Saskatoon-born Hollywood actor Kim Coates will receive an honorary degree from the University of Saskatchewan at this year’s spring convocation.
Coates received his bachelor of arts from the U of S in 1981 after graduating from the drama department. His alma mater will present him with an honorary doctor of letters on June 6.
“I have great memories of my time at the U of S and I am so proud to be from Saskatoon and from our great province,” Coates said in a media release. “The time that I spent at the university opened up a whole new world of opportunity for me. I am always excited to come home—and to come home for this kind of an honour, from our beautiful university, is so exciting and I am so grateful.”
Since graduating from the U of S the 59-year-old has seen success in theatre , television and film. He began his career by acting in more than 50 plays across North America, including the title role in Macbeth at the Stratford Theatre and the Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire. He also appeared in more than 100 movies and television series including Black Hawk Down, Pearl Harbor and the popular hit TV series Sons of Anarchy. Coates is actively involved in numerous charitable organizations. U of S president Peter Stoicheff said the university is proud to call Coates one of their own.
“We are extremely proud to honour Kim Coates, not only for his success on stage and screen, but also for his tireless work with a multitude of charities and his ongoing support for our university,” U of S President Peter Stoicheff said in a media release. “While he has gone on to shine in the bright lights of Hollywood, he has never forgotten his Prairie roots and his love of community.”
Coates will be the first of six people awarded with an honorary degree at this year’s U of S spring convocation.
