Born in Edmonton, Alberta and of Norwegian descent,[1] Hagyard's interest in acting began when she was enrolled in a modeling class with her mother. She modeled for two years and then had a secretarial position in the New York offices of Playboy.[1] She returned to Ottawa, Ontario, and studied drama at St. Patrick's College (now Carleton University) for 3 years.[1][2] She began her work in entertainment as a high-fashion model on Miami Beach and actress.[3] In the early 1980s, she toured the eastern seaboard performing in small venues,[2] and then began hosting the CBC television show Scene from Here,[1] while continuing to perform sketch comedy.[4]
Career
Referred to by the Ottawa Citizen as "one of our town's best and busiest actresses",[5] Starring roles in dinner theater productions led to a one-woman show and an invitation to host her own entertainment series on CBC.[citation needed] In 1982, Hagyard joined the cast of You Can't Do That on Television as one of only two adult actors along with Les Lye,[6] and both were mainstays on the program among its rotating juvenile cast until its end in 1990.[7]