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Arlene Duncan
Born
Arlene Duncan

Nationality Canadian
Other names Kairene
Alma mater Sheridan College
Occupation Actress, singer
Years active 1978–present

Arlene Duncan is a Canadian actress and singer from Oakville, Ontario. Her father is African Canadian, with ancestors from Nova Scotia. Duncan has appeared in more than 80 film and television roles, in addition to many theatrical productions. She is best known for her television role as Fatima, a diner owner in the CBC situation comedy Little Mosque on the Prairie.

Early life and education

Arlene Duncan was born in Oakville, Ontario, to Alvin Aberdeen Duncan, a Royal Canadian Air Force veteran of World War II, and a Jamaican mother, Icilda. Her father's side of the family has been living in Canada for five generations. She is the great-grand-daughter of Benedict Duncan, a slave who fled Maryland through the Underground Railroad and became a sexton in Oakville. Her great-great-grandfather, Samuel Adams, moved to Canada in 1855. Duncan's family has been heavily involved in Oakville's Black community, her great-grandfather Jeremiah Adams was the groundkeeper of Turner Chapel (Oakville) and her father worked as Oakville’s resident Black historian until his death in 2009. Additionally, Duncan's mother founded the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton. Canadian Olympic sprinter Donovan Bailey is Duncan's half-brother.

Duncan attended T. A. Blakelock High School in Oakville. During her time there, she was active in drama and student band. She graduated from Sheridan College's musical theatre program. Duncan was a winner of the Du Maurier's Search for Stars contest and represented Canada at the Pacific Song Contest in 1979.

Career

In 1982, Duncan released her debut single "I Wanna Grove", which won her the Female Vocalist of the Year Award at the 1983 Canadian Black Music Awards in 1983. Duncan also has performed under the name Kairene, releasing the single "I Need a Man" under Radikal Records in 1993. She has additionally sung jingles for McDonald's, Pepsi and Toyota. In 1994, the Black Label Artists Coalition awarded Duncan for Outstanding Achievement in Dance/House Music.

Duncan has been active in musical and dramatic theatre. She has been involved in theatrical productions of Sophisticated Ladies, Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang, Once on This Island, The Mother Club, A Raisin in the Sun, Ain't Misbehavin', The Nutmeg Press, Recurring John and The Who's Tommy. Duncan won a Dora Mavor Moore Award in 2012 for Outstanding Performance by a Female (Musical) for her performance in Caroline, or Change. Duncan's performance as Caroline in Caroline, or Change earned her a Dora Mavor Moore Award in 2012 for Outstanding Performance by a Female (Musical) and a Toronto Theatre Critics Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Duncan has appeared in many movies and television shows, most notably portraying café owner Fatima Dinssa on the CBC Television series Little Mosque on the Prairie. Duncan played Harriet Tubman in the CBC Television Special All for One, for which she received an ACTRA Award. Duncan later reprised the role of Harriet Tubman in 1995 in CBS's Gemini Awards-nominated "Sing Out, Freedom Train". In recent years, she has also appeared in minor roles on Degrassi: The Next Generation, Suits, and A Dog's Journey. Duncan's most notable recent role has been as Velma Diggs in the ongoing CBC Television series Diggstown.

Duncan has cited Diana Ross, Salome Bey, and Melba Moore as influences.

Work

Film

Year Film Role
1979 An American Christmas Carol Jennie Reeves
1987 The Liberators Amanada
1988 All for One Harriet Tubman
1995 Sing Out Freedom Train Harriet Tubman
1996 Extreme Measures E.R. Nurse
2000 Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble Harriet
2001 Drop the Beat Mrs. Brown
2001 Don't Say a Word Aide
2002 The Scream Team Sherriff
2003 Eloise at Christmastime Lily
2005 Get Rich or Die Tryin' Judge
2009 Chloe Party Guest
2012 Silent Hill: Revelation Teacher
2014 A Fighting Man Mary
2017 Flint Claire McClinton
2019 Easy Land Mrs. Fraser
2019 A Dog's Journey Hilda

Television

Year Series Role Notes
1997–2004 Franklin Officer Rabbit
2005–2008 Degrassi: The Next Generation Mrs. Van Zandt 4 Episodes
2007–2012 Little Mosque on the Prairie Fatima Dinssa 91 Episodes
2013 Covert Affairs Patricia
2013–2017 But I'm Chris Jericho! Ms. Lawrence 12 Episodes
2014–2017 Teenagers Sandra 7 Episodes
2015 Suits Emma Powell 2 Episodes
2018 The Rick Mercer Report Announcer
2019–2020 Diggstown Velma Diggs 6 Episodes

Theatre

Year(s) Production Role Notes
1987 Sophisticated Ladies N/A
1997 Ain't Misbehavin' N/A Played the role introduced by Armelia McQueen
1999 The Nutmeg Princess Nutmeg Princess Based on the book of same name
2011–2012 Caroline, or Change Caroline Won Dora Mavor Moore Award for Performance
2014 Recurring John The Park Dweller
2014 The Mother Club Marge
2014 Once on This Island Mama Euralie
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