Entertainment Weekly - February 24 - March 3, 2017

88 EW.COM FEBRUARY 24/MARCH 3, 2017

RÉSUMÉ REVIEW

FILM

2008–PRESENT

THE YOUNG VICTORIA(2009)

Played Victoria’s favorite companion, Dash, in

the biopic directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, written

by Julian Fellowes, and starring Emily Blunt.

THE DUCHESS(2008)

Appeared as the most adorable extra in the 18th-

century costume drama featuring Keira Knightley,

Ralph Fiennes, and Dominic Cooper.

Tori, a 10-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, has played

Queen Victoria’s beloved pooch Dash twice already:

once in the biopicThe Young Victoria and then again on

PBS Masterpiece’sVictoria (Sundays, 9 p.m.). As the winner

of two Fido awards—the Oscars for canines—

she’s practically royalty herself. Here’s how Tori became

Hollywood’s top dog.—Shirley Li

Fido award for Best in World,

The Young Victoria (20 0 9)

Fido award for Best Historical Hound,

The Young Victoria (20 0 9)

AWARDS

Because Cavalier King

Charles spaniels had

been a popular pick for

royals, Tori often got

cast in period dramas.

And thanks to her

drive for food rewards—

”She was a greedy

dog from day one,”

explains Tori’s trainer,

Sonia Turner—she’s

a quick study.

“When Tori would walk

on the set to do her

little part, Emily would

quite often say, ‘Oh,

here she is, the star of

the show,’ ” Turner

recalls with a laugh.

According to Turner,

Tori was “delighted” to

revisit Dash again.

Maybe because her

pre-film pampering

bathing, grooming,

and blow-drying

took about three hours

every day.

TORI THE DOG

Tori’s most dramatic role

required her to be dog-

napped and dumped

into a river, but Turner

confirms the scene was

done with a stuffed toy.

“She had no context

for what was going on

other than the fact that

she’d earn sausage”

at the end of her take.

EXPERIENCE

Expert at playing dead, barking on command,

hitting her marks.

Willing and able to learn new commands.

(Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?)

SKILLS

No, Tori was never

actually heaved in the

air. “We made sure

Matthew was holding

her up at arm’s length

and not throwing

her,” Turner says. “He

was lovely with her.

He said, ‘I don’t want

to frighten her.’ ”

ON SET

PETS

TELEVISION

2014–PRESENT

VICTORIA(2017)

Reprised her role as the queen’s best dog on

the series starring Jenna Coleman as Victoria and

Tom Hughes as Prince A lbert.

TO WALK INVISIBLE(2016)

As Flossie, accompanied the Brontë sisters in BBC

One’sfilmabouttheir struggle to get published.

DICKENSIAN(2015)

Played Jip, Miss Havisham’s (Tuppence Middleton)

loyal pooch who suffered a devastating doggie

death, on a BBC One drama that brought together

characters from Charles Dickens’ novels.

PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS:

THE DOG THROWER(2014)

Starred in this off beat Sky Arts comedy special about

an expat in London (Matthew Perry) who harm-

lessly tosses his pup into the air to amuse the locals.

TORI,

VICTORIA

: ITV PLC/MASTERPIECE (3);

THE YOUNG VICTORIA

: MOMENTUM PICTURES/EVERETT COLLECTION