Latest news with #JFL
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Michelle Buteau talks saying goodbye to 'Survival of the Thickest' and her 'first true love' stand-up comedy
Buteau celebrates stand-up as a Gala star at the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal From her incredible success with the Netflix series Survival of the Thickest and history-making stand-up shows, including being the first woman to film a comedy special at Radio City Music Hall, Michelle Buteau is one of the most beloved talents in entertainment. So the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal is lucky to have her featured as a Gala star. Whether she's acting, doing stand-up comedy, hosting, writing or producing a project, she excels at it all. But no matter how many hats she's worn in her career of more than 20 years, stand-up is her "first true love." "I fell in love with stand-up and everything else is just cherries on the cake," Buteau told Yahoo Canada. "When you get the Gala spot at JFL, it feels like you've won Formula One. ... When you start stand-up, there are a handful of things, especially New York comedians, always talk about getting. An SNL audition, or a Late Night spot, and JFL was right up there. So this is very exciting. I mean, it's been a long time, so very happy to be doing it." As Buteau highlighted, there's nothing like experiencing the thrill of a live stand-up show. But through her comedy specials on streaming sites and leveraging online platforms, Buteau has really been able to make her work available to people around the world. It's that accessibility component that's important for her. "There's a non-binary teenager in Kenya that's reaching out to me, a 62-year-old lesbian in Bulgaria, ... then there's cities in Brazil ... using my catchphrase," Buteau said. "It makes comedians feel like rock stars." Michelle Buteau is 'tired' of people being told their 'not worthy' With the success of Survival of the Thickest, the show has been praised for being particularly sex-positive, as the lead character Mavis (played by Buteau) works to thrive mentally, emotionally and sexually. "When we talk about mental health and making people feel good, it isn't just about how you look. It's about how you feel. And it's about how you feel in all chapters of your life," Buteau said. "So whether it is a piece of clothing, whether it is food, whether it is attention, whether it is sex, all of it is meant to build you up, not tear you down." "[I'm] sick and tired of the conversation, especially in and around the arts, film and TV, of bigger bodies always having to feel very grateful that someone finds them desirable, which is just plain bullshit. ... Since the beginning of time there has been thick people who have been loved on and dicked down. It's just like, excuse me, why is this such a wild concept that somebody would love their body? And honestly, it is what we are going through today and what we've been going through also since the beginning of time. It's control. It is a mental prison. If you tell people they are not worthy ... they're going to believe you, they're not going to feel good about themselves. And I'm so tired of that." Buteau added that what's great about having Survival of the Thickest on Netflix, which is available in 190 countries, is how many people she can reach with the show's core messaging. "I know that I can reach people of all gender expressions, of all sizes and shapes, and say, 'Hey boo, you look f—king good and you're worthy of whatever you want,'" she said. "That's why I made my character a stylist, because I think the platform of fashion can showcase the injustices. ... It's also a good excuse to be like, 'Hey, I need a lot of money for fashion.'" While we already know that Season 3 of Survival of the Thickest will be the show's last, a tough hit for many fans, Buteau is ready to go out with impact. "It feels earned and deserved," Buteau said. "I'm really lucky ... that I found something I love to do, and so I don't take the responsibility lightly. We're going to blow it up ... in the best possible way." "I know people are bummed that it won't be coming back, but it's actually such a gift to know that it is the third and final. I don't think a lot of platforms and networks give you that information all the time."
Montreal Gazette
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Brownstein: Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed takes a winning kick at Just for Laughs
Ted Lasso fans best not go to the Just for Laughs solo show Mr. Swallow: Show Pony expecting one of the series's stars, the Emmy-nominated Nick Mohammed, to reprise his role as rival soccer-team coach Nate. Mohammed's character on Ted Lasso is forever brooding and morose and feeling betrayed. Mohammed's work in Mr. Swallow: Show Pony is anything but. Attired in a glittering gold lamé jacket, Mohammed speaks frenetically in a high-pitched tone and displays the sort of high-end energy that sounds like way too much helium intake. Mohammed's act here is mentalism, magic, music, drama and — oh yeah — comedy with raucous crowd interaction. Simply put, the show, running until Saturday at Le Gesù, is rollickingly hysterical and about as original as anything ever assembled on a JFL stage — which is saying something in light of past fest performances from Mr. Methane and Stevie (the Regurgitator) Starr. Without giving away too much about his show, Mohammed's Mr. Swallow explains, with self-deprecating wit, how he must carry the aspirations of England's South Asian community on his shoulders — even though Mohammed is not South Asian as many presume: his mom is from Cyprus and his dad from Trinidad. He also notes, removing a shoe and sock, that he has been mysteriously endowed with a white foot to help him get his foot in the door of a lily-white cultural industry. Mohammed throws everything into his act, save for the roller skates he has been known to don and occasionally dazzle audiences with on stage. In his dressing room following his debut show Wednesday evening, Mohammed, 44, simply attired in a black T-shirt, is low-key and calm. While his stage act is well known in the U.K., he realizes crowds on this side of the pond could be taken by surprise with his Mr. Swallow antics. 'This is a character, truly based on a teacher of mine, that I've been doing since I was 15 in my school playground and professionally for the last 20 years,' he says. 'It's been with me for so, so long. 'I've always loved magic and mentalism, but that sort of crept out of my career once other comedy took over. I used to gig as a working magician, table hopping at weddings and hotels. Now I've tried to refine it a little.' Given his wide-ranging, cheerful, extroverted skills, one may wonder why he was ever cast to play such a dour, introverted character like Ted Lasso's Nate. 'The role actually got quite challenging toward the end. But I've always loved the idea of being quite malleable in terms of the way you inhabit a different character. For me, that's the real joy of being an actor — like the Ted Lasso character, whom I found so interesting on a different level,' explains Mohammed, who has appeared in films like The Martian with Matt Damon and the coming Control with James McAvoy and Julianne Moore. But Mohammed, who has been nominated twice for a supporting-actor Emmy for the Apple streaming series, says he has been gobsmacked by Ted Lasso's global popularity. 'It's weird, because for the first season we were all quite sheltered from the success of it. We weren't travelling because of COVID. But now we can't get away from it. And we're all so grateful for it.' The fourth season of Ted Lasso — winner of back-to-back Outstanding Comedy Series Emmys for its first two seasons — just started production in ... not London, as in the previous seasons, but Kansas City, the hometown of lead star Jason Sudeikis. But the plan is to return to London. In this iteration, Ted (Sudeikis) takes on a new challenge: coaching a second-division women's soccer team. Series regulars like Emmy winners Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein, along with Brendan Hunt and Jeremy Swift, are all back for another kick at the ball. But Mohammed is here, so whither Nate? The glint in his eye suggests Nate may not be forsaken in Season 4. 'Well, who knows? We'll have to see,' he allows, before letting loose with a hearty laugh. 'I know they're in Kansas at the moment, so we'll just see what happens.' Pause. 'I'm being very coy.' But the coyness and wide grin show no trace of bitterness, so one could easily infer that Nate will be back on the pitch, likely in a melancholic state once again. 'These are all good theories,' he says. 'And don't forget they film these shows over a long time.' Mohammed concedes that while his dad was a huge soccer fan who took him to games, he was much more arts-oriented growing up. 'I spent a lot of time doing magic and playing music, but I also liked to do a lot of gymnastics as a kid. But since doing Ted Lasso, I'm increasingly falling in love with the sport. Jason and Brett and producer Joe Kelly, who created the show together, are such sports nuts, so you can't help but be affected by it.' This is Mohammed's first foray to Montreal and JFL, but, based on opening-night reaction, it won't be his last. 'I've always tried to do something that's a bit of an antidote to something that can get too heavy, but what's nice in this show hopefully is that there is a little bit of stuff in there about race and identity. It's like having my cake and eating it.' And certainly getting his foot in the door. AT A GLANCE
Montreal Gazette
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Brownstein: Satirist Roy Wood Jr. will win hearts at Just for Laughs
Festivals By Roy Wood Jr. should touch all the bases when he hits Just for Laughs — both literally and figuratively. One of the sharpest satirists on the continent, the former Daily show correspondent and host of CNN's Have I Got News for You news-panel series is equally adept at discoursing on American political buffoonery as he is on baseball. Audiences may even catch him sporting his beloved Expos jacket when he takes to the stage hosting a Gala, July 25 at Théâtre Maisonneuve, or when he does his solo 'experimental talk-show,' Today, Tonight … Tomorrow, July 26 at Théâtre Ste-Catherine. Though a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, Wood can feel our city's collective pain on the loss of the 'Spos. He makes his living taking shots at the powers-that-be, but baseball remains his holy ground, and little is more sacred to him than the power of a home run as exemplified in his new TV special, Going, Going, Gone: The Magic of the Home Run, now streaming on Roku. Wood was in suburban Atlanta on Tuesday, both taking in the baseball All-Star Game in suburban Atlanta and commenting on the pure poetry of hitting dingers for the MLB Network. As always, Wood, who played some high-school and college ball, took his glove to the game — just in case. 'I love that old-school Expos logo and I'm also a big Andre Dawson fan,' says Wood in a Zoom interview, referring to the star outfielder known here as the Hawk, who spent most of his career with the Expos and Cubs. Wood, like many an up-and-coming comic, got his start in the JFL New Faces series in 2006 and came back a decade later to perform in another show. But this is the first time he'll do the fest as a solo artist. 'I felt that an Expos jacket as a non-Canadian would be the safest thing to wear,' he cracks, noting he purchased the jacket in — yikes — Toronto on a JFL tour — that didn't come to Montreal — two years ago. As a non-Canadian, he is also up to speed on the angst his president is imposing on Canadians with his ever-volatile trade tariffs. 'It's definitely a time now when as an American you're paying the price for someone else's policy,' he says, before jumping in with this chestnut: 'I just almost want that our voting results be made public so I could just go through Customs in the I-Didn't-Vote-for-Him Lane.' 'Regardless of what's happening on the federal level, Americans still have to pay close attention to state and local politics — when you look at the flash flooding that's happening in Texas that's taken over 100 lives. And when it's time to figure out who to blame, it's state and local … But I'm thankful to get up to Canada and argue with you guys about your politics,' he quips. Anything to get his mind off the current state of affairs back home. 'It's almost surreal what's happening now. You've got one group of Americans who are basically still celebrating the (Trump) win, but still can't really tell you what they won. There's another group of Americans still fighting it. And then there is a third group who are in their own Dystopian let-me-know-when-this-is-over type situation. It's like a roller-coaster … you've got people up front with their heads down and their eyes closed, and you've got people in the back hanging on for dear life. 'People who love Trump still love him, but we will still need more time on blowback of some of his policies. It will be interesting to see what happens with his cuts on Medicaid in the next couple of years, with his spending-bill cuts. I'm not calling it 'a Big Beautiful Bill.' That's part of the problem: Americans want to give everything a title to make everything more glorious than what it is. … Stop it. 'It used to be kick-ass to be an American … now you just have to tuck your head down and go whoops and say 'sorry about that.'' The good news is American political parodists have an abundance of fodder, and Wood's career has been going gangbusters of late. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that with his carving skills, Wood headlined the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2023 — under Biden as president — to its highest ratings since 2017. He also served as a Daily Show correspondent for eight years and later guest-hosted it for a period. Apart from his baseball special, he appears in the coming film comedy Outcome, alongside Keanu Reeves and Jonah Hill. And his book memoir, The Man of Many Fathers, will be released in October. 'That book is about all the dads who helped raise me after my father passed when I was 16,' elaborates Wood, the father of a 9-year-old son. 'We all encounter various people from whom we get our values. I don't feel our parents are exclusive instructors of a child's moral core. This is a collection of stories of random people, some of whom I can't even remember their names, and others like high-school coaches and Trevor Noah, all of whom helped me in one capacity or another. I'm just thankful to all these people who saw enough in me to take me under their wing. 'And I just want my son to learn and appreciate failure, because that is the key to success.'
Montreal Gazette
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Just for Laughs pillar Nick Brazao eyes ‘next generation of great standups'
By Nick Brazao has all the necessary comedy bona fides for his role as head of programming and talent at Just for Laughs. Prior to working in the JFL programming department 16 years ago, the Montrealer paid dues on the other side of the stage for 15 years as a much-sought-after standup on the local scene. After leaving the stage, much of Brazao's time in programming was spent under the tutelage of one of the best comedy trackers in the business, Robbie Praw, who went on to head Netflix's live comedy division. 'I gave up the standup to get on to the production side, to get a closer connection to the world-class comedy scene, and that satisfies a lot of the reasoning I got into comedy in the first place,' Brazao, 44, says. One of the few employees of the previous JFL regime still with the festival, Brazao helped put together talent for last year's last-minute inaugural event under the leadership of Sylvain Parent-Bédard, the JFL president and CEO who took over the fest a year ago amid much turmoil. But whereas Brazao had a few weeks to book talent last year, he's had nearly a year to put together anglo programming for this year's fest as well as others in Toronto, Vancouver, Bermuda and Sydney, plus travelling shows and one-nighters across this country. 'About 15 months ago, there was concern that Just for Laughs could disappear, but the opportunity to bring everything back has been so uplifting,' Brazao says. 'So many great memories have been made over the four decades the festival has been around. Now, we have the opportunity to make many more.' Parent-Bédard doesn't mince words in crediting Brazao's contributions: 'Nick has been our organization's cornerstone.' Brazao's programming goals have changed over time. 'One of our guiding principles is try to provide something, both international and local, for all comedy tastes, which are so very widespread,' notes Brazao. 'That applies to fans as well as to other comics and industry players. 'There have been so many great comics to come out of here and the challenge is always to find new voices. Just as I was blown away by Bill Burr nearly 20 years ago, I'm on the lookout for the next generation of great standups.' On that note, Brazao offers eight picks he's sure will click with audiences: 1) Che Durena, host of the Nasty Show series, July 16-25, mostly at Club Soda: 'A viral Canadian comedy sensation with over eight million followers on social media platforms, he's done galas and shows with us over the years. But this year will be his first at the helm of one of our legacy events and he won't disappoint with his spin on nasty. The subject matter may have changed over the years, but he will let loose with the best of them.' 2) Asif Ali, host of the Culture Show, July 16-23, mostly at Club Soda: 'Coming off acclaimed performances in the streaming series Deli Boys and The Mandalorian, Ali, an L.A.-based comic, has been a hit on gala shows in past festivals. Like the Nasty Show, the plan is also to keep another of our most popular series, the ex-Ethnic Show, continuously evolving.' 3) Nick Mohammed, solo show Nick Mohammed is Mr. Swallow: Show-Pony, July 23-26 at Le Gesù: 'Best known for his role as a rival soccer manager in one of TV's most acclaimed series, Ted Lasso — for which he netted two Emmy nominations — this outstanding comedian/writer will be seen in an entirely different and hilarious light in a 75-minute revue. There will be roller skates, there will be musical numbers, and, above all, many laughs.' 4) Mary Beth Barone, solo show, July 26 at Club Soda: 'One of the stars and writers of the hit series Overcompensating and a repeat guest on Jimmy Fallon's late-night talk show, her first standup special, Thought Provoking, was just that. Currently on an extended and sold-out U.S./Canada tour, this American standup is on a roll, having headlined at the New York Comedy Fest, the Netflix Comedy Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe and is co-host of the podcast Ride with Benito Skinner. This will mark her first performance in Montreal, but definitely not her last.' 5) Stamptown, July 23-25 at Club Soda: 'A full-on fevered show hosted by the unforgettable Zach Zucker and featuring some of the most energetic, over-the-top comics from around the world, it is totally bananas, raunchy and chaotic; 90 minutes of pure spectacle and has sold out rooms everywhere it has played. Past shows have included the likes of Neil Patrick Harris, Richard Kind, Mae Martin, David Cross and Sarah Sherman.' 6) Rhys Darby, The Legend Returns, July 24 at MTelus: 'A legend indeed is this comic from New Zealand, who cracked up audiences big time in the Flight of the Conchords series. An unbelievable talent, he's so unique and such a delight. Every time he's done JFL, he's left audiences in stitches.' 7) Cat Cohen, July 23 at Le Studio TD: 'U.S.-based, but well known around the world for festival and TV appearances as well as her two Netflix specials. A comedian, actress and songwriter, she appears in Season 4 of Only Murders in the Building and in the Sirens series with Julianne Moore and stars opposite Elle Fanning in the film Sentimental Value. Her career got off to a roaring start in 2019 having won the coveted title of Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Her show is music, comedy and incredibly entertaining.' 8) Andrea Jin, featured performer in the Culture Show, July 16-23, mostly at Club Soda: 'Originally from Shanghai, she grew up in Vancouver, and is now based in L.A. She has a huge following online and is a former New Face of Comedy. She'll also be doing a gala and our Roast Battle as well as an Off-JFL solo show July 25 at Café Cléopâtre. Sky is the limit here. Could well be the breakout star at this year's fest.'
Toronto Sun
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Tom Segura, Mae Martin, Russell Peters enlisted for revamped Just For Laughs festival
Published May 08, 2025 • 1 minute read Television reporters set up outside the Just for Laughs offices in Montreal Tuesday March 5, 2024 after the company declared bankruptcy. Photo by John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Tom Segura and Russell Peters are among the headliners booked for a revamped Just For Laughs comedy festival. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Montreal summer showcase is touting a lineup that includes Toronto's Mae Martin, Pakistani-American comic Kumail Nanjinai, and U.S. comics Fortune Feimster, Michelle Buteau and Adam Ray. JFL president and CEO Sylvain Parent-Bedard says this year's festival will have something for everyone as it rebounds from bankruptcy under new ownership. Parent-Bedard's company ComediHa! purchased Just For Laughs last year after the Montreal comedy giant declared bankruptcy. The company mounted shows in Vancouver and Bermuda last year but the Montreal festival is their flagship event. JFL is set to run from July 16 to 27 and tickets go on sale on May 12. Parent-Bedard says he's applying a 'comedy first' approach to a new chapter of Just For Laughs. 'I have my hands on the wheel. We can make our own decisions, and we are going to make decisions about love for comedy, about passion,' Parent-Bedard said in an interview. Toronto Maple Leafs Canada Editorial Cartoons World Celebrity
