For many Canadian actors, success arrives far from where their story began. For Sadie Laflamme-Snow, the opposite feels true. The Ottawa-born actress has quickly become one of the country’s most recognizable rising talents, with three years of standout work on the hit Hallmark series The Way Home, a fan favourite performance as Alice Dhawan, and a growing global audience through her voice role as Ava in Netflix’s animated series Unicorn Academy. The momentum has been steady, undeniable, and deeply rooted in a foundation that began right here in the nation’s capital.
A graduate of Canterbury High School and later the National Theatre School, Sadie’s early years were shaped by the city’s arts community. She grew up watching world class theatre at the National Arts Centre, performing in school productions, and building friendships that remain central to her life today. Ottawa is still the place she returns to when she needs grounding, connection, or home.
Her rise in television has been equally centred on collaboration. Working alongside Andie MacDowell and Chyler Leigh on The Way Home offered Sadie a rare opportunity to learn directly from two established, respected actors, while contributing her own emotional depth to a series that explored family, memory, and healing. The show earned the Audience Choice Award at the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards, a moment that highlighted not just its popularity but the collective work of its largely Canadian cast and crew.
Now, with new episodes of The Way Home and Unicorn Academy arriving this year, Sadie enters 2026 as one of Canada’s most promising multi-platform performers. Her roots may be here, but her trajectory is reaching far wider. For our January/February cover story, she reflects on her journey, her creative world, and the city that shaped her.
You were born in Ottawa. What was your childhood here like, and what memories of the city still feel meaningful to you today?
My childhood here was so beautiful. I feel really lucky to have grown up in Ottawa. I made lifelong friends here. Almost all of my closest friends are people I’ve known since kindergarten, so when I come home to Ottawa I have all my favourite people in one place. When I was a teenager I was dying to move to a big city to follow my dreams but now I’m always planning my next visit home.
When did you know that acting was what you wanted to pursue? Who were some of the early inspirations that shaped your path?
The dream has always been to perform. My earliest inspiration was probably the High School Musical movies, but if I had to pick something a little more legitimate I would say that seeing Broadway Across Canada at the NAC was hugely inspiring to me as a kid. I remember saying to my mum after Billy Elliot in 2013, “I could do that” and then going home and studying the program for hours on end.
How supportive was your family in those early years, and in what ways did you pursue acting as a child and teenager?
I am very lucky that my family has always supported my goal of becoming a performer. My Mum and Granny have been taking my family to see shows and sitting in the audience of my own shows since I was three years old. Appreciating the arts is a family affair. It’s something we connect on and I feel so lucky that all my family members truly get it and see the value in pursuing a creative career.
What was your experience like at The National Theatre School, and how did it influence your craft?
My experience at NTS was life changing. Getting that diploma is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It is an extremely demanding program, and the skills I got through the training and the people I met there have made me a more confident and resilient artist. I have maintained a great relationship with the school and have been back a few times since graduating to be a mentee of movement specialist Rebecca Harper, and I feel so grateful that my learning from NTS didn’t stop when I graduated.
Tell us about your first few acting roles. What stands out to you about those early experiences and what did they teach you?
When I was in high school I was in the National Arts Centre production of Jordan Tanahill’s Concord Floral directed by Erin Brubacher and Cara Spooner. It was incredible to be trusted with such exciting material on such a prestigious stage as a young person. The directors and the cast remain some of my closest friends and doing that show was an important foundation for me. It made me excited about how art could make people feel, how it could change their minds. It was what made me decide to go to theatre school.
You’re the voice of Ava on Unicorn Academy. What has the experience been like bringing her to life, and how does voice work challenge you or excite you differently than on camera roles?
Voice work is much more similar to theatre in a lot of ways. It is so high energy and far from naturalistic. Creating the character of Ava for Unicorn Academy has been a dream come true. Our favorite animation performances mean so much to us as little kids even if we don’t really understand what a voice actor is or how cartoons come to life. To know that this character is having that impact on little kids across the world is a responsibility I do not take lightly. When people tell me their kids watch the show I cannot hide how excited it makes me.
Let’s talk about The Way Home, which just wrapped filming in November. What have the past three years been like living in the shoes of Alice? When you began, did you have any sense of the journey this role would take you on?
I never could have predicted that we would get to do four seasons of The Way Home. It’s just not something you can plan for in this industry. So every new chapter we got to take on felt like a bonus. It was such a departure for the network and no one knew what to expect. We believed in the story, the scripts and our bonds with each other and that belief helped us make this show come to life and reach such a devoted audience. In a lot of ways, I grew up on this set. It was my first big role on a series and everyone was so patient and supportive of me while I grew into the actor and person I am today.
You’ve spent these years working alongside Andie MacDowell and Chyler Leigh. What has it been like collaborating with each of them, both on set and off?
I love them both so much. I truly can’t believe that I got to share so many scenes with both of these iconic actors and kind human beings. They are so generous and hardworking. Leading a series is not for the faint of heart. It takes passion, leadership skills and dedication. Both Andie and Chyler lead with so much grace and heart and they set the tone for the team that we hope translates from on set to on screen.
The series explores family history, generational healing and mother-daughter relationships. How did you, Chyler and Andie work together to bring these themes to life in a way that felt grounded and intentional?
All three of us are very different, but we all feel things very deeply which I think is what makes the Landry women come to life. Representing three generations of women in our own unique ways brought us closer to each other and to our own families. Working on this show highlighted the beauty of intergenerational friendships between women that the three of us are so lucky to have. We have so much to learn from each other and so much support we can offer each other and we brought that principle to the storytelling. I also want to mention our amazing show runners Heather Conkie and Alexandra Clarke who are a mother-daughter duo. Both of their unique perspectives inform the way they run this production and we could not ask for a better, smarter and more caring leadership team. This idea of multiple generations of women telling a story together is woven into every aspect of how the show gets made.
How meaningful was it to film with a major American cast while still being able to work in your home province?
I loved it. So much about my life changed when I started working on this series that it was nice to feel at home in Toronto and in Ontario. I sometimes wish I had more time to show my American castmates around the city, but we were always working too hard to be tourists. If we were hanging out between shoot days we were ordering takeout and spending time at our showrunner’s house having family dinners.
The series won the Audience Choice Award at the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards. What did that moment mean to you and to everyone involved?
That was so exciting. Even though the show is technically an American production almost the entire cast and crew of artists who make The Way Home are Canadian. Plus it is set in New Brunswick. We don’t even pretend that we’re in a fake American town. It was so cool to see the fans come together and vote for this story and celebrate the work of all the talented Canadian artists who bring it to life. Winning an award decided on by a panel is incredible, but to know that this award was decided on by people who have actually watched and loved every minute of the series is extra meaningful. They practically ran the campaign themselves. It was amazing.
Outside of acting, what are some of your hobbies or favourite things to do when you have downtime?
I love to cook. I love to sing. I love to go to the theatre. I love pilates. I love my dog Mister. I love thrifting. I love reading. And I have always loved doing arts and crafts.
What is your favourite movie, your favourite artist and the best concert you’ve ever been to?
Wow this is a hard question. Favourite movie? Maybe the original West Side Story. I also really loved Sinners if we’re talking about this year. My favorite artist is SZA or Whitney Houston. My favourite concert is also SZA. I went to her SOS tour with my sister and it was the best concert I’ve ever seen.
Since this is for our Jan Feb issue, what is one New Year’s resolution you have for 2026?
My new year’s resolution is to have a well rounded year. Because I love what I do so much, my job can take up a lot of space in my life. But life is about a lot of different things, so I want to work hard, but always maintain perspective.
Now that the series has wrapped, what’s next for you? Are there projects or goals you’re excited to explore?
Both The Way Home and Unicorn Academy will be releasing new episodes this year so I am excited to share both projects with the world. And that’s all I can tease for now. If anyone wants to follow along for more updates you can find me at IG: @sadie_snow or TT and X: @sadielsnow.
When you come back to Ottawa, what spots or restaurants do you always try to visit?
I want to shout out the girls at Dreamland Cafe. My friends Coco and Marlo own it and they have created such a cool spot for the city. The space is beautiful, the food is delicious and I am just so happy for them. I also love Miam Miam General store for vintage and Taj Indian Cuisine for takeout.
Finally, what is your best advice for aspiring actors who want to build a career in this industry?
Be the kind of person that people want to work with. You of course have to focus on being amazing at your craft, but don’t forget to be intentional about how you make people feel when you work together. Notice the things that your mentors do that make them a pleasure to work with and remember that being a generous collaborator is part of the skillset that makes you a working artist.
