Canadian film star Agee is a bit of a diva at work.
She travels to movie sets in a 12-metre-long trailer that has a wading pool on hot days, and doesnsa国际传媒檛 like co-stars or crew near her while she prepares for her scenes.
The 24-year-old also gives sa国际传媒渟tink eyesa国际传媒� to anyone onset who talks to her manager, Mark Dumas, except for his wife, Dawn, the only other person Agee will tolerate while working.
sa国际传媒淚 have a wife and a mistress,sa国际传媒� says Dumas, referring to Dawn and Agee.
sa国际传媒淢y mistress is 800 pounds, blond and cranky.sa国际传媒�
Ageesa国际传媒檚 behaviour is understandable. After all, she is an apex predator sa国际传媒� a polar bear, to be exact.
The Abbotsford, B.C.-based bear has starred in a variety of screen projects, the latest being the survival drama sa国际传媒淎rctic,sa国际传媒� directed by Joe Penna.
Opening Friday in Toronto and other cities in subsequent weeks, sa国际传媒淎rcticsa国际传媒� stars Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen as the sole survivor of a plane crash in a remote and snowy area of the frigid North.
VOLUME UP to watch the official trailer for sa国际传媒渙ne of the best movies ever made about survival.sa国际传媒� ().
sa国际传媒� Arctic Movie (@ArcticMov)
From director Joe Penna () and starring sa国际传媒� is coming to US theaters this February.
But work for Agee and other animals is slowing down in the film world as CGI takes over.
sa国际传媒淲hich is a shame,sa国际传媒� says Dumas, who feels viewers are missing out on seeing sa国际传媒渢he majesty of such an incredible animal.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淐GI, to me, is a cartoon. The animals donsa国际传媒檛 look as real.sa国际传媒�
In sa国际传媒淎rctic,sa国际传媒� Agee appears in a scene involving a cave and, while she looks ferocious, itsa国际传媒檚 all an act.
sa国际传媒淪hesa国际传媒檚 trained to open her mouth and show her teeth. She doesnsa国际传媒檛 make any noise,sa国际传媒� says Dumas, noting her roar in the film was added in post-production.
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She does have sass behind the scenes, though.
sa国际传媒淪hesa国际传媒檚 very selective on who she likes and who she doesnsa国际传媒檛 like,sa国际传媒� says Dumas, noting no one is allowed into her working space thatsa国际传媒檚 surrounded by a thin electric wire fence onset.
sa国际传媒淲hen I go away, she is a little upset and when I come back shesa国际传媒檒l actually blow me off. If Dawnsa国际传媒檚 there shesa国际传媒檒l go over and say hi to Dawn, love up to Dawn and then look at me like, sa国际传媒榊ousa国际传媒檝e been gone.sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒�
Agee shot her sa国际传媒淎rcticsa国际传媒� role about a year ago in a warehouse in Abbotsford.
Her other credits include the 2014 Norwegian childrensa国际传媒檚 drama sa国际传媒淥peration Arcticsa国际传媒� and 1996sa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淎laskasa国际传媒� with Charlton Heston, which was her first movie. She also has her own Facebook page, Agee the Polar Bear.
Dumas, who has been an animal co-ordinator and trainer for 47 years, got Agee specifically for sa国际传媒淎laskasa国际传媒� when she was two months old from the Kolmarden Wildlife Park zoo in Sweden in 1995.
He trained her through positive reinforcement, with the primary goal of making her a part of the family.
sa国际传媒淚 make a commitment to these animals,sa国际传媒� says Dumas, who has had various creatures on his four-hectare property over the years, including a grizzly bear, cougars, deer, wolves and eagles.
sa国际传媒淭hey work for me and then I work for them. You just donsa国际传媒檛 work sa国际传媒榚m and throw sa国际传媒榚m away. Yousa国际传媒檙e with them or theysa国际传媒檙e with you for the rest of their lives.sa国际传媒�
Agee has her own swimming pool and pen on the Dumas property, with the option to roam around on the grass as she sees fit.
Shesa国际传媒檚 never been bred, and enjoys a diet of everything from chicken and salmon to pizza and Thai food.
Agee views Dawn like a sa国际传媒渟istersa国际传媒� and is so close to Dumas, hesa国际传媒檚 been able to stick his head into her mouth. The couple also sometimes swims with Agee.
When asked what he has to say to animal rights groups who think such creatures shouldnsa国际传媒檛 be in captivity, Dumas said: sa国际传媒淚f you saw the relationship I have with Agee, yousa国际传媒檇 be a fool to say that she is having a hard life. She really has it nice.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淚f Agee were ill treated, I wouldnsa国际传媒檛 be able to lay down with her, swim with her and train her,sa国际传媒� he added.
sa国际传媒淲hen I pull her trailer in front of her cage, she gets excited. Itsa国际传媒檚 something that she likes to do. That happens because she is treated with a lot of respect.sa国际传媒�
Dumas was born in Los Angeles and says he sa国际传媒渇ell intosa国际传媒� animal training while working on the lion ranch of an acquaintancesa国际传媒檚 father.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a lifestyle,sa国际传媒� said Dumas, adding hesa国际传媒檚 not in it for the money. sa国际传媒滻f I figured out what Isa国际传媒檝e made throughout my life, Isa国际传媒檝e probably averaged about five cents an hour.
sa国际传媒淵ou raise the animal from a baby, you spend a lot of time with it and no onesa国际传媒檚 paying you to do it, you just do it. And itsa国际传媒檚 a love you have.sa国际传媒�
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Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press
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