Introducing Gabrielle Sunshine Miller — actress, mother and humanitarian. This babe has appeared in hundreds of television films and series since starting her acting career in 1993, and is best known for her lead role in two of Canada’s most popular concurrently running TV series, Corner Gas and Robson Arms.
She has been honoured for her acting performances in the Canadian television and film industry with a multitude of nominations, and has taken home three Leo Awards and one Gemini. Gabe has a deep-rooted passion for charitable work, and has traveled to Africa to volunteer with World Vision Canada. She also is a spokesperson and board member for Vela Canada, a non-profit society created to help people with disabilities overcome barriers.
What does babes supporting babes mean to you?
In my life I look to women I admire for inspiration. Supporting each other means we need to be open to understanding and educating ourselves about the lives being lived by women that may not mirror our own. It’s about making sure that we stand with one another and promote equality for all women. It’s also about knowing when to listen so that the voices of women that don’t have certain platforms, or come from certain privileges, can also be amplified.
If you could choose your nickname, what would it be?
My nickname is Gabe, and I’m pretty happy with that. Just please don’t call me Gabby.
What’s your spirit animal?
A doe, a deer, a female deer.
What’s your proudest babe moment or achievement?
Being a mother.
What’s the most unexpected thing you have in your purse or wallet?
At the moment it’s all pretty ordinary. I have so many purses that are out of the rotation and still have a bunch of stuff in them. It might be cool to get a group of writers together and give them each access to a person’s random, out of rotation purses and then challenge them to write a short story based on the forgotten items inside each one!
Tell us about a time where you were faced with a situation that you could have been unkind, but chose to be a babe instead?
Honestly, the things that stay with me more are the times when I should have been kind but instead was ruled by my own pride or anger or whatever, and it ended up being less productive than if I had been a “babe” about it. It’s important to check yourself and be introspective, because if we all do that, that’s the path to real positive change.
What product would you seriously stockpile if you found out they weren’t selling anymore?
Dr. Bronners Lavender Bar soap. I wash my face with it. I was raised by hippies, what can I say. Oh, also Goddess Skin Clay Mask by Charlotte Tilbury.
If you had a yacht, what would be the name of it?
If I had a yacht, I’d be like, ‘oh my god, I have a yacht!’ and then probably name it ‘The Dinghy.’
What was the best piece of advice you received when you were first starting your career?
I think the best advice I received was to be proud of whatever it is that makes you unique and to nourish that because it’s what sets you apart.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received now that you’re in your career?
Don’t compare yourself to other people, keep your eyes on your own work and path, and celebrate it when other people have success. Gratitude is a gift and it will feed you on the days that your career leaves you feeling hungry.
Red, white, or rose?
Yes, please!
When I dance I look like….
Pretty…pretty good.
Tell us about a Babe who has supported you?
My agent Nancy van Gogh is incredible. We’ve worked together for over 25 years. She has been tireless in her support of me (she got me my first landline, back when that was a thing.)
She let me cry in her office when I thought I sucked, but has also told me to shut it when I’ve being too hard on myself. The dedication, passion, integrity, and love she brings to her work inspires me. I truly look up to her, she’s a total babe and role model for me.
Who do you channel when you’re about to do something that scares you?
Hillary Clinton and my mom, Maureen.
What’s your favorite destination to visit?
Last summer, my husband and I visited Florence, Italy. He spent time there for a few years as a child. We stayed in the same amazing apartment building that he lived in when he was a boy and it was fantastic.
What’s your favourite meal to eat?
Pretty much anything my husband cooks, with props, especially, for the Italian dishes.
What’s the most fulfilling part of your career?
To me, the most fulfilling part of my career has been the fact that there are always new possibilities and room to grow, that never ends when you’re in the arts.
Where’s your favourite place to draw inspiration from?
Nature.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Most of my pleasures are guilty.
What quality are you working on yourself right now?
I’d like to worry less.
What’s the biggest hurdle you’ve had to overcome in business?
Staying in it. My career choice isn’t for the faint of heart, and for me to actually draw true satisfaction from what I do there has to be separation between who I am and what it is I do for a living.
It can be hard to remember that while there’s value in the work that I do, my work does not even come close to defining my personal value. It can be hard to separate those two things in this business but when I am able to, it’s easy to love my work and love my life.
Coffee meeting or drinks meeting?
How about we have coffee, and then go for a drink?
If you’re going out for a cocktail you’d order…
An old-fashioned.
If you had an unlimited budget for 2 hours of shopping where would you go?
I’d go to Misch. I think Lara, the boutique owner, has impeccable taste and then I would cross the street and go see Riko at the Bau-Xi gallery. I love the artists they represent. Then I would race downtown and have a date with Michelle Addison at Nordstrom Vancouver, and I would finish it off with a glass of rose and some sweet pieces from Brunette the Label. And yes, I do believe I could do all of this in under two hours!
What’s your favourite movie?
Right now, my favourite film is God’s Own Country. My husband and I watched it last night and its beauty crushed me. The performances, the landscape and the narrative of the transformative power of love, I found it all incredibly moving.
Click here to visit The Babe Shop!
Keep up with Gabby on Instagram @gmiller1.
Introduction written by Lindsay Pearce.
Photography by Ryan Pugsley.