Jane McLean

Are you a spontaneous traveller?
Even though I put together lists of places to visit, it’s still important to wander off and see where the day takes me. During a weekend trip to the Okanagan in B.C., my boyfriend and I spotted a B&B on a cliff and – on a whim – extended our trip. La Punta Norte is now our new favourite Canadian vacation spot.

Since relocating from Toronto to Los Angeles, do you find living in a different city changes your outlook?
You can’t help but feel extraordinarily happy when you wake up and the birds are chirping in your face. I’ve always been very active, but I’ve become much more outdoorsy living in L.A. I go hiking through Griffith Park up to the very peak of Mount Hollywood, where you get a view of Los Angeles county.

Have you taken any classic California trips?
My favourite is driving up the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco. We stop at the Post Ranch Inn and have lunch at its restaurant perched on the cliffs of Big Sur with sweeping views of the California coast.

One of the main characters in your new movie, The Time Traveler’s Wife, has Chrono-Displacement Disorder. Would you rather travel back in time or through space?
There’s something that really fascinates me about the early 16th century in Europe, when Michelangelo was painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and Henry VIII reigned. I’d want to walk through the English royal court, taking it all in. But only for a day: their lack of plumbing is an issue.

Where do you go to be inspired?
Back home to Toronto, where my family lives.

Name  Jane McLean
Profession  Actress
Location  Los Angeles
Claim to fame  Left a career in financial services and landed a major role in The Time Traveler’s Wife, out this summer; plays the recurring character Tammy on Dexter
Last vacation  Ojai, California, on a yoga retreat
Next vacation  Maui, Hawaii, for a friend’s wedding
Travel essentials  Sunscreen and a paid-off credit card
Favourite souvenir  A painting of Chinese symbols she picked up from a vendor in front of the Met in New York. “I overpaid.”