Sleepy Hollow actor Lyndie Greenwood

It’s not uncommon to hear that actors have been longing for the limelight since a young age. Not the case for Canadian actor Lyndie Greenwood. For her, it took nearly going down a decidedly less glamourous career path for her to realize something was miss

Iwas at the University of Toronto studying biology, when I realized that I didn’t actually want to be a biologist,” actor Lyndie Greenwood says matter-of-factly in response to the question of how she got her start in the industry. “Then I started taking classes, going to auditions and getting lots and lots of rejections,” she concedes. “Finally, I landed a role,” Greenwood explains. The Sleepy Hollow actress scored her first big onscreen credit in the movie Pinkville, which led to guest roles in many well-known shows, including The Listener, Saving Hope, Rookie Blue, Flashpoint and Being Erica, all shot in her hometown of Toronto.

Much like her shift from biology to acting, Greenwood’s sport preferences shifted over the years. Involved in martial arts for much of her youth, she took up running as an adult.

“When I stopped doing martial arts, I needed another outlet, but I don’t think I realized that at the time. I started partying a lot and I think running has helped me off of that path,” Greenwood says. “But perhaps most importantly, it’s been so good for my mental health.”

Breaking into American telev ision meant Greenwood had to take the risk and move south. She now lives in Georgia, where Sleepy Hollow is filmed. Shooting days usually require Greenwood to be on set for between 12–14 hours. Non-filming days are when she hits the trails with Mogli, an Australian shepherd and Labrador mix, for a 5–7k run.

When she’s in the Toronto area, Greenwood favours the Don Valley for her runs. “I don’t think most of us get enough time outside anymore,” Greenwood says, “and I’m always grateful to my runs for making me get outdoors.”

Greenwood is candid about bodily pressures the film industry can place on women. “I think we’re in a time when more and more body types are starting to be accepted; people are smartening up a bit. But I’d be lying if I said the pressure to look good wasn’t there, and for many people, the definition of good still includes being quite lean. I feel comfortable eating, I don’t starve myself and I run because I love it.”— CF