As Judith Bellow in 18 to Life
Meant to Be"Whatever I choose is going to help me grow as an artist, challenge me, put me outside my comfort zone."
by Barbara Ford
After interviewing Ellen David, I mourned the lack of foresight on my part for not having taken shorthand in high school (yes it was an option in my day), as I tried desperately to keep up with the rapid-fire litany of people, places and events that skipped generations and jumped continents, each story laden with meaning and purpose, exerting its own magnetic push or pull. Colourful threads wove in and out of a rich and vibrant life, each indelible experience shaping her spirit, her natural inquisitiveness and passion drawing significance from every encounter. As one door closed and another opened, her life assumed a preternatural charm, which is not to say it hasn’t been tinged with tragedy, but even the lows seemed infused with a trace of the mystic, enriching her as a person and moulding an artist of keen sensibility.
Her earliest memories of performing were with her father, whom she adored, when the family hopped in the Buick and “went visiting” on the weekends. The father/daughter pair, famous with friends and family for their rendition of Louis Armstrong’s “When You’re Smiling”, re-enacted scenes from their favourite movies and musicals for their captive audiences. Between studies and cheerleading at Wagar High School sporting events, David also participated in several school productions, sometimes playing multiple parts and often her favourite: character roles.
