Sheila McCarthy with her 2007 Subaru Outback near her home in Stratford, Ont.Dave Chidley
She's an award-winning actress who shines on screen and on stage.
Sheila McCarthy has a long list of credits, which includes two Genie awards for the films I've Heard the Mermaids Singing and The Lotus Eaters as well as two Geminis for her roles in the TV shows Emily of New Moon and Sesame Park. These days, she plays Sarah Hamondi on CBC's Little Mosque on the Prairie.
On set, she plays a convert to Islam who is easy-going, fun-loving and free-spirited. But off set, when it comes to her wheels, McCarthy prefers a practical, safe and reliable ride. That's why she drives a 2007 Subaru Outback.
"Safety is the best feature. I live in my car, driving between Toronto and Stratford numerous times a week; it's just so dependable. It has never given me a moment's trouble.
"It has the same sort of safety feeling that I had with my Volvos," says McCarthy.
"I had been driving Volvos, which I love, but I live in Stratford and I was weary about making the trek all the way to Kitchener to have it serviced. It was a whole day.
"Friends of ours drive Subarus and they just love them so I went and test drove one and fell in love with it.
"It simplified my life so much. I get service in Stratford. They give me a loaner - it takes 45 minutes as opposed to three-four hours. I've fallen in love with Subaru."
But her Outback could use a few extra goodies. "I'd add heated seats in the back for my kids so they don't fight over sitting in the front seat." She and her husband, actor Peter Donaldson, have two kids.
"I wish it looked like a Mercedes-Benz, but it's a practical car," says the 54-year-old actress, who has appeared in the films Being Julia, Confessions of A Teenage Drama Queen, The Day After Tomorrow and Die Hard 2: Die Harder .
When it comes to the mechanical side of her Outback, she's clueless. "Dear God, I know how to put washer fluid in it and that's about it! It's not my milieu - it starts and it stops. That's all I care about," she laughs wholeheartedly.
"It says I'm interested in staying alive. I drive the kids everywhere and safety is paramount for me, rather than being in a sexy, hot little sports car," she says before adding, "I must say I dream about that sometimes - having the roof down and a scarf, but safety comes first.
"I'd love to move into the hybrids but so far Subaru hasn't embraced that, but they are green in so many other ways so that's good."
At least, her Subaru is green on the outside. "It's a lovely sage green colour so I had to buy a whole new wardrobe for my Subaru.
"I dress to match my car. I'm not kidding about that; I've had to buy new clothes to match my car! I'm interchanging the browns and the taupes. I guess that's about as shallow as you can get." But for her photo shoot, she reverted to wearing basic black.
When it comes to her driving record: "I've never had an accident that was my fault," she laughs.
"I had an accident once in a car. This woman smashed into me and I didn't realize I was in shock. She said, 'Are you alright?' And I put my hand up and said, 'Yes, I'm fine. I'm a dancer.' As I said that, I thought I'm in complete shock!"
She has had other "accidents" on the road. "Getting stuck in traffic and actually having to pee in my Starbucks coffee cup! Seriously - oh my God! I pulled over and I couldn't get out of the car so I went. It's a good technique."
McCarthy bought her first car - a Volvo - for $2,000 at 16. "It was 1973 and I bought a 1962 old, red, round Volvo with a gear shift, but I couldn't drive gear shift. Learning to drive a stick was a nightmare!"
That wasn't the only problem. "The engine seized on it in the first six months.
"Nobody ever told me you had to put oil in the car - I didn't know that. I learned the hard way. I didn't put oil in the car and seized the engine."
And that's not all. "I found out later they had illegally dialled the mileage way back.
"But she was so pretty and her name was Roberta. I drove her across Canada and to California. Then one day I forgot to yield and that was the end of Roberta. She was a simple, old Volvo - very beautiful."
McCarthy also owned a LeMans with an eight-track player. "It was ridiculously big and it had holes in the floor! It was like a Flintstones car so when you drove you could see the ground beneath your feet. You had to climb out the window to get out of the car," she laughs.
"I literally drove it to the graveyard of cars and I managed to get $45 bucks for it - probably for the eight-track."
On the road, she listens to CBC Radio, Zoomer Radio, and books on tape. "That's a little tricky because I get a little sleepy when someone is reading to me like a story at night," she laughs.
McCarthy is due for a new car. "I love the idea of getting a new car every two years. "I'm going to look at another Subaru, but something a little flashier, a little sportier next time.
"I love the Jetta, Golf, Audi - that's when I get really snobby. I am relocating to Toronto after the summer. I'll do less travelling so I'll need to drive a posher car - it's so shallow," says McCarthy.
"I'd love a beautiful, old refurbished Mercedes. But it has got to be an old one - the new ones look generic."
pgentile@globeandmail.com