You could call Toronto Comedy City, and you wouldn’t be far wrong. The influential and groundbreaking comedy to come out of Hogtown is staggering. Is there something in the air? In the water? In the media?
Putting together a list of the 10 most influential Toronto comics was not easy. A lot of great performers had to be left off. And the definition of Toronto is an ever-changing one. Yes, I included some comics from Brampton and Newmarket, but it wasn’t that long ago that Scarborough wasn’t part of the legal definition of our city’s boundaries. Finally, I made sure this list was alphabetical. I wouldn’t want to rate this talented crew.
JOHN CANDY
Much beloved alumnus of the original Second City gang, he used his portliness and vulnerability to charm us in TV, stage and film. Who can forget his work in SCTV? Or the film work in Planes, Trains and Automobiles? Or Uncle Buck? For me, his iconic moment was watching him play squash in Splash, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Sadly, he died in 1994.
JIM CARREY
Starting as a stand-up impressionist at the age of 17, the rubber-faced, gangly, high-energy performer overcame a Dickensian background to become one of the highest paid comedians in the world. The only white performer in the TV series In Living Color, Carrey redefined the comic leading man with wild, goofy turns in Ace Ventura, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber and many more.
HOWIE MANDEL
The first Canadian stand-up superstar, Mandel’s grin-and-bare-it-all approach to comedy revolutionized the quaint, polite traditions of Canadian comedy. Famous for his serio-comic role in the hit TV show St. Elsewhere, he parlayed that into a 30-year touring act that never stopped, not even when he landed the hosting job on mega-hit Deal or No Deal? A legendary prankster, his practical jokes can often be seen on network late-night talk shows.
LORNE MICHAELS
Strictly speaking, he’s not a performer, although his straight-man skills helped make The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour a national hit in the early ’70s. What can you say about the man who created Saturday Night Live? And turned various characters into film franchises? And produced Kids in the Hall? Did I mention he discovered Conan O’Brien? And slid Jimmy Fallon into the host’s seat? And is responsible for 30 Rock? Michaels’ influence in modern comedy cannot be underestimated.
MIKE MYERS
Most sketch and film comics are lucky to create one enduring iconic character for the ages. Myers, the pride of Scarborough, created three: Wayne from Wayne’s World, Austin Powers and Shrek. With an uncanny ability to write and star in movies that appeal to young and old alike, Myers’s films will be enjoyed well into the next century.
CATHERINE O'HARA
As an original member of the Second City team that created SCTV, O’Hara’s precise characterizations will influence female sketch comics for generations to come. She is the star of Home Alone, one of the top-grossing film comedies of all time. But she’s done some of her best work in the mockumentaries of Christopher Guest, such as Waiting for Guffman and A Mighty Wind.
RUSSELL PETERS
Arguably the most important stand-up comic working today, Peters’s global reach is unprecedented. Selling out stadiums from Dubai to New York City, Peters has single-handedly reinvigorated comic tropes on race and ethnicity. He worked in obscurity in the Toronto area for years until his videos went viral on the Internet, and he became a worldwide sensation.
SCOTT THOMPSON & DAVE FOLEY
The only members of Kids in the Hall native to the Toronto area. Thompson brought a much-needed out-there gay energy to the comedy scene. He broke down a lot of doors on both sides of the border, and his character on The Larry Sanders Show was always wonderful. Foley followed his stint in the Kids with a lead role in NewsRadio as well as a whack of scene-stealing appearances in TV and movies.
WAYNE & SHUSTER
Gone but not forgotten! Straight outta Harbord Collegiate came the comedy duo that defined Canadian comedy in the ’40s through the ’70s. They held the record for most appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show and gave the CBC the template for sketch comedy for decades. Until the arrival of Second City, they were the only Toronto comics that mattered.
HARLAND WILLIAMS
Goofy, loopy, surreal, yet unfailingly polite, Williams came to define the eccentric style of Toronto stand-up that flourished in the ’90s and continues today. A comic who can easily shift gears between adult content and kids’ cartoons is a rarity, and his offbeat movie appearances have earned him a fan base that is generations younger than he is.
AND 5 WHO WILL SOMEDAY BE ON THE LIST…
Samantha Bee: Currently a correspondent for Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show. Watch for her next career move as she transitions into her own projects.
Aaron Berg: Dividing his time between N.Y.C. and Toronto, Berg’s confessional, sexually explicit stand-up has made him a valuable commodity in today’s no-holds-barred world.
Gerry Dee: Star Search winner, Last Comic Standing finalist, his own CBC sitcom. ’Nuff said.
Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice: Though the two have gone on to very separate careers, the duo known as Kenny vs. Spenny is the biggest cult item in years. Watch for each of them to do great things on cable and on the Web.
Pat Thornton: He’s already famous for his 24-hour stand-up marathons (like a filibuster, but funny), and his Hotbox show on Comedy Network was a cult hit. Plus, he does a great Rob Ford.
