A pillar of Canadian comedy, Ron James stopped by our Toronto office recently to share exciting news about his upcoming book—an “anti-fame” look at the poignant and hilarious moments that permeate his world criss-crossing Canada and speaking to people from all walks of life. Ron’s trademark comedic craft taps into the DNA of our nation, something he says was a deliberate opting out of chasing the American comedy grail many of our country’s comedic minds pursue.
The result is his unique perspective on who we are as Canadians when it comes to laughs. He mentions that we aren’t as open to some of the divisive comedy coming from our neighbours to the south, and stresses that mindset informs his own goals to “make sure the plumber and the professor are laughing at the same joke”.
“Comedy is a chance to connect the dots in the chaos we’re all walking through—in the language of laughs,” says Ron in the clip above. His unifying comedic approach shows a master who moves beyond one liners, drawing lines that connect us as a diverse nation that can all gather around a good joke.