directing and screenwriting involve shaping a movie from different angles, while composing brings another form of storytelling into the mix. Nicholls’s career encompasses all four disciplines, making it difficult to reduce his contribution to a single role or job title. For movie fans, that breadth is part of the appeal. Some artists are defined by one familiar screen persona; Nicholls instead represents the kind of film career built through multiple creative practices. His work as an actor belongs alongside his experience as a director, screenwriter and composer, each occupation offering a different way into the same medium.