Famous Canadian Stand-up Comedians

Best known as David Rose from Schitt's Creek, Dan Levy, the son of actor Eugene Levy, is an Emmy-winning Canadian actor, who has also been a writer, producer, and director. He came out as gay at 18 but only made it known to the media in a 2020 interview.

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.

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.

Howie Mandel is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known for hosting popular TV shows, such as Deal or No Deal. In 2008, Comedy Central named him on its 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all-time list. Mandel serves as an inspiration to those suffering from ADHD and OCD as he himself suffers from these conditions.

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.

Ryan Stiles is an American-Canadian comedian and actor. Stiles, whose forte is improvisational comedy, is known for his work in the TV series Whose Line Is It Anyway? Also known for his charity work, Stiles has been working hard to raise fund for children with burn injuries. Since 2009, he has raised over $500,000 for a foundation called the Burned Children Recovery Center.

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.

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.

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.

Gad Elmaleh is a Moroccan-Canadian stand-up comedian and actor. He studied drama at Cours Florent under the tutelage of prominent coach Isabelle Nanty. He began his career with one-man shows and eventually ventured into TV and cinema as well. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. 

Canadian-American comedian and voice actor is best known as the voice of The Brain in Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain. The Annie and Emmy winner is also known for voicing various characters in the Futurama franchise. He has also often impressed audiences with hie impression of Orson Welles.

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.

Rick Mercer has almost become a Canadian national icon with his satire and comedy on Canadian politics. Known for his hit shows such as This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Made in Canada, and Rick Mercer Report, he has also earned over 25 Gemini Awards and the Sir Peter Ustinov Comedy Award.

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.

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.

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. 

Legendary Canadian-American comedian and satirist Mort Sahl was the first comedian to have a cover story in Time magazine. Known for performing in casual clothes and throwing his satire at everyone from Eisenhower to JFK, he also had a signature style of entering the stage with a newspaper.

Born to an Indian Bengali father and a European-Canadian mother, Shaun Majumder was raised by his mother after his parents’ divorce. The Gemini Award-winning actor-comedian is best known for his performance in the CBC comedy show This Hour Has 22 Minutes. He was also the subject of the documentary Majumder Manor.

Sugar Sammy is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, and writer best known for his comedy routines which he delivers in several languages, including English, Hindi, Punjabi, and French. Since 2016, he has been performing his famous one-man show in France, where he was labeled the funniest man by GC magazine. Sammy has also performed in several countries around the world.

Known for his signature style of deadpan comedy, Canadian comedian Stewart Francis gained fame with shows such as You Bet Your Ass. He has also appeared in the CBC sitcom An American in Canada. His performances have been successful all over North America and the UK.

Best known by his stage name, The Unknown Comic, Murray Langston left home at 15 and moved to the US, where he joined the Navy and was also part of the Vietnam War. He later gained fame as a comedian, with his signature style of performing with a paper sack covering his head.

Mike MacDonald was a Canadian actor and stand-up comedian best known for his appearances in several popular TV shows like Late Night with David Letterman, Just for Laughs, and The Arsenio Hall Show. MacDonald achieved immense popularity when he played important roles in three successful TV specials, including My House! My Rules!, which received two nominations at the Gemini Awards.

Ophira Eisenberg is a Canadian American actress, writer, and comedian who currently lives and works in New York City, New York. A popular stand-up comedian, Eisenberg has appeared in TV shows like Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Ophira Eisenberg has also been featured in several lists, including Ten New Comedians That Funny People Find Funny by New York magazine.

Mike Ward is a Canadian stand-up comedian who has performed in more than 20 countries across four continents. A controversial personality, Ward earned notoriety for his comedy routine between 2010 and 2013 during which he mocked a young disabled singer named Jérémy Gabriel in many of his shows. Mike Ward has also received many Comedian of the Year awards.

Dave Merheje is a Canadian comedian best known for his Juno Award-winning comedy album, Good Friend Bad Grammar. The album won the prestigious award at the 2019 awards ceremony under the Comedy Album of the Year category. As a stand-up comedian, Merheje has performed in several international festivals like Just For Laughs, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and Winnipeg Comedy Festival.

While he initially wished to be a history teacher, Ron James later gained interest in theater and joined the improv troupe The Second City. The Genie Award-winning actor is known for his roles in films such as Something About Love. His writing in This Hour Has 22 Minutes fetched him a Gemini Award.

Gemini Award-winning Canadian comedian Jeremy Hotz is best known for his show The Newsroom. He had also worked as a writing staff on Paramount’s The Jon Stewart Show. He has portrayed minor roles in various movies, such as My Favorite Martian, James the Second, and Speed 2: Cruise Control.

Award-winning comedian from Canada, Debra DiGiovanni can often be seen performing on Comedy Central’s stand-up series. She has also gained fame for the digital series Steph & Deb. She later also released a Juno Award-nominated comedy album. She was placed eighth on Last Comic Standing.

Canadian comedy star DeAnne Smith is also an LGBT icon. Apart from being part of several comedy festivals and a podcast, she also had her own Netflix comedy special. She previously taught English in Mexico and was inspired by her then-girlfriend to pursue stand-up comedy as a career.

Tom Stade is a Canadian stand-up comedian who lives and works in Scotland. Known for his distinctive drunken Canadian accent, Stade has made appearances in popular TV shows like The Comedy Store, Live at the Apollo, Stand Up for the Week, and The Live Floor Show. Tom Stade is also well-known for his long-term association with the Edinburgh Festival.

Tony Law is a Canadian comedian who lives and works in London. Law is known for his various comedy shows, including Tony Law: Maximum Nonsense which received a nomination at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards under the Best Comedy Show category. Law has also appeared in several TV shows like Russell Howard's Good News and Have I Got News for You.

Born to Hungarian immigrants in Canada, Elvira Kurt grew up to be the first openly LGBT comedian on Canadian national TV. The openly lesbian Kurt calls herself a fellagirly, a term she coined to describe people like her who associate with a mixture of masculine and feminine identities.

Darrin Rose is best known as the host of the Comedy Network show Match Game, the Canadian version of the hit American game show of the same name. He initially worked for Heinz and also owned a software firm but stepped into comedy after being inspired by his friend Cabbie Richards’s success.

Phil Nichol is a Canadian actor, singer-songwriter, and comedian. In 2002, Nichol's comedy show Things I Like I Lick received a Perrier Award nomination at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 2007, he received a nomination at the Chortle Awards under the Best Headliner category. Phil Nichol has also contributed immensely to the Canadian theater and TV industry.

Ali Hassan is a Canadian radio host and comedian best known for hosting the popular program Laugh Out Loud for CBC Radio-One. Apart from serving as an opening act for comedians like Russell Peters, Hassan has also performed in well-known festivals like Just for Laughs. He received a nomination at the 2021 Canadian Screen Awards for hosting a live stream.

Rebecca Kohler is a Canadian comedian best known for her album In Living Kohler, which was nominated at the 2018 Juno Awards under the Comedy Album of the Year category. In 2013, her performance at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival earned her a Canadian Comedy Award. In addition to being a stand-up comedian, Rebecca Kohler also works as a TV writer.

Mike Wilmot is a Canadian comedian best known for his contribution to the 2004 British-Canadian mockumentary-drama film It's All Gone Pete Tong for which he received two Canadian Comedy Awards under Best Actor and Best Male Stand-up categories in 2005. Wilmot is also known for appearing in popular TV shows like Rich Hall's Fishing Show and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Laurie Elliott is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actress, television writer, and voice actress best known for voicing Jo in the Total Drama franchise. Over the years, Elliott has won several awards, including a couple of Canadian Comedy Awards for her skills as a stand-up comedian.

Louis-José Houde is a French-Canadian comedian and actor best known for playing important roles in movies like Bon Cop, Bad Cop, A Sense of Humour, and Compulsive Liar. A multi-talented personality, Houde has also hosted television shows on Radio-Canada. In 2003, Louis-José Houde was honored with the prestigious Félix Award for his comedic skills.

Best known for his stint as the host of the CBC Radio One show The Debaters, comedian Steve Patterson has won 2 Canadian Comedy Awards for Best Male Stand-up and one for Best Series Writing. He has also penned a novel and toured nationally with the theater show This is Not Debatable.

Glenn Wool is a Canadian comedian who is currently living and working in England. A popular stand-up comedian, Wool has released six albums so far in his career. He has also appeared in many comedy and panel shows like Russell Howard's Good News. He received the Best of Fest award for his performance in the Sydney Comedy Festival in 2010.