Ziggy Lorenc
Isabelle Anna "Ziggy" Lorenc (pronounced "LAWR-ence") (born December 28, 1958 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian television and radio personality as well as occasional actress in film and television, best known for hosting programming on Citytv, MuchMusic and Bravo! after working for CHUMCity as a receptionist.
Career
Having done modeling work since the age of thirteen, Lorenc began pursuing acting jobs during her late teens. Hanging around Toronto in the late 1970s with a group of aspiring performers including Michael Wincott, Kim Cattrall, Jim Carrey, and Tonya Lee Williams, Lorenc was accepted at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City following an "audition" that consisted of the school's director Sanford Meisner just speaking to the applicants.[1] Her stay in New York was short, however, as she was unable to support herself in New York and returned to Toronto.
While looking for acting work in Toronto without much success, Lorenc worked as a "disco bunny" at Toronto night clubs, which led to an appearance on Boogie, Citytv's disco counterpart to American Bandstand. She soon met Citytv producer and creative director Moses Znaimer, eventually getting a job at the station as a switchboard operator.[1]
Citytv
While working the switchboard at Citytv's 99 Queen Street East headquarters, Lorenc became part of the Switchettes — a group of young female office staffers the station sent around the city of Toronto for promotional activities and even human interest reporting.
She continued going to acting auditions and soon got a part on the Canadian sketch comedy series Bizarre being shot in Toronto. Asking for time off from her Citytv duties in order to do Bizarre, she got rejected eventually and left Citytv. Her time on Bizarre was short, however, as she got fired after a couple of episodes.[1]
Without both jobs, Lorenc began waitressing at night at Bemelmans, a popular Toronto eatery, while going to acting auditions during the day. She soon got cast as one of the romantic leads in Copper Mountain, a 1983 comedy that was never completed though still got a limited video release, starring young comedian Jim Carrey and Alan Thicke.[1]
By 1984 she was back in the Citytv fold and was on hand during the launch of Much Music.
Lorenc was also the star/host of the series Life on Venus Ave. She is currently heard on CFZM, hosting a late night program devoted to romantic music.
She also had roles in movies White Room and Love, Sex and Eating the Bones.
References
- Boon, Mike (30 June 2017). "Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 248: Ziggy Lorenc". TorontoMike.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
External links
- Ziggy Lorenc at IMDb