He’s the ultimate Canadian character actor. Now Victor Garber is getting his flowers at an Ontario film festival: ‘It’s every emotion you can feel’

Even if people don’t know his name, they recognize actor Victor Garber.
Most know him from James Cameron’s “Titanic” as the doomed, dignified Irish ship designer who immediately understood that the boat he constructed was going to sink after it struck an iceberg.
Many recognize him as the suave, lecherous Harvard law professor who made inappropriate advances toward Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde.” Or as the jerk movie producer who dropped wife Goldie Hawn for a younger woman in “The First Wives Club.” Or as Tom Hanks’ brother-in-law in “Sleepless in Seattle.”
And for millions of others, he’s Jennifer Garner’s double spy father in the long-running network TV series “Alias.” 
“Honestly, what’s happening now as I’m reaching the near-end-date of my life, is I’m becoming aware of the cumulative effect of the things I’ve done,” Garber, 75, told the Star in an interview. “I’ve been lucky that a few of the things I’ve been in have really resonated with people.” 
He was in Toronto last week to help promote London, Ont.’s Forest City Film Festival, which kicks off Oct. 19 and is presenting him with its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at the end of the month.
“It’s overwhelming, embarrassing, gratifying,” said Garber about the honour in his hometown, where he began performing plays at the Grand Theatre at age nine.
“It’s every emotion you can feel. But the thing is, I’m not comfortable getting attention. Sure, I like to be appreciated. I’m not falsely modest. I know I’ve worked hard and I’m proud of what I’ve done. But in a way I feel like I don’t deserve this.”
The festival will screen three of his films: “Titanic,” “Legally Blonde” and “Godspell.” As devoted Garber fans know, there’s a Toronto connection to that last film. 
Back in 1972, he was part of the now legendary Toronto production of the Stephen Schwartz musical, which also featured future comedy superstars Gilda Radner, Andrea Martin, Martin Short and Eugene Levy and Paul Shaffer among others.
“There was no question in my mind that I was surrounded by people who were in a category all their own,” he said about the cast. “I had done some comic plays at that point, but I was definitely the straight man in that group. I think we all knew that this was something special.” 
A documentary about that staging is in the works, with Judd Apatow attached as a producer. Garber says there’s a plan for a winter reunion dinner in Los Angeles to be a part of the film. (Levy, Short and Shaffer will join a Zoom call for the Q&A preceding the festival’s “Godspell” screening.)
It was the actor’s charismatic turn as Jesus in “Godspell” that won him the part in the 1973 movie version and took him to New York for the filming. He had dreamed of living and working there ever since listening to his mother’s Broadway cast albums. His life changed when he saw the tour of “West Side Story” at Toronto’s O’Keefe Centre (now Meridian Hall) in 1961.
“I remember it felt like I held my breath through the entire first act,” said Garber. “I was seeing onstage what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I couldn’t dance like that, but I was a singer and an actor. I knew I had some talent. New York was always my goal.”
Once in New York, he soon got noticed and began appearing in plays and musicals, both off-Broadway and on, originating roles in the long-running “Deathtrap,” “Noises Off” and — most famously — “Sweeney Todd.” 
“I remember learning the song ‘Joanna,’ and thinking, ‘Oh, this is why I came to New York: to meet Stephen Sondheim and be in one of his shows.’ After everyone was cast, we all went to (director) Hal Prince’s house, and Steve came out and played the entire score, singing every song. That was unforgettable. Even though it was a difficult show and would get mixed reviews, we all knew it was a masterpiece.” 
Garber was working regularly in theatre, TV and film when he got the role in 1997’s “Titanic.” But he had no idea it would become such an enduring part of pop culture history.
“Nobody knew,” he said. “‘Waterworld’ hadn’t opened yet — I think we were still filming ‘Titanic’ when it opened. And I remember thinking, ‘Oh, this could be ‘Waterworld 2.’’”
But Garber says he always admired Cameron as a director and a visionary. 
“Some people have said he was volatile, but I didn’t experience any of that. It was all about being a perfectionist. I have nothing but unabashed admiration for him.” 
The actor, who’s gay and is married to Canadian artist and model Rainer Andreesen (they’ve been together since 2000), was told by an agent early on in his career that he couldn’t be a successful leading actor if he was out. 
“That was a chilling thing to hear from a very smart guy,” said Garber. “And the thing is, after I played (gay entertainer) Liberace in a TV movie, I didn’t work in TV for years — until J.J. Abrams cast me in ‘Alias.’” 
These days, however, he’s celebrated as a queer elder. In the satiric, campy “Titanique,” which is coming to town in December as part of the off-Mirvish season, there’s even a character named after him. Garber loved the show when he saw it off-Broadway.
In the past couple of decades, he’s been involved in any number of queer-themed film and TV projects, including “Milk,” the “Tales of the City” reboot and “The Happiest Season” — the latter co-starring his friend Eugene Levy’s son, Dan. He even voiced the character of Smithers’ boyfriend in an episode of “The Simpsons.” 
“What’s more important than creating laughter and light, expanding people’s concepts and fighting prejudice?” he said. “Of course I do these projects because they’re worth doing. Every day we have the opportunity to move the world in the right direction. And if we don’t seize that opportunity, we’re failing.”
The Forest City Film Festival runs Oct. 19 to 27, with Q&As and a special “Godspell” brunch with Garber Oct. 25 to 27.