Brent_Butt

Brent Butt

Brent Butt

Canadian actor, comedian, and writer

Brent Leroy Butt[1] (born August 3, 1966) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his role as Brent Leroy on the CTV sitcom Corner Gas, which he created.[2][3] He also created the television series Hiccups and wrote the 2013 film No Clue. In 2023, he released his debut novel, Huge, a psychological thriller about touring comedians.

Quick Facts Born, Occupations ...

Early life and education

Born on August 3, 1966, in Tisdale, Saskatchewan,[4] Butt attended Tisdale Unit Composite School. After graduating, Butt briefly attended Ontario's Sheridan College before returning to his home in Saskatchewan.

Career

While working as a drywaller, Butt and a friend started a publishing company, Windwolf Graphics. His comic, Existing Earth, was nominated for an Eagle Award. They published two issues before running out of money.

In February 1988, Butt performed stand-up comedy for the first time at an amateur night at a Saskatoon comedy club.[5] He then began performing in the Yuk Yuk's chain in Western Canada, before moving to Toronto in 1989, where he lived in a Cabbagetown apartment with two other comedians, and performing at Yuk Yuk's there.

Butt presented stand-up performances for CTV, CBC Television, CBC Radio's Definitely Not the Opera, and The Comedy Network in Canada, as well as A&E in the United States and the Special Broadcasting Service in Australia. He composed a number of prairie-oriented funny and/or "folksy" songs, including "Nothing Rhymes with Saskatchewan" and "Hairy Legs".

In 2003, through his production company Prairie Pants, Butt co-created the CTV television series Corner Gas, set in his home province of Saskatchewan.[6][7] He starred in the show from 2004 to 2009[8]

On May 19, 2005, Butt hosted a Royal Command Performance gala for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to celebrate the Canadian province's centennial. He performed his song "Nothing Rhymes with Saskatchewan" and traded jokes with Leslie Nielsen. That year, he also hosted the Juno Awards.[9]

In 2008, Butt and Prairie Pants made the decision to end Corner Gas after its sixth season, which aired during the 2008–2009 season.[10]

At the World Television Festival in Banff, Alberta, Butt was given the Comedy Network Sir Peter Ustinov Award which is presented in recognition of a significant body of comedic work. Past recipients include John Cleese, Bob Newhart, John Candy, and Eugene Levy.[11]

Butt also wrote and produced a comedy series for CTV, from 2010 to 2011, entitled Hiccups. The series starred Nancy Robertson as Millie Upton, a children's author who begins seeing a life coach to deal with her anger management issues.[12]

On July 25, 2010, Butt had a one-hour comedy special titled The Brent Butt Comedy Special. It was shown on The Comedy Network. Guest stars were Seth Rogen, Dave Foley, and Jully Black.

In 2014, Butt co-wrote and co-executive produced the film, Corner Gas: The Movie, which was released in theatres and on CTV on December that year.[13] He also reprised the role of Brent LeRoy. The film included cameo appearances by several Canadian TV personalities as well as Academy Award nominee Graham Greene and Will Sasso.

In April 2018, Brent's follow-up series Corner Gas Animated premiered on The Comedy Network.[13]

In 2023 his debut novel was released, Huge, a psychological thriller set among stand-up comedians on tour.[14]

Personal life

Butt is married to his Corner Gas and Hiccups co-star Nancy Robertson. The two have been married since 2005.

Awards and nominations

Butt has won four Canadian Comedy Awards, for Best Male Stand-up (2001), Best Male TV Performance (Corner Gas, 2004–05), and Best Writing – TV Series (Corner Gas, 2004). The Comedy Network Sir Peter Ustinov Award was awarded to Butt at the Banff World Television Festival in 2008.[15]

Filmography

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References

  1. [1]
    "Oscar & Emma's House". Corner Gas. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  2. [2]
    Pat Hancock (July 2009). Crazy Canadian Trivia 4. Scholastic Canada. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-545-98994-7.
  3. [3]
    Butt, Brent. "IMDb Profile". IMDB.
  4. [4]
    McIntosh, Andrew (2015). "Brent Butt". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Toronto: Historica Canada. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  5. [5]
    "Butt, Brent (Profile)". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-07.
  6. [6]
    Zoë Druick; Aspa Kotsopoulos (August 1, 2008). Programming Reality: Perspectives on English-Canadian Television. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press. p. 230. ISBN 978-1-55458-084-2.
  7. [7]
    Charles Boberg (August 26, 2010). The English Language in Canada: Status, History and Comparative Analysis. Cambridge University Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-139-49144-0.
  8. [8]
    Ron Brown (June 30, 2012). Rails Across the Prairies: The Railway Heritage of Canada's Prairie Provinces. Dundurn. p. 42. ISBN 978-1-4597-0216-5.
  9. [9]
    Stephen Stohn (March 3, 2018). Whatever It Takes: Life Lessons from Degrassi and Elsewhere in the World of Music and Television. Dundurn. p. 188. ISBN 978-1-4597-3999-4.
  10. [10]
    CBC Arts (April 10, 2008). "Corner Gas to end in spring 2009". Retrieved April 10, 2008.
  11. [11]
    Strauss, Marise (June 9, 2008). "Butt tickled to join his heroes". Playback Online. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
  12. [12]
    "CTV Orders New Comedy Pilot From Brent Butt". Channel Canada. October 2, 2008. Archived from the original on October 16, 2008. Retrieved October 3, 2008.
  13. [13]
    "Brent Butt interview: ‘Corner Gas Animated’ star talks about his hit TV revival". Pop Journalism. Robert Ballantyne, April 8, 2018.
  14. [14]
    "Brent Butt's debut novel HUGE is a psychological thriller inspired by his life as a touring stand-up comedian". CBC Books. October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  15. [15]
    Gopaul, Sarah (May 15, 2008). "'Corner Gas' star to be honoured with comedy award". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
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