Alex Lifeson

Acting

Alex Lifeson

Born 1953-08-27 · Fernie, British Columbia, Canada

Best known as the broadly-skilled guitarist for the rock group Rush, which also features drummer Neil Peart and bassist Geddy Lee. Rush is the most successful Canadian music group in history, and is the third most prolific seller of consecutive (American) Gold and Platinum Records and videos, behind only the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Lifeson's ability to pull double-duty as both a melodic rhythm-guitar player and a searing soloist has earned him a reputation similar to that of his bandmates. All three share the distinction of being among the most highly influential virtuosos in their crafts. Alex has a passion for studio production, and is the only member of Rush to compose and produce a television theme (Andromeda (2000)). But his live performances are where his spontaneous side really shows. During live performances, Alex deftly switches from rhythm guitar to soloing, while simultaneously triggering his own pre-recorded accompaniments. Being the soul of spontaneity in the band, Alex is the member of Rush who most frequently contributes comedy to the show. This side of Alex can be seen during the performances of "La Villa Strangiato" on two of Rush's concert videos, Rush in Rio (2003) and Rush: A Show of Hands (1989), and to an even greater degree on the documentary "The Boys In Brazil" (2003), part of the bonus material included with Rush in Rio (2003). Alex's prowess can be heard on a few non-Rush recordings, primarily his solo album, entitled simply "Victor" (1996), and the soundtrack album for South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999). After their longest break from recording and touring, a highly successful 2002 tour brought Rush back to the United States, Canada, and Mexico, to the great anticipation of fans. Rush ended their 2002 tour with their first-ever shows in Brazil, where they played to 125,000 fans in three nights. The final performance of the 2002 tour was captured on DVD as Rush in Rio (2003), which was certified double-platinum within weeks of its release. Alex has fostered several younger groups, such as The Dexters, who he often guests with during their live performances at The Orbit Room, a Toronto club that Alex owns in part.

Acting credits

I Love You, Man poster
6.6

Peter Klaven is a successful real estate agent who, upon getting engaged to the woman of his dreams, Zooey, discovers, to his dismay and chagrin, that he has no male friend close enough to serve as his Best Man. Peter immediately sets out to rectify the situation, embarking on a series of bizarre and awkward "man-dates."

I Love You, Man

2009

Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert poster
7.9

An all-star global music event live from London's Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert featuring the biggest names in music joining together in celebration of the life, music and love of Taylor Hawkins, one of modern music’s most beloved figures.

Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert

2022

Suck poster
6.1

The film follows a petty rock band called the Winners, consisting of vocalist Joey Winner, bassist Jennifer, guitarist Tyler, drummer Sam, and French-Canadian roadie Hugo, along with their sleazy manager Jeff, as they tour across Canada and the USA after Jennifer is turned into a vampire by Queeny. Meanwhile, a vampire hunter who is afraid of the dark named Eddie Van Helsing quickly chases them down.

Suck

2009

Ecstasy poster
4.9

A small-time drug smuggler from Scotland, is trying to figure out his way through life until he meets a beautiful girl from Canada, who seeks a change after a bad relationship she just got out of.

Ecstasy

2011

South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert poster
8.1

Trey Parker and Matt Stone celebrate South Park's 25th anniversary with a concert in Colorado, featuring Primus and Ween.

South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert

2022

Rush: R40 Live poster
8.1

Rush recorded and filmed R40 Live over two sold-out shows in the band’s hometown of Toronto at the Air Canada Centre on June 17 & 19, 2015 in the middle of their R40 Live 35-date North American tour. R40 Live had the trio of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart, performing a career-spanning live retrospective, celebrating their 40+ years together. The epic live shows by the Rock Hall of Famers were captured with 14 cameras to present the band feature-film style.

Rush: R40 Live

2015

Rush: Cinema Strangiato - R40+ Director's Cut poster
7.0

Following the success of Rush: Cinema Strangiato - Director's Cut in movie theaters worldwide, Anthem Entertainment and Trafalgar Releasing give Rush fans around the world the opportunity to experience it again – this time from the comfort of home. In celebration 40 years of Moving Pictures, this global streaming release features the “director’s cut” of 2019's R40+ event that was just shown in cinemas, giving audiences a special look into R40 LIVE, with a setlist including this year’s new additions of bonus tracks "One Little Victory" and “Red Barchetta” as well as "Cygnus X-1 / “The Story So Far” featuring Neil's final recorded drum solo masterpiece.

Rush: Cinema Strangiato - R40+ Director's Cut

2021

The Breach poster
4.7

John Hawkins is set to retire from his post as police chief of the small town of Lone Crow, that is tucked away in the deep woods of northern Ontario. But following the discovery of a gruesome body with uncanny injuries, he’s pulled into an investigation to solve the horrifying mystery, which evades explanation.

The Breach

2022

Rush: R40 Completist DVD (Blu-Ray Edition) poster
10.0

The "Completist DVD" from the blu-ray edition of "Rush: R40" contains content originally found in the 2005 "R30" DVD release that was not included on the R30 Blu-Ray Edition. Part 1 - Interviews: 1979 Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton; 1981 Le Studio, Quebec; 1990 Artist of the Decade; 1994 Juno Hall of Fame Induction; 2002 Vapor Trails Tour Part 2: Rush Hits St. John's Part 3: Alex's Interview for Artist of the Decade. Part 4: The Anthem Vault - Anthem (Castle Session, 1975); Fly By Night (Castle Session, 1975); Finding My Way (mpeg1 from Rock Concert); In The Mood (mpeg1 from Rock Concert); Circumstances; La Villa Strangiato; A Farewell to Kings; Xanadu; The Spirit of Radio (Soundcheck, 1979 Ivor Wynne Stadium); Freewill (Toronto Rocks, 2003); Closer to the Heart (Canada For Asia, 2005) Part 5: Molson Amphitheatre, June 30, 1997 Toronto: Animate, Resist, Natural Science

Rush: R40 Completist DVD (Blu-Ray Edition)

2014

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage poster
7.5

An in-depth look at the Canadian rock band Rush, chronicling the band's musical evolution from their progressive rock sound of the '70s to their current heavy rock style.

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage

2010

Trailer Park Boys: The Movie poster
6.5

The boys get arrested for robbing an ATM machine and spend 18 months in jail, upon release they decide to pull off "The Big Dirty", a plan to steal a large amount of coins because they are untraceable and quit their life of crime forever.

Trailer Park Boys: The Movie

2006

Bachman poster
NR

Documentary follows the award-winning Canadian musician Randy Bachman as he creates his next hit song, featuring rarely seen footage, pictures and archived documents that had been stored in Ottawa for decades.

Bachman

2018

Rush: R30 poster
7.7

R30 captures the band's $21-million grossing, sell-out 30th Anniversary World Tour and was filmed with 14 hi-definition cameras in 16x9 widescreen format at the Festhalle, Frankfurt Germany on September 24, 2004. The set list spans the band's diverse 30-year career, and includes fan favorites "Xanadu," "The Spirit of Radio," "Working Man," "Tom Sawyer," "Subdivisions," "Earthshine," "2112," "Limelight," "Between the Wheels," which hasn't been performed live in 20 years as well as tracks from 2004's covers EP Feedback, including "Summertime Blues" and "Crossroads." Most of all eighteen studio albums are well represented through a non-stop energetic set of 22 electrifying songs.

Rush: R30

2005

Toronto Rocks poster
8.0

Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto was a benefit rock concert that was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 30, 2003. It was also known as "Toronto Rocks,""Stars 4 SARS," "SARSStock,","SARSfest," "SARS-a-palooza," the "SARS concert," or, more descriptively, "The Rolling Stones SARS Benefit Concert." Estimated to have between 450,000 and 500,000 people attending the concert, it is the largest outdoor ticketed event in Canadian history, and one of the largest in North American history.

Toronto Rocks

2003

Rush: Time Stand Still poster
8.2

This feature-length documentary film chronicles the final major tour for legendary rock band Rush. It is an intimate view 'under the hood' of a historic moment from the perspective of the band, their fans, crew, and management. Featuring interviews with the band throughout their sold-out 2015 40th Anniversary tour, the film also shows rarely seen backstage footage capturing the final moments of life on the road. Highlighted as well is the impact on the band's fans and the world that has been built around the beloved Canadian trio. This is the final touring chapter of a band that has meant so much to so many fans around the world. With narration by Paul Rudd. Feature run time: 1 hour 37 minutes; Bonus content: 67 minutes.

Rush: Time Stand Still

2016

Rush: Different Stages - Live poster
NR

Different Stages is a live album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1998. The bulk of the first and second discs were recorded at the World Music Theatre in Tinley Park, Illinois, during the 1997 Test for Echo tour.

Rush: Different Stages - Live

1998

Classic Albums: Rush - 2112 & Moving Pictures poster
5.6

2112 was the album that saw Rush break through to major chart success, going to No.1 in their native Canada and Top 75 in the USA where it would eventually be certified triple platinum. Moving Pictures opened them to a mass audience for the first time and remains the biggest selling album of their career. It also went to No.1 in Canada and went quadruple platinum there while hitting No.3 in both the UK and USA. Rush members Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart talk us through the making of the albums, together with original producer Terry Brown via interviews, demonstrations, archive videos and use of the original multi-track tapes.

Classic Albums: Rush - 2112 & Moving Pictures

2010

Rush: Retrospective 3 Video Collection poster
NR

The DVD component of the Rush: Retrospective 3 CD/DVD edition, gathering together the band's 10 stunning music videos produced during Rush's Atlantic years, including fan favorites such as "The Pass," "Roll The Bones," "Stick It Out," "Driven," and the Grammy Award-nominated "Malignant Narcissism." What's more, the collection includes a trio of live videos filmed in Frankfurt, Germany during Rush's 2004 "R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour," highlighted by a masterful performance of The Who's classic "The Seeker" (originally recorded by Rush for 2004's "Feedback"). As an added bonus, the band has included a rare televised performance of the classic "Tom Sawyer" and an on-camera interview featuring all three members on "The Colbert Report."

Rush: Retrospective 3 Video Collection

2009

The Boys in Brazil poster
7.5

Documentary included with the DVD Rush in Rio (2003). Provides an almost hour-long look at the band and its crew during the final dates of their 2002 Vapor Trails Tour, specifically their first-ever Brazilian shows in Porto Alegre, Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro. Behind the scenes footage shows the band weathering the rigors of a sometimes comically catastrophic tour, with their innate humor and grace. This documentary, by longtime Rush photographer Andrew MacNaughtan, shows the band and crew at their most light-hearted, though still thoughtful. We see the band's arrival in Brazil, to the unexpected onslaught of Brazillian fans boiled over in the culmination of a lifetime's anticipation. Following this are insights from the band and their crew, which provide a view into their longevity as well as ample evidence of the individual strengths and varied senses of humor that helped them achieve it.

The Boys in Brazil

2003

Jason Segel & Paul Rudd Meet Rush poster
6.2

Two Rush fans go backstage to meet the band in their dressing room. Once there, they start helping themselves to the refreshments for the band. Short film based on characters from the movie "I Love You, Man (2009)"

Jason Segel & Paul Rudd Meet Rush

2011

Primus - Horrible Swill poster
NR

A tawdry look at Primus on the road in 1998

Primus - Horrible Swill

1998

RUSH: Time Machine poster
7.4

Rush's Time Machine shows in 2010 / 2011 were one of the most anticipated tours ever. Celebrating 30 years since the 1981 release of their classic bestselling album Moving Pictures the band performed the entire album live for the first time as the centrepiece of the concerts. The shows also featured favourite tracks from across their lengthy career and two new songs expected to feature on their next studio album.

RUSH: Time Machine

2011

Neil Peart: No One's Disciple poster
NR

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson team up with four revered drummers — Stewart Copeland, Danny Carey, Chad Smith, and Gavin Harrison — for an exhilarating and poignant tribute to late Rush legend Neil Peart.

Neil Peart: No One's Disciple

2026

Rush: R40 poster
NR

R40 features 40 years of Rush live. Presented in a 52-page book on 6 Blu-rays, featuring rare band performance photos and an introduction by music journalist Martin Popoff. Over 2 hours of unreleased footage including: • Rare "2112" live performance in its entirety! • 8 songs from 1974 Laura Secord Secondary School performance with John Rutsey, featuring: - 2 never-before-heard songs "I've Been Runnin"' & "The Loser" - Unreleased cover of "Bad Boy" made famous by The Beatles • Closing tour film from Time Machine "I Still Love You Man" starring Rush with Paul Rudd & Jason Segel • 2013 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Rush: R40

2014