Sep 10, 2021
The eldest of eight siblings, Catherine was born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Her parents are William Earl Gourdier and Mary Wanita (Neta) Tuepah. She moved to the ‘big city’ of Toronto at eighteen years old to attend Seneca College. After taking their Cosmetics Technique and Management course, she became a certified esthetician and cosmetician. Two years later, bored with filing nails and waxing women’s body parts she enrolled at Humber College to study Sales Management and Marketing. For sixteen years Catherine enjoyed a successful career as an independent sales agent under her company name, Ladyhawke Ventures Inc.
In 1991, an unexpected event finally led her to follow her dream of working in the film and television industry. Initially her jobs were in front of the camera; background extra, actress and stand- in. Within eighteen months she found out her strength (and regular income!) would be in the detail-oriented job of the second assistant director. A full list of the productions she worked on can be found on IMDB. Her two favorite gigs were as the Rehearsal Manager/A.D. for the musical Chicago and producing and writing the screenplay for a low budget film entitled, Some Things That Stay, based on the book by Sarah Willis.