Before They Were Stars: Mia Kirshner on “My Secret Identity”

Big thanks to The Mike for mentioning in his “Celebrity Birthday of the Day” that Mia Kirshner appeared on one of my favourite childhood shows, My Secret Identity, which instantly made me want to go out and find some footage. Turns out the entire episode is posted on Youtube! If you’re too young to remember My Secret Identity, it was a Canadian TV show that starred Jerry O’Donnell as a teenager named Andrew who winds up getting zapped by a photon beam created by his mad scientist neighbour, Dr. Jeffcoat. This gives Andrew superpowers, so he decides to call himself Ultraman and rid the world of evil. However, superpowers don’t seem to play much of a role in this particular episode, titled “My Other Secret Identity”, as Andrew disguises himself as a female in order to get a role in a movie starring a girl he likes (played by 16-year old Mia Kirshner in one of her very first roles). It isn’t long before Dr. Jeffcoat is also dressing in drag and pretending to be Andrew’s mother and wacky hilarity ensues!