From a New York Times obit by Ian Austen headlined “Gordon Pinsent, Actor Known for Playing Twinkle-Eyed Rogues, Dies at 92”:

It took a spell as a private in the Canadian Army and years bouncing between odd jobs, including berry picker, sign painter, meter reader and ballroom dance instructor, before Gordon Pinsent finally achieved his childhood dream of becoming an actor. But his work experience left him completely unprepared for playing the male lead in “Years Ago,” an autobiographical play by Ruth Gordon. Before his first performance, on a stage in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Mr. Pinsent needed to study the techniques of other cast members in the dressing room to figure out how to put on his own makeup.