Andrea Martin’s current obsessions: five things the Working the Engels actress is loving right now

The SCTV vet and newly minted author shares her cultural inspirations

By Bronwen Jervis

On the hit Global series Working the Engels, Andrea Martin taps in to the madcap energy that made her a star on SCTV—her character, the recently widowed Ceil Engel, is perky, ditzy and riotously self-involved. But Martin’s range goes well beyond comic character work: in the past two years, she’s starred in two Broadway shows—including Pippin, which earned her a Tony—and written a memoir called Andrea Martin’s Lady Parts, out this month. Though she credits Broadway pal Nathan Lane for the title, the rest of the collection is pure, unadulterated Martin. Here, she reveals what keeps her inspired.

“It’s a thrilling look at the life of the legendary choreographer Bob Fosse, full of the history, drama, humour and heartbreak of Broadway and show business. It was 600 pages, and I could have read 600 more.”

“The second book in Mantel’s trilogy about the court of Henry VIII, it follows the downfall of Anne Boleyn—I adore Mantel’s vivid description and eccentric British characters.”

“I stumbled upon this beautiful film on HBO. It was deeply moving, especially if you’re an adult holding on to the belief that it’s never too late to fall in love again.”

“I always have Pink playing on my iPhone when I’m walking down the street. Any woman who belts out a song upside-down from a 20-foot high wire is my hero.”

“When I’m in Toronto, I switch on the classical music station and I’m in heaven. To begin the day with a Mozart symphony or a Renée Fleming aria or a Bach cantata is a gift from the gods.”