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 doesn鈥檛 like co-stars or crew near her while she prepares for her scenes.
The 24-year-old also gives 鈥渟tink eye鈥� to anyone onset who talks to her manager, Mark Dumas, except for his wife, Dawn, the only other person Agee will tolerate while working.
鈥淚 have a wife and a mistress,鈥� says Dumas, referring to Dawn and Agee.
鈥淢y mistress is 800 pounds, blond and cranky.鈥�
Agee鈥檚 behaviour is understandable. After all, she is an apex predator 鈥� 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 鈥淎rctic,鈥� directed by Joe Penna.
Opening Friday in Toronto and other cities in subsequent weeks, 鈥淎rctic鈥� 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 鈥渙ne of the best movies ever made about survival.鈥� ().
鈥� Arctic Movie (@ArcticMov)
From director Joe Penna () and starring 鈥� 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.
鈥淲hich is a shame,鈥� says Dumas, who feels viewers are missing out on seeing 鈥渢he majesty of such an incredible animal.鈥�
鈥淐GI, to me, is a cartoon. The animals don鈥檛 look as real.鈥�
In 鈥淎rctic,鈥� Agee appears in a scene involving a cave and, while she looks ferocious, it鈥檚 all an act.
鈥淪he鈥檚 trained to open her mouth and show her teeth. She doesn鈥檛 make any noise,鈥� 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.
鈥淪he鈥檚 very selective on who she likes and who she doesn鈥檛 like,鈥� says Dumas, noting no one is allowed into her working space that鈥檚 surrounded by a thin electric wire fence onset.
鈥淲hen I go away, she is a little upset and when I come back she鈥檒l actually blow me off. If Dawn鈥檚 there she鈥檒l go over and say hi to Dawn, love up to Dawn and then look at me like, 鈥榊ou鈥檝e been gone.鈥欌��
Agee shot her 鈥淎rctic鈥� role about a year ago in a warehouse in Abbotsford.
Her other credits include the 2014 Norwegian children鈥檚 drama 鈥淥peration Arctic鈥� and 1996鈥檚 鈥淎laska鈥� 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 鈥淎laska鈥� 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.
鈥淚 make a commitment to these animals,鈥� says Dumas, who has had various creatures on his four-hectare property over the years, including a grizzly bear, cougars, deer, wolves and eagles.
鈥淭hey work for me and then I work for them. You just don鈥檛 work 鈥榚m and throw 鈥榚m away. You鈥檙e with them or they鈥檙e with you for the rest of their lives.鈥�
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.
She鈥檚 never been bred, and enjoys a diet of everything from chicken and salmon to pizza and Thai food.
Agee views Dawn like a 鈥渟ister鈥� and is so close to Dumas, he鈥檚 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 shouldn鈥檛 be in captivity, Dumas said: 鈥淚f you saw the relationship I have with Agee, you鈥檇 be a fool to say that she is having a hard life. She really has it nice.鈥�
鈥淚f Agee were ill treated, I wouldn鈥檛 be able to lay down with her, swim with her and train her,鈥� he added.
鈥淲hen I pull her trailer in front of her cage, she gets excited. It鈥檚 something that she likes to do. That happens because she is treated with a lot of respect.鈥�
Dumas was born in Los Angeles and says he 鈥渇ell into鈥� animal training while working on the lion ranch of an acquaintance鈥檚 father.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lifestyle,鈥� said Dumas, adding he鈥檚 not in it for the money. 鈥滻f I figured out what I鈥檝e made throughout my life, I鈥檝e probably averaged about five cents an hour.
鈥淵ou raise the animal from a baby, you spend a lot of time with it and no one鈥檚 paying you to do it, you just do it. And it鈥檚 a love you have.鈥�
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Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press
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