John Dunsworth was born in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, situated near the sea, where he would often spend his free time on his yacht. As one of Halifax's most esteemed and respected actors, he appeared in numerous CBC radio dramas and held leading roles in over 25 Neptune Theatre productions.
In 1970, John's vision and entrepreneurial spirit led him to convince the city of Halifax to lease a rundown old building by the shipyards, which he transformed into Pier One Theatre - Halifax's first and arguably most successful alternative theatre company.
John first met Mike Clattenburg in the mid-1990s when he auditioned for a small role in Mike's short film, One Last Shot. As filming progressed, John's initial small role evolved into a leading part, earning him a Best Performance award from the Atlantic Film Festival. From there, John developed that role into the iconic character Jim Lahey, the trailer park supervisor on the popular series Trailer Park Boys.
Throughout his illustrious acting career, John's final credits include the long-running series Trailer Park Boys (2001-2018),the short film George (2018),and the film Sir John A. And the Curse of the Anti-Quenched (2017).
Beyond his remarkable acting accomplishments, John was an avid bridge player, holding master points. He also holds the Internet Scrabble record for having three 7-letter words in a row, a feat yet to be surpassed. Locals would easily recognize John as he drove his old truck with a thousand-pound winch, which he would use to haul granite.
In 1987, John founded Filmworks Casting, where he worked as Halifax's most successful casting director. Prior to that, John worked in the transportation industry, driving a cab for three years and working on the CNR trains from Halifax and Sydney.
