From snow fairy to

Sex and the City

by Kevin Duncan

At 14, Kim Cattrall boarded a bus from Vancouver to Banff carrying a backpack full of sandwiches made by her mom. The year was 1971 and Cattrall, who three decades later would star in the hit television series “Sex and the City”, was bound for what she refers to as “Banff Camp.”

Enrolled in The Banff Centre’s summer Musical Theatre program, Cattrall and her classmates gathered for more than just rehearsals. They spent the summer singing and dancing to Carole King’s Tapestry and Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush. They watched Love Story, and were moved by its famous quote, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” They played, they laughed, they cried — most importantly, they learned.

“I got a glimpse of what it could be like [to be an actress], in a fantastic way but also in a realistic way,” Cattrall says now. “Preparation is everything for me. Something that stuck in my head from my time in Banff is that dedication, that love for what you do, the all importance of excellence, that’s always been with me.”

At 51, the Golden Globe-winning actress is now widely recognized for her role as Samantha Jones in “Sex and the City”, a role she recently reprised in the movie version of the hit HBO show.

“There were teachers from all over the world, students from all over the world.”

Cattrall credits her time at The Banff Centre, then known as the Banff School of Fine Arts, as a critical stepping stone in her career. It all began with a brochure outlining the resumes of teachers from England, the United States, and Canada who would lead the 1971 Musical Theatre program.

“There were teachers from all over the world, students from all over the world. It was my first exposure to the outside world and different points of view,” she says, adding that dreaming of becoming an actress at home in Comox on Vancouver Island was similar to saying she wanted to be an astronaut.

The Banff Centre’s summer Musical Theatre program ran from 1964 until 1986, focusing on the skills needed to perform in Broadway-style musicals. At one point, Cattrall was asked to do an interpretive dance as part of an assignment. It was a daunting task — since she considers herself an actress first, singer second, and dancer third.

“I would often hear kids say ‘No’. I just kept saying, ‘Why not, I’ll try it.’ I might not be the best at it, but I have something to offer,” she says. “I think it was that lack of ego that always put me in good stead.”

“To do just one thing is limiting. The more versatile you are, the more you have to offer, the more you are employable, especially as a young actor.”

When she finished the Musical Theatre program, one of Cattrall’s Banff instructors encouraged her to pursue her acting career, advice that led to her move to New York at 16 to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

“The day I arrived in New York it was raining. I had a small suitcase with clothes, and a big suitcase with books. Bells were ringing everywhere to signal the end of the Vietnam War. I was scared, so I called my dad, he said, ‘the bells are ringing for you,’” Cattrall fondly recalls.

In June Cattrall received the NBC Universal Award of Distinction at the 29th Banff World Television Festival, which gave her an opportunity to revisit her beginnings in Banff.

“Every time I take a deep breath here, I feel like it is four breaths in New York,” she says with a smile. “The past was glorious, the present is amazing.”