Canadian Female Comedians

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Steph Tolev is a Canadian comedian best known for her 2019 album I'm Not Well, which was nominated at the 2020 Juno Awards under Comedy Album of the Year category. In addition to performing her solo standup routine, Steph Tolev also performs with Allison Hogg as part of their comedy duo, LadyStache.

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.

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.

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.

While she began her career as a singer, Claudine Mercier later became one of Quebec’s leading comedians. She is best known for playing four characters in the movie Idole instantanée. The 3-time Olivier Award winner also gained fame as an impressionist, mimicking celebrities such as Madonna.

Cory Mack is a Canadian writer, comedian, and producer who has performed in popular comedy festivals, such as Just for Laughs. Mack, who is closely associated with the Canadian Comedy Awards (CCAs), was honored with the Roger Abbott Award in 2011 for contributing towards the development of the CCAs. Cory Mack is also credited with establishing the annual YYComedy Festival.

Martha Chaves is a Nicaraguan-Canadian actress, comedian, playwright, and activist. She is best known for her stand-up comedy, which she performs in English, Spanish, Italian, and French. She has featured in famous comedy festivals, including Just for Laughs. In 2017, Martha Chaves was honored with the prestigious Canadian Comedy Award under the Best Standup Comic category.