ONCE A THIEF is a
Canadian TV series (filmed in
Toronto). It's based on the movie/pilot,
John Woo's Once A Thief (
Violent Traditions in
European distribution), that aired in
September 1996 on Fox.
Fox chose not to pick it up as a series, so it was syndicated by
Alliance.
CAST
Sandrine Holt – Li Ann Tsei
Twenty-six year old Sandrine Holt is Li Ann Tsei. Like Mac, Li Ann was adopted by the Godfather of the Hong Kong mafia. She was raised as Mac's sister, but ended up his lover - for awhile, anyway. Thinking Mac was dead, she became engaged to Victor. When Mac reappears, Li Ann is torn between the two men.
Ivan Sergei – Mac Ramsey
Twenty-five-year-old Ivan Sergei is Mac Ramsey. Mac is a streetwise, reckless young man with an attitude. Abandoned by his real parents, he was adopted by the family in charge of the Hong Kong mafia, the Tangs, and raised to be an art thief.
Nicholas Lea – Victor Mansfield
Thirty-five-year-old Nick Lea is Victor Mansfield. Vic was a police officer, but grew impatient with the red tape and corruption, leading him to seek less orthodox methods of fighting crime. He ends up partnered with reformed thieves Mac and Li Ann, working for the Director.
Nick Lea is actually the main reason in itself for watching OAT.
Jennifer Dale – The Director
Forty-two-year-old Jennifer Dale plays The Director, Mac's, Li Ann's, and Victor's "twisted leather freak" of a boss. (Jennifer Dale's sister Cynthia is also an actor. Cynthia Dale starred in a series called Taking the Falls; Nick Lea played her boyfriend in one episode. And Jennifer also guest-stared on Taking the Falls - as Cynthia's sister!)
One episode called The Director Files is a direct parody of The X-files, and trust me... its funny.