SKETCH AND IMPROVISATIONAL COMEDY

Let's talk about Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles. The two guys probably best known for Whose Line is it Anyways? are amongst the funniest Canada has to offer (Mochrie even won Last One Laughing Canada). However, as funny as they are as individuals, they're sublime when paired together. If you somehow haven't seen them work together before, find some clips on YouTube and proceed to laugh your ass off. Next, although less revered, you’ve got Will Sasso. For me, he would be worthy of a mention just for his wrestling impressions, but his work on MADtv was exactly what that series needed, and it ultimately led to several memorable supporting roles.

Finally, I can't talk about Canadian comedy without mentioning the two series that make up the skeleton of my country’s comedy landscape, SCTV and The Kids in the Hall. For SCTV, I need only to list the alumni that came from that show: John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Rick Moranis, and Harold Ramis (that’s right, SCTV is responsible for two Ghostbusters stars). Legendary stuff.

The Kids in the Hall is a different story. The troupe was unable to find the same level of success beyond their self-titled series, but they still made waves. Dave Foley had early momentum with the highly underrated The Wrong Guy, NewsRadio, and A Bug's Life, while Mark McKinney had multiple stints on Saturday Night Live, not to mention the recent role of Glenn Sturgis on Superstore. Still, all is well, as the Kids reunited in 2022, showing they haven't missed a beat.

MICHAEL J. FOX

I know, I know… you’ve likely heard me wax poetic about Michael J. Fox before, but to exclude him from this list would be disingenuous. Although his career has been cut short because of Parkinson’s Disease, he made the most of the time he had. On the big screen, there are the timeless classics (Back to the Future trilogy), the underrated gems (Doc Hollywood, The Secret of My Success), and the family-friendly vocal performances (Stuart Little, Atlantis: The Lost Empire). When it comes to comedy, however, his best work came in television. Family Ties and especially Spin City showcase Fox’s comedic timing and boyish charm at their apex, and it’s such a shame that we didn’t get to see more of it.

WILL ARNETT

I expect Will Arnett’s inclusion to be the one that makes people raise an eyebrow. You might be thinking, “is Nick a big Arrested Development fan?” Nope, I actually didn’t even watch that show. For me, Arnett makes this list almost exclusively for his voice-over work. It’s a distinct voice, yes, but it’s so much more than that. He simply infuses these types of roles with so much character. I give him a lot of credit for why The Lego Batman Movie works as well as it does. Plus, he’s the voice behind one of the most honest, fractured, and, oddly enough, “human” animated characters of this century with BoJack Horseman. Whether it’s a lead role or just popping in, Arnett always leaves a mark. Hell, you can credit him for the reason “Hey, eat a Reeses!” pops in your head from time to time. (Editor's note: There’s a chance that may be a Canada-only commercial.)

CATHERINE O’HARA

Not only is Catherine O’Hara the funniest Canadian woman alive, but she is also one of the funniest women ever. To many, she is known for her work in Christopher Guest’s beloved mockumentaries Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration, where she really gets a chance to showcase her off-the-cuff humour. To some, it’s her slew of supporting characters in everything from Home Alone to Beetlejuice. Nowadays, with the emphasis on short memories, she is Moira Rose, the matriarch of the Rose family from Schitt’s Creek. The little Canadian television series that could, this CBC original became a worldwide phenomenon that won multiple awards, including Golden Globe, SAG, and Emmy wins for O’Hara. There’s not many who could’ve played Moira to that level of success, but O’Hara made it seem easy.

MIKE MYERS

I unintentionally quoted Austin Powers twice in the past two days, but when I really think about it, the truth is that I quote it more than I realize. Shrek, too, for that matter. That simply speaks volumes to the legacy of characters created by Mike Myers. In the Austin Powers trilogy alone (we still need a fourth!), he's given us Powers, Dr. Evil, Fat Bastard, and Goldmember. There is also Wayne's World's Wayne Campbell, which can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Show me a streak of characters as memorable and iconic. And remember, these are characters for which Myers deserves all the credit. Whether it's improvising better lines or just pure delivery, he makes every one of his characters better than they are conceived to be on paper. If you need any further proof, check out the late Chris Farley's interpretation of Shrek (it's on YouTube). You'll see that the beloved ogre wouldn't have become as special as he is if it weren’t for Myers squeezing everything he could out of the role.

JIM CARREY

Allllllrighty then, let’s talk about Jim Carrey, one of the greatest physical comics of all time, full stop. His first true run of feature film success (no In Living Color erasure here) started in 1994 with THREE massive hits (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber), and it continued steadily until 2004. Carrey’s screen presence in that time was like that of the late Robin Williams: you never knew what he was going to do, but you knew it was going to be funny. He was a real-life cartoon character in the best way possible. Carrey has changed a lot in the past decade or more, but his recent role as Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog suggests there is still a glimmer of the old Carrey in there. Hopefully, we get to see that side a few more times before he officially hangs ‘em up.

IN MEMORIAM

I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about those we’ve lost. Unfortunately, I was three years old when John Candy passed away, and only seven when Phil Hartman died. I’ve visited and enjoyed their work over the years (Hartman, in particular), but I don’t really have the connection to those two that older readers might hold. Still, an undeniable loss to the comedy world. However, there are three men no longer with us with whom I did have such a connection.

First, pure comedy is the best way to describe Leslie Nielsen. Whether it was slapstick or just outrageous antics, I don’t think anyone gives me the feel-good chuckles the way Nielsen does. Airplane!, The Naked Gun, Wrongfully Accused — basically any spoof parody ever — he could take the dumbest thing and make it the best. It’s not a coincidence that the spoof parody died shortly after he did since no one did it better.

Second, I love a deadpan comic, and Norm Macdonald was at the top of that game. Whether it was his work on Saturday Night Live (especially Weekend Update) or his talk show appearances alongside David Letterman or Conan O’Brien, that sonofabitch was funny. The phrase often gets overused, but he really was one of a kind.

Lastly, look, I’m a white male in his thirties. Of course I watched Friends, and Matthew Perry was just so clearly a cut above the rest. Personal demons certainly had an effect, but he deserved a much better post-Friends career. In fact, I never stopped rooting for him, watching and enjoying everything he put on screen, including one-season wonders Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Mr. Sunshine, and Go On. Not only do I wholeheartedly believe we lost a true talent, but I also don’t think we ever got to see his full potential realized.