From Vancouver, David Shumka writes, produces podcasts and maintains a blog, having once performed as a stand‑up comedian. He is celebrated for being an early pioneer of podcasting.
Kristina Lee “Kris” Halliwell Collins, known online as Kallmekris, is a Canadian actress and social‑media creator. She began uploading short comedy sketches—typically thirty seconds to a minute—in April 2020 on TikTok. By September 2026 she had gathered 50.3 million followers, making her Canada’s most‑followed TikToker and the 40th‑largest worldwide. Her YouTube channel, which launched in 2020, counted 13.1 million subscribers at that time. In July 2025 she debuted as a feature‑film director with the found‑footage horror movie House on Eden.
Kurtis Matthew Kenneth Conner, a Canadian comedian who also produces videos on YouTube and runs a podcast, had gathered in excess of 5.67 million subscribers and surpassed 1.20 billion views on his YouTube channel by August 2026.
Kyle Rideout, a Canadian actor, co‑founded the production company Motion 58 with partner Josh Epstein. He shares writing and directing duties on the short films “Hop the Twig” and “Wait for Rain,” as well as the feature‑length pictures “Eadweard” and “Adventures in Public School.” In 2017, “Adventures in Public School” was nominated for the Directors Guild of Canada’s DGC Discovery Award.
Lara Rae—once performing as Al Rae—is a Canadian comedian most noted for her enduring tenure as artistic director of the Winnipeg Comedy Festival and for her recurring appearances on CBC Radio One’s comedy series The Debaters.
Lilly Singh, a Canadian YouTuber, actress, TV host and comedian, started uploading videos to YouTube in 2010. She originally performed under the alias Superwoman, which served as her channel name until 2019.
Mariana Mazza, a Quebec‑based Canadian comic with Uruguayan and Lebanese heritage, also works as an actress. In 2017 she appeared in the sequel Bon Cop, Bad Cop 2 alongside Patrick Huard, Colm Feore and other cast members, and that same year she was featured in Father and Guns 2 starring Louis‑José Houde and Michel Côté.
Nick Nemeroff was a Canadian stand‑up comic whose most prominent work was the 2020 album The Pursuit of Comedy Has Ruined My Life, a record that received a nomination for Comedy Album of the Year at the 2021 Juno Awards.
Canadian performer Richardson Zéphir, a stand‑up comic and actor, lives in Montreal, Quebec. He became widely known after appearing on the television series Big Brother Célébrités and the show LOL : qui rira le dernier ?.
Robin Tyler, born in Canada and now an American comedian, broke ground as the first openly lesbian or gay performer to reveal her orientation on a national TV broadcast. A feminist activist, she helped launch the grassroots campaign for LGBTQ civil liberties and marriage equality across the United States, and also worked as a producer. Tyler hosted and oversaw the main stage at three Washington, D.C., LGBTQ‑rights marches, notably the inaugural National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1979. She originated the slogan “We are everywhere,” which served as the rallying chant for that historic march, appearing on signs and banners, and it remains a widely used slogan for LGBTQ equality today.
Ron Vaudry is a Canadian comedian with a career spanning over four decades. Born and raised in Montreal, his family has deep roots in the city, tracing back to 1654. Raised in a working-class family, he has familial ties to the performing arts; his grandmother pursued a career as an opera singer and his grandfather held a position as a stage manager. Vaudry’s formal education ended prematurely when he left high school just before graduation after confronting a teacher who had physically assaulted him. Since then, he has prioritized self-education, focusing on subjects that capture his interest. He began his comedy journey in 1979 performing twelve shows within twelve hours at a Montreal Jerry Lewis Telethon. Vaudry quickly established himself as a significant figure in Canadian stand-up. By 1980, he relocated to Toronto and became one of the original twelve comics at Yuk Yuk’s, even holding the distinction of being the first comic to perform there. He participated in the inaugural Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Tour across Canada in 1982. His comedy style is described as intelligent, witty, and sardonic, with a sharp perspective often considered tougher and angrier than that of many contemporaries. Howard Nemetz characterizes him as the perfect combination of rage and outrage. Vaudry aims to provoke audiences into confronting surprising thoughts through laughter. He has toured internationally for 43 years (as of 2025), performing political and social comedy. Throughout his career, Ron Vaudry has expanded his reach beyond Canada, working extensively in the United Kingdom. He toured the UK in 1987, appearing at the Glasgow Festival and in London. Vaudry also collaborated with other comedians; he toured with Darryl Lenox in 2000, forming a lifelong friendship, and was part of the sketch troupe 'The Needles' alongside Lawrence Morgenstern, Simon Rakoff, and Howard Nemetz. Recognized as a pioneering figure in Canadian stand-up comedy, he has significantly impacted other comedians. David Merry acknowledges him as both a mentor and a dear friend, while Sherry O’Brien attributes half of her stand-up expertise to his guidance.
Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, Shirley Gnome is a Canadian entertainer known for her singing and comedic talents. She spent her formative years growing up in Surrey, British Columbia. Her career began with independently released albums, including Ho Down (2010), C untry Music (2012), and The Lady of the Night* (2015). Later, she signed with 604 Records, continuing to release music that blends country, rock, and electronic pop. She describes her musical style as lullabies about unspoken thoughts. Gnome's comedy frequently addresses taboo topics such as sexuality. Her albums Taking It Up the Notch (2017) garnered a Canadian Comedy Award nomination for Best Comedy Album in 2018, and Decoxification (2020) earned her a Juno Award nomination in 2021. She continues to create, as evidenced by her most recent album, Live, Bare and Natural (2025), and her co-writing of the music for the show SLUGS (2025). The SLUGS show received a nomination for the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2025. Shirley Gnome considers herself famous because she maintains a website, shirleygnome.com, where visitors are encouraged to sign her guestbook and view a graphic that includes a self-portrait featuring her cat. She aims to generate income through the internet and expresses surprise at the existence of her website, suggesting it may be funded by taxpayer money. Shirley Gnome supports the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) by donating a portion of her income from projects, recognizing that the land belongs to the Coast Salish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Throughout her career, she has received four Canadian Comedy Award nominations for Best Variety Act (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019).
Albania
1
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1
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24
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28
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22
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1
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13
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31
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2
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1
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12
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17
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8
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1
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7
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2
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7
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188
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17
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1
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2
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5
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4
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74
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15
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211
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148
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3
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18
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1
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7
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8
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20
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9
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11
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3
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6
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136
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1
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35
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3
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20
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1
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5
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1
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17
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1
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1
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2
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28
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7
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19
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2
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2
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12
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3
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9
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2
Philippines
35
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7
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8
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7
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1
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1
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3
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9
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4
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101
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4
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2
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2
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4
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5
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1
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1
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7
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Canada has a diverse and well-established comedy scene, with performers working across stand-up, sketch comedy, television, film, theatre, radio and digital media. Canadian comedians have developed audiences both at home and internationally, with many performers going on to appear in major television productions, films and comedy festivals around the world.
GiggleTime's Canadian comedian directory brings together Canadian comedians, stand-up performers, comedy actors, writers and other personalities from the world of humour and entertainment. Browse the profiles above to learn more about individual comedians and discover new performers from across Canada.
Stand-up comedy has a strong presence throughout Canada, with comedy clubs, theatres and live events providing regular stages for both established performers and newcomers.
Major cities such as Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa have active comedy communities, while comedians also perform at venues and festivals in cities and smaller communities across the country. The Canadian comedy circuit gives performers opportunities to develop their material, experiment with different styles and connect directly with audiences.
Canadian stand-up isn't defined by a single style. Performers cover everything from observational and conversational comedy to storytelling, satire, character-based humour and improvisation. Canada's multicultural population also brings a wide range of perspectives and experiences to its comedy scene.
Comedy festivals have played an important role in showcasing Canadian talent. The Just for Laughs festival in Montreal became one of the world's best-known comedy festivals and helped introduce numerous comedians to international audiences.
Other festivals and local comedy events continue to provide opportunities for performers to present new material and for audiences to discover emerging Canadian comedians. Live comedy remains an important part of the country's entertainment culture, alongside the growing influence of podcasts, streaming and social media.
Canada has a long history of producing comedy for television and film. Canadian comedians and actors have appeared in sitcoms, sketch programmes, panel shows, comedy films and other entertainment formats.
Some performers first became known through live stand-up before moving into acting or television, while others established themselves as writers, sketch performers or television personalities. Canada's comedy industry has also produced performers who later built successful careers in the United States and other international markets.
The country's comedy talent can be found across many different formats, making it difficult to define Canadian comedy by one particular style or generation.
One distinctive feature of Canada's comedy landscape is its linguistic diversity. Comedy is performed in both English and French, with Quebec playing a particularly important role in French-language comedy.
Montreal and other parts of Quebec have their own comedy communities, performers and audiences, while English-language comedy continues to thrive across the rest of Canada and in bilingual environments. This creates a comedy culture influenced by different languages, regions and cultural traditions.
Looking for Canadian comedians, Canadian stand-up comedians or comedy performers from Canada? Browse the GiggleTime directory above to explore profiles from different parts of the country's comedy scene.
You can search for a specific comedian or simply browse the directory to discover performers you may not have encountered before. Profiles can include biographical information, career highlights, performances, photographs and other details about each comedian.
From established comedy names to newer performers building their audiences through live shows and online content, GiggleTime is a place to discover more of the people contributing to Canadian comedy.
