Some people were just born to perform and actress Sarah Jurgens happens to be one of those unique individuals. Although she was originally born in England, Jurgens spent time in South Africa with her family as a child before migrating to Canada shortly after. Spending time in several different countries in her youth endowed Jurgens with an enriched worldview, but those experiences also prompted her fascination with dialects.
She says, "Because I grew up with the good fortune of traveling to different areas of the world where my extended family resides, I developed a keen ear for accents. I really enjoy dialect work, it often opens up an entirely new inner-landscape for me to draw on as an actor, and it brings an edge to the character that I otherwise may not have found."
Jurgens' ability to tap in and become a wide range of characters with starkly different backgrounds is something that not only sets her apart from most other actresses, but it has also proven to be an integral counterpart in her success.
In Michael DeCarlo's (Lost Girl, The Border, Queer as Folk) 2012 film Two Hands to Mouth, which was produced by
Black Walk Productions, Jurgens took on the role of Anya, a Russian bombshell seductress and the wife of Frank, a business man involved in nefarious ventures who is played by Joe Pingue (Drive, The Book of Eli, Pompeii).
Chosen as an Official Selection of the 2013 Madrid International Film Festival where it was nominated for a Best Actor Award and a Best Editor Award, Two Hands to Mouth revolves around eight blindfolded guests who all meet at a secret pup-up restaurant for a dinner prepared by chef Michael Bradori played by Richard Zeppieri from 24 Hour Rental, Suits and The Bridge.
About playing Anya, Jurgens explains, "Working with a Russian dialect opened up a very specific emotional range for me. It was incredibly fun to play a woman so secure in her sexuality and power."
Jurgens also starred alongside Rachel Skarsten (Fifty Shades of Grey, The Vow, Birds of Prey, Flashpoint), Conrad Coates (Defiance, Saw II, This Means War, The Strain) and Gemini Award winner Ernie Greenwald (Men in Black II, Two and a Half Men, Cellular) in the film.
For Jurgens acting is more than just a career. She admits, "I chose acting as my passion and profession for selfish reasons really. It was the art form that I found most challenging and demanding in terms of self-exploration. As I grow as an individual, I also grow as an artist. It is an ever-evolving process and it’s one that keeps me asking questions, and keeps me engaged with life."
While she has reached an astonishing level of success on screen with leading roles in TV shows including Covert Affairs, Lost Girl, Republic of Doyle and Beauty and the Beast, as well as the films Swearnet: The Movie and The Man in the Shadows, Jurgens has also carved out a place for herself in the international theatre industry.
To date the actress has starred in an impressive list of high-profile theatrical productions including "The Bewitched," "The Clown Show," "The Penelopiad" and "Reasons to be Pretty."
In 2009 she formed the Canada-based theatre production company The Blood Projects with writer/producer and fellow actress Sasha Singer-Wilson. Through The Blood Projects, Jurgens produced and played the starring role of Eve in "This is It" directed by Mark Wilson, and Tessa in "Little Tongues" directed by Paul Lampert.
Although Jurgens admits that she has a strong connection to pretty much every role she's played so far, her role as Queen Ann in Peter Barnes "The Bewitched" has been one of her most beloved.
Directed by Dora Award winner Nigel Shawn Williams, the production revolves around the true story of the last of the Hapsburg royal line, an inbred family of rulers whose resulting diseases prevented them from producing an heir to the Spanish throne.
"It was a challenging experience playing a historical figure. Maria Anna of Neuburg was Queen of Spain from 1689 to 1700 as the second wife of King Charles II. It allowed me to explore her explosive anger, resulting in seizures and phantom pregnancies," recalls Jurgens.
In Shakespeare's words, "All the world's a stage," that is, at least for actress Sarah Jurgens; and, as she continues to take on new and exciting projects we know that this dynamic performer will continue to dazzle us with her craft for decades to come.