Meet Stevie

Stevie Vallance is a Canadian-American actor, singer, and director. Vallance has worked on numerous films and television series, in both live-action and animated genres. She is most recognized as 'Jenny' in The Ropers, 'Detective Stevie Brody' in Night Heat, and 'Whazzat Kangaroo' in Zoobilee Zoo. As a director, she received an Emmy for voice-directing the music and dialogue on 70 × 22-minute episodes of the children's animated television series Madeline, in which she also portrayed 'Miss Clavel' (nun) and 'Genevive' (dog).

Current

Stevie just wrapped 2 years as Voice Director for Universal Kid’s brand new musical stop- motion series, Norman Picklestripes (nominated for 2020 Annie and Kidscreen awards).

Stevie is currently based in Yorkville, Toronto and performs regularly in the Toronto area with her Jazz quartet: pianist Brian Dickinson, bassist Kieran Overs, and guitarist Ted Quinlan.

Stevie portrait

Actor

By the time Montreal-born, Toronto-raised, Stevie Louise Vallance was 12 years old, she had performed at Toronto's O'Keefe Centre (Hummingbird) and Ottawa's National Arts Centre, as 'Adele', in the Charlottetown Festival's musical production of Jane Eyre, directed by Alan Lund. As a teen-actor she starred in Canadian TV series and movies including King of Kensington, A Bird In the House (directed by Allan King) and The Wonder of It All (Norman Campbell, Don Harron).

After attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, Vallance moved to Los Angeles (1980), where CBS executive David Jacobs cast her in her first US prime time recurring role as recording artist 'Sylvie' in the pop- culture nighttime soap, Knot's Landing.

Stevie was then cast in ABC's live-audience sit-com The Ropers as regular role 'Jenny Ballinger'opposite Norman Fell, Audra Lindley and Jeffrey Tambor.

Over the next decade and a half Stevie guest-starred in several LA-based series including Bosom Buddieswith Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari; Lou Grant with Ed Asner; LA Law with Kevin Spacey.

She also starred in numerous Canadian/US co-productions including Poltergeist: The Legacy, Outer Limits, F/X: The Series, Cobra, First Wave, Dracula: The Series, Forever Knight, and Sweating Bullets.

Stevie starred as 'Tracy Falcon', opposite Simon MacCorkindale and John Marley, in the 1982 movie Falcon's Gold, shot on location in Mexico.

In 1985-86 Stevie played the regular role of 'Detective Stevie Brody' on Night Heat, for late night CBS.

In 1986 Stevie was cast as a pink marsupial named 'Whazzat Kangaroo' in Hallmark's Zoobilee Zoo. The Emmy-winning live-action series featured Ben Vereen, as ‘Mayor Ben’ and 6 artistic animal friends who frequently broke into dance and song. Stevie wore a prosthetic nose and head-to-toe costume and the 65 episodes were filmed in Burbank.

Vallance was then invited to play ‘Princess Summer-Fall-Winter-Spring’ on Howdy Doody’s 40th Celebration alongside Bob Smith, Howdy, Clarabelle, Milton Berle, Monty Hall, Gary Coleman, John Ritter, and Pee Wee Herman.

Stevie was 'Princess Summer-Fall-Winter-Spring' on Howdy Doody's 40th Celebration with Bob Smith, Milton Berle, Monty Hall, Howdy and Clarabelle!

One of Stevie’s most memorable roles was when she co-starred opposite Christopher Reeve in Road to Avonlea as Richard’s love interest, 'Amanda Stone'.

She had a cameo role as Steve Guttenberg’s love interest in Three Men and a Baby (1987), directed by Leonard Nimoy.

On and off between 1993-99, Stevie performed as ‘Patsy’ in A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, and toured western Canada performing at numerous venues including two runs at the Granville Arts Club in Vancouver and the Alberta Theater Projects in Calgary. Stevie’s second CD Always A Salute to Patsy Cline) was recorded after she kicked off the opening ceremonies of the 1999 Calgary Stampede, as ‘Patsy’.

In Slam Dunk Ernest (1995), Vallance played Ernest’s girlfriend ‘Erma Terradiddle’ with the one and only Jim Varney.


More Videos

Stevie playing regular role 'Jenny' on The Ropers
Stevie playing 'Princess Summer-Fall-Winter-Spring' on Howdy Doody's 40th Celebration
Stevie playing Ernest's love interest, 'Erma', in Slam Dunk Ernest
Stevie played opposite Steve Guttenberg in 'Three Men and a Baby' (1987)

Animation Actor

Stevie’s flair for larger-than-life performance comes from her roots in improv (The Groundlings) and musical comedy, including her portrayal of a 9-year-old pink kangaroo named ‘Whazzat’ in Hallmark’s Emmy Award-winning series Zoobilee Zoo.

Her first animation acting break was in Inspector Gadget when she was “sandwiched” in between Don Adams and June Foray, in the small recording studio in Burbank. Later in her career Stevie was cast in 70 episodes of the show’s spin-off, Gadget Boy, as the wicked ‘Spydra’ a Medusa-type character who had to put up with a wise-cracking parrot named ‘Boris’, voiced by Maurice LaMarche.

Among the many cartoon character roles that followed she portrayed ‘Gina’ and ‘Mrs. Mitchell’ in Dennis the Menace, ‘Mouse’ and ‘Rocky Raccoon’ in Reboot, ‘Miss Clavel’ and ‘Genevieve’ in Madeline, ‘Proudheart Cat’ and ‘Sharebear’ in the Carebears, ‘Party’ and ‘Punkity’ in The Popples, ‘Dixie’ in Donkey Kong, ’Tigrerra’ in Bakugan Brawlers, ETC!

Vallance also voiced numerous characters in two Don Bluth animated features with Music Director Barry Manilow. She played all of the dancing cockroaches and female farm animals on Thumbelina, and on The Pebble and the Penguin, she starred as ‘Priscilla’ and ‘Chinstrap’ opposite Carol Channing, John Hurt, Martin Short, Tim Curry, Charo, and Jim Belushi.

Singer

Stevie Vallance, here's a vocalist with something to say and a sensational way of saying it! — Jurgen Gothe, Host of CBC Radio’s Disc Drive

Intimate, vulnerable yet full of passion; able to caress a word, shape a phrase so that it comes alive. This is an evening with the voice of Stevie Vallance. — Medicine Hat Jazz Festival

In the Toronto area Stevie performs regularly with her Jazz quartet featuring guitarist Ted Quinlan, pianist Brian Dickinson, bassist Kieran Overs, and drummer Ted Warren.

Stevie has self-produced 5 CDs

Disc #1: In 1995, Vallance moved to Bowen Island, British Columbia, where she met Michael Creber (piano), Buff Allen (drums), Rene Worst (bass) and Jim Pinchin (sax). Together in 1998, they recorded Vallance's debut jazz CD Practically Naked. One critic describes it as An unforgettable piece of music history, sung with a warmth and grace that sends shivers down the spine.

Disc #2: For her second CD, Always (A Salute to Patsy Cline), 1999, Vallance derived inspiration from her portrayal of Patsy Cline (with whom she shares a birthdate) in a staged production of A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline. The live-to-tape CD was recorded in 1999 after Vallance kicked off the opening ceremonies of the 1999 Calgary Stampede, as ‘Patsy’.

Disc #3: In 2001-02, Vallance conceived and produced Divas For Life. She organized 2 benefit concerts, 6 concerts for Vancouver’s International Jazz Festival, and a live CD was recorded by CBC (Just in Time record label). The concerts headlined 6 powerful ‘super-hero Divas’ and packed Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre 2 years in a row, raising $70,000 for people living with life-threatening illness. As a result Vallance was presented with Vancouver’s Friend in Deed Philanthropy Award.

In 2004, Vallance debuted as a ‘Jazz vocalist’ at Toronto’s Montréal Jazz Bistro, where she was accompanied by pianist Don Thompson, bassist Neil Swainson, and drummer Ted Warren. In 2005, in her birth town of Montréal, Stevie performed at The Upstairs with pianist Steve Amirault, bassist Zack Lober, and drummer Jim Doxas. Since then Stevie’s Quartet has since performed at many venues in Toronto including The Rex, the Jazz Bistro and the Homesmith Bar.

Disc #4: Vallance’s fourth CD, Make My Night, was released in February 2008, with original interpretations of jazz standards, as well as a few songs written by Stevie. The CD features guitarist Pat Coleman, pianist Ross Taggart, trumpeter Mike Herriot, saxophonist Tom Colclough, drummer Buff Allen, and bassist Miles Hill. Vallance's voice sounds fabulous ... mature, well-recorded, comfortable, sexy. — Paul Grant, CBC Radio

In 2010, Vallance organized a 10-concert series Stevie Vallance & the Masters of Jazz. Accompanying her vocals were world-class Jazz players: pianist Richard Whiteman, bassist Mike Grace, guitarist Kevin Barrett, bassist Kieran Overs, drummer Ted Warren, saxophonist Bobby Brough, bassist Rob Clutton, pianist Nancy Walker, guitarist Ted Quinlan, guitarist Tim Posgate, and bassist George Koller.

Disc #5: In 2013 Stevie released a new cabaret-jazz CD with long-time friend David Warrack, in an original show Three Davids, featuring music composed by David Warrack, David Frishberg and David Shire (with Dave Young on bass as a bonus!).

Stevie as Patsy Cline
Stevie singing as Patsy Cline

Teacher

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Emmy Award-winning Animation Voice Director Stevie Vallance is a production force who knows both sides of the voice-over world better than anyone else!

Now a 3-time Emmy Award nominee and 1-time Emmy Award recipient (Madeline/Disney), Stevie has created her own brand of in-studio workshops that offer actors everything they need to know to break into the Animation Voice-over Industry and stay there!

With the trend in visuał/audio production moving rapidly towards ANIMATION and commercial voice-over (multimedia games, web sites, digital broadcasting), Stevie’s techniques prove that coming from ‘heart and soul’ combined with the ‘mistakes’ you make are what give birth to the brilliance that will land YOU the part. Her FUN, fast-paced style makes Stevie one of North America’s most sought-after Voice Directors. One who has cast and directed animated television series for Disney, Nickelodeon, Nelvana, Cartoon Network, Home Plate, Bardel, 9 Story, Discovery Kids, Universal Kids, Disney Junior, Corus, and Nicktoons.

In 2009 & 2010 Steve taught 400 Animators, at Ottawa’s International Animation Festival, ‘How to voice their own cartoon characters, in their own shows’. 

In the fall of 2010, at New York’s giant Comic Con, 400 Anime and Animation fans participated in Steve’s high-energy ‘one-person panel’ seminar.

Teaching ‘Animation Acting’ since 1995, Stevie has launched many careers with her techniques and tips on how to let go of inhibitions and dive in. Many of her grads from LA, Chicago, New York, Phoenix, Vancouver, Montreal, Miami, Ottawa, Orlando, and Toronto have gone on to land agents and regular roles on cartoon series. Click here to read what the the Grads of Stevie’s workshops have to say!

More Videos

Voice-over Buzz Weekly
Intro to Animation Voice-over Acting
Animation Acting for kids
The Zone — YTV

Voice Director

Stevie received a 2001-02 Emmy award for voice-directing 70 episodes of the children’s television series Madeline (Disney). From 1993 to 2000 Stevie directed the dialogue and vocals and also portrayed the voices of Miss Clavel (nun) and Genevieve (dog). It was Stevie’s very first series as a ‘Voice Director’.

Between 2003 and 2006 Vallance went on to cast and voice-direct Teletoon’s Silverwing and Totally Spies. In 2007, Bill Schultz (Home Plate Ent) asked Stevie to cast and voice-direct Growing Up Creepie (Discovery Kids) and in 2008 the series was nominated for an Emmy after only one season. Stevie was then asked to serve as Voice Director for 52 episodes of 9 Story’s Best Ed, starring Sean Cullen and Patrick McKenna.

She flew back to LA in 2009 to cast and voice-direct the animated feature Young Dr. Dolittle, starring Tom Kenney (SpongeBob SquarePants) and then flew back to Toronto to cast and voice-direct Celebutard Nation for Teletoon’s Detour series.

Stevie then completed a 3-year-stint in Los Angeles as Home Plate Entertainment’s Casting and Voice Director for executive producer Bill Schultz (Simpsons) on 52 × 11-minute episodes of Wild Grinders (Nicktoons) starring Rob Dyrdek (Fantasy Factory, Ridiculousness); and 81 × 22-minute episodes on Guess How Much I Love You (Disney Junior).

From 2014 to 2017 Stevie cast and voice-directed 2 seasons of Corus Entertainment’s female super-hero series, The Mysticons.

Stevie just wrapped as Voice Director on 52 episodes of Universal Kid’s brand new musical stop-motion series Norman Picklestripes — nominated for 2020 Annie and Kidscreen awards!

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Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Studio
2008 Best Ed Multiple 9-Story / Teletoon
2008 Celebutard Nation Kitty & Angelina Jolie Nelvana / Corus Ent
2008 Dex Hamilton Audrey & The Queen March Ent

Film

Year Title Role Studio
2006 The Care Bears Big Wish Movie Share Bear Nelvana / Corus Ent
2005 Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-Lot Share Bear Nelvana / Corus Ent
2006 Barbie: Magic Pegasus Trolls NBC Productions
Wishing Star Faith, Mrs.Tolufson, Maximus Phase 4 / Seoul
1994 Thumbelina Multiple Characters Don Bluthe Ent
Barry Manilow (Music Director)
1995 The Pebble & the Penguin Priscilla, Chinstrap Don Bluthe Ent
Barry Manilow (Music Director)
1995 Slam Dunk Ernest Erma Terradiddle John Cherry/Emshell
Cardcaptors: The Movie Sorceress
1987 Three Men & A Baby Sally Leonard Nimoy/Touchstone
1982 Falcon's Gold/Robbers of the Sacred Mountain Tracy Falcon Bob Schulz/Sonesta

Theatre

Year Title Role Location
1993-1999 A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline Patsy Cline (CD: Always) Arts Club, Vancouver / ATP, Calgary
1983 Merrily We Roll Along Beth Roland Dupree Theatre, L.A.
1978 Dames At Sea Ruby Citadel Theatre, Edmonton
1976 Anne of Green Gales Prissey Andrews Alan Lund
1969-1970 Jane Eyre Adele Charlottetown Festival