Famous Canadian Comedians

Mainly known for his comic roles, Canadian actor Eugene Levy has had a career spanning over six decades, with Splash, Father of the Bride, Waiting for Guffman, American Pie and American Pie 2 being some of his memorable films. He has also acted in television and found success with the hit series, Schitt's Creek. He is also a writer and director.

Will Arnett is widely regarded as one of the most handsome and best-looking comedians of all time; he has been named in lists like Top 15 Sexiest Nerd Boys and The 20 Hottest New Faces in Comedy. Famous for his smooth baritone voice, Will is also a popular voice actor. In 2019, he became a Canada Walk of Fame inductee.

Primetime Emmy-winning Canadian-American actor and comedian Catherine O'Hara soared to fame with the sketch-comedy show SCTV. She is known for her frequent appearances in the films of Tim Burton and Christopher Guest. She is the sister of singer Mary Margaret O'Hara and is herself a fairly decent singer.

Phil Hartman was a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He is credited with helping Paul Reubens develop his famous character, Pee-wee Herman, as part of his contribution to the popular comedy group The Groundlings. After he was murdered in 1998, Hartman was honored with several awards. In 2015, Rolling Stone named him one of the greatest Saturday Night Live cast members.

Dan Aykroyd is a Canadian comedian, actor, musician, and filmmaker. He is credited with co-founding the popular blues and soul revivalist band The Blues Brothers along with legendary comedian John Belushi. The Blues Brothers was conceived as a musical sketch for Saturday Night Live; its popularity turned it into an actual band and was later made into a film.

Canadian actor Seth Rogen established himself as a bankable and popular comic actor when he starred in Hollywood films Knocked Up in 2007 and Funny People in 2009. His other notable films are Steve Jobs, The Interview, Like Father, Long Shot and An American Pickle. He is active in raising awareness about Alzheimer's disease and is an open marijuana user.

Rick Moranis is one of the most popular Canadian artists to make it big in the American film industry. Best known for playing father characters in children's films like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Rick proved to be a great father off-screen as he took a long break from his career to take care of his children, after the death of his wife.

Leslie Nielsen was a Canadian actor who played more than 220 characters, appearing in over 150 television programs and 100 films in a career that spanned 60 years. In the latter part of his career, he gained recognition as a comedian and went on to become one of the most popular Canadian comedians of his generation.

Canadian comedian Katherine Ryan initially worked at a restaurant to support her education and then stepped into open mic and comedy nights. She has performed across Canada and the UK and even at the LA-based Comedy Store. Now an actor, too, she is also a 2-time skin cancer survivor.

John Candy was an important Canadian comedian and actor. In 2006, he was honored by Canada Post as he was featured on a postage stamp. Also a sports enthusiast, Candy was the co-owner of Toronto Argonauts, a football team that participates in the Canadian Football League. Under his ownership, the team won the 1991 Grey Cup.

Lorne Michaels is a Canadian-American television producer, comedian, and screenwriter. He is credited with creating and producing one of the most popular American TV sketch comedy and variety shows, Saturday Night Live. With 91 nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards under his belt, Lorne Michaels holds the record for having the most nominations by an individual in the award show's history.

Known for his shock comedy and his hit MTV show The Tom Green Show, Canadian comedian Tom Green had started performing stand-up comedy at age 15. A testicular cancer survivor, he had also once been married to Drew Barrymore. In 2021, he announced he would move back from LA to Canada permanently.

A graduate of Humber College Comedy, Nathan Joseph Fielder is best known for his hit docu-realty television series, Nathan for You. Beginning his career in 2006 as the writer-director of a short film called Morris; he made his  acting debut with a television series called This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Today, he is considered an established writer, director and comedian.

Samantha Bee is a Canadian-American political commentator, television host, comedienne, producer, and writer. Bee achieved international recognition for her 12-year tenure as a correspondent on the late-night talk and satirical news program The Daily Show. In 2017, she was named in Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world list. In 2017, she also won a Primetime Emmy Award.

American-Canadian actor Andrea Martin is best known for her roles in movies such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding. She has also won Tony and Drama Desk awards for her performances in plays such as My Favorite Year and Pippin. Her one-woman show Nude, Nude, Totally Nude was a hit.

Colin Mochrie is a Scottish-born Canadian actor, comedian, and producer. He is best known for his appearances on the improvisational TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway? He has appeared in numerous TV shows and films and is also active in theatrical productions. He co-wrote and co-produced the sitcom Getting Along Famously with his wife. 

A high-school dropout, Dave Foley started his career with stand-up comedy. After meeting Kevin McDonald, he formed the iconic sketch-comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall with him and others. He later appeared in movies such as The Wrong Guy and voiced for animated characters, such as Flik from A Bug's Life.

Canadian actor and comedian Tyler Labine gained international fame with his appearance in the medical drama TV series New Amsterdam. Active in the entertainment industry for three decades, he began his career playing minor roles in TV series. After a period of struggles, he became a successful actor and has since appeared in many hit TV shows and films.

Canadian-American actor and stand-up comedian Harland Williams was initially interested in drawing, painting, and poetry and had also worked briefly as a forest ranger. Apart from appearing in minor roles in movies such as Dumb and Dumber, he has been a voice actor and a children’s book author, too.

Marie Dressler was a Canadian comedian and actress. A major film star during the Depression-era, Dressler received the 1931 Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Min Divot in the 1930 American comedy-drama film, Min and Bill. Her life and career inspired a play titled Queen Marie, which was written by Shirley Barrie.

K. Trevor Wilson is a Canadian actor and comedian best known for playing Squirrely Dan in Letterkenny. As a stand-up comedian, Wilson has performed in Montreal's Just For Laughs Festival where he was honored with the Irwin Barker Home Grown Award in 2012. In 2021, he appeared as one of the judges in a TV show titled Roast Battle Canada.

Best known as Brent Leroy from the Canadian sitcom Corner Gas, Brent Butt had initially worked as a drywaller and had also owned a publishing company. He then tasted success with stand-up comedy and later formed his own production company. He is also a 4-time Canadian Comedy Award winner.

Bonnie McFarlane is a Canadian-American writer and comedian best known for her participation in a reality TV talent competition show called Last Comic Standing, where she was the first comedian to be eliminated. McFarlane has appeared in popular TV shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, and Late Show with David Letterman. 

Born to working-class Scottish immigrants in Canada, Gerry Dee was an avid golfer and hockey player in university and had also been a PE teacher. He later struck gold with comedy and became the first Canadian to win the San Francisco Comedy Competition. He also created the CBC sitcom Mr. D.