Acclaimed Canadian actor Alfred 'Alf' Humphreys died today in Stratford, Ontario. He was 65.
Humphreys was last year inducted into the North Bay Musicians and Entertainers Hall of Recognition.
Born Aug 9, 1953, in Haileybury, He always considered North Bay 'home', and loved the many years he and his family resided here.
"Alfred E. Humphreys is the epitome of a Northern Ontario man says a Hall of Recognition Committee submission.
Born in 1953 in Haileybury, Humphreys, the oldest of four boys, spent his early years moving from one mining community to the next.
From as far back as he can remember, Humphreys was a fan of film and television. As an usher at the Odeon theatre in North Bay, he recalls watching his childhood hero, Charles Bronson, in the film, Valachi Papers, repeatedly from the back of the house.
By 18, Humphreys realized that school was interfering with his education, so he left to join the military and eventually found himself leading tourists as a bush guide in Northern Ontario, Baffin Island, and western Quebec. It wasn’t long until Humphreys realized that his true talent was not in guiding the tourists, but in entertaining them.
After being fired for “acting like a lunatic,” Humphreys literally happened upon a theatre company in North Bay. It was a match made in heaven and Humphreys found himself being trained by professionals and took to the craft like a duck to water.
Soon after, Humphreys was hired to act at the Blythe Summer Festival and it wasn’t long before he was cast in television commercials for everything from Arrow shirts to Certs.
Following his passion, Humphreys found himself acting next to stars like Sylvester Stallone in Rambo: First Blood which opened the doors to much commercial and television work such as X Files, The Twilight Zone and Da Vinci’s Inquest.
After starring in more than 100 movies and television shows, his most exciting memory is of the moment he was cast in the role of the son of Charles Bronson.
Although he was living in Stratford, Ont., with his wife and son, Humphreys always considered North Bay his home.
He always maintained that his inspiration as an actor came from his friends, family, and neighbours here in North Bay.
Alf leaves behind his wife Elizabeth 'Liz' Moss, and their son Kess Humphreys. Alf's brothers Stanley (Lynn McKinnon) of Russell, ON, John of Victoria, BC and David of North Bay.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time.
See Alf's casting reel below.
