Babz Chula

Barbara Ellen Zuckerman was born in Springfield, Massachusetts but spent her early childhood in the working-class neighbourhood of Jamaica, Queens County, New York City. Her widowed mother, Abby Zuckerman, a booking agent for Leonard Bernstein, moved her with two young children, first to Hawaii and then to California, to pursue work in the entertainment field after Chula's father, Larry Zuckerman, an auto mechanic and stock-car racer, was killed in a car race.^[3]

Growing up in Los Angeles, where her mother eventually remarried, young Barbara won a scholarship to the California Institute of the Arts and returned to New York after graduation to perform as a folk singer. In 1971, she and her first husband, Phillip Ciulla, relocated to Slocan Valley in British Columbia^[4] before moving to Vancouver, where she resumed her acting and singing career as Babz Chula, under the respelled phonetic pronunciation of Ciulla.^[5] Her first major supporting role was in Sandy Wilson's award-winning film My American Cousin.

Chula was married to Larry Lynn. After her death on May 7, 2010, at the age of 63,^[4] Lynn was ordained a Catholic priest.^[6]

The 2013 National Film Board of Canada documentary Chi^[7] follows Chula to Kerala, India in 2010, where she travels in an effort to treat her 6-year battle with cancer. Directed by Anne Wheeler, the documentary follows Chula's battle with cancer until the end, detailing Chula and her family members' struggle to come to terms with her death, while celebrating her life and accomplishments.^[8][9]

• 2002: Croon as Liz
• 2000: Becoming Dick as Waitress
• 2000: Wednesday Woman as Andrea Glissner
• 1999: Sweetwater as Rita
• 1997: Jitters as Mrs. Hoffman
• 1997: Intensity as Mrs. John Q. (Citizen)
• 1997: Seduction in a Small Town as Jesse Pence
• 1997: Echo as Caseworker
• 1996: For Hope as Doctor
• 1994: Roommates as Norma
• 1994: My Name is Kate as Nora
• 1993: Without a Kiss Goodbye as Unknown
• 1993: Double, Double, Toil and Trouble as Madame Lulu
• 1993: When a Stranger Calls Back as Agent
• 1986: Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry as Frieda

• 1991: The Commish – 6 episodes
• 1993–1996: Madison – 8 episodes
• 1998: Police Academy – 1 episode
• 2000–2003: Cold Squad – 1 episode
• 1999–2001 These Arms of Mine – 5 episodes
• 2002: Bliss – 1 episode
• 2002: John Doe – 1 episode
• 2004: The L Word – 1 episode
• 2004: The Days – 3 episodes
• 2007: Final 24 – 1 episode

• Captain N: The Game Master
• Madeline
• Captain Zed and the Zee Zone
• Legend of the Hawaiian Slammers
• G.I. Joe
• Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars
• Yvon of the Yukon
• Camp Candy
• Toon of the Month
• Little Witch
• Action Man
• Christopher the Christmas Tree
• Littlest Pet Shop
• Funky Fables
• Super Trolls

• 2009: Leo Award Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Feature Length Drama
• 2008: Sam Payne Award
• 2006: Leo Award for Individual Outstanding Achievement
• 2002: Best supporting Actress New York Independent Film Festival (Bitten)
• 2001: Gemini Award for Best Actress in a Dramatic Series
• 1999/2002: Leo Awards Nomination "Best Performance by a Female/Picture"^{[citation needed]}
• 1996: Leo Award Winner "Best Actress"^{[citation needed]}
• 1996: Woman of the Year by Woman in Film and Video^[15]
• 1995–1996: Jessie Award Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
• 1992–1993: Jessie Award Outstanding Ensemble Cast