Stephen Eric McIntyre, a pioneer of local improv comedy and a well-known figure in Winnipeg’s theater, film, and television sectors, passed away on Thursday, May 9, at age 63. He was a cherished presence in all of these fields. McIntyre was a performer for more than four decades, during which time he appeared in dozens of local stage productions. Eventually, he appeared on screen alongside other actors who were equally magnetic and intense, including Robin Williams, John Turturro, Michael Fassbender, and Bob Odenkirk, with whom he played a grizzled veteran in the 2021 shoot-em-up Nobody.
McIntyre was born in Regina in 1960 and reared in Winnipeg beginning when he was eight years old. He began his exploration of the theater while he was attending the University of Winnipeg. Following a chaotic audition for a lead role, he was cast as a sword-carrier in a student production of Twelfth Night (a play by the University of Winnipeg). McIntyre willingly left his institution after completing one semester of study there. In 1982, McIntyre turned up for an audition with Theatre X, an improv troupe that was looking for new members.
Onstage, he had a wonderfully anarchic and compelling presence, and he was a friend to a great number of people. The band Shakespeare in the Ruins have mentioned that they had the opportunity to collaborate with him on a few occasions. During the production of The Taming of the Shrew that Debbie Patterson directed in 2008, he portrayed the role of Petruchio, who was a seductively wild character, to Michelle Boulet’s Kate.
A large number of friends and family members, including two children and two granddaughters, are among those who will miss McIntyre after his passing. At the time of this publication, the cause of his death had not been specified.
