Sabrina Jalees

Since stepping onto the stage of a Yuk Yuk’s amateur night at 16, Sabrina Jalees has become one of the most recognizable and widespread faces in the Canadian comedy scene.

Armed with a full set of braces with a side of confidence, the beginning of her career had both crowds and industry turning heads. Her uplifting take on being half Pakistani, half Swiss and brought up Muslim in a mainly white neighbourhood had her standing out from the get go. Less than a year after her first set, Sabrina was leaving her high school classes to perform for colleges and universities. Her keen sense of humour combined with blind ambition drove her to beat pretty much every age-related record within the Canadian comedy community.

She was the youngest comic to tour for Yuk Yuks. The youngest comic to record a Comedy Now special. The youngest stand up to perform at the prestigious Just For Laugh’s Festival…And, at 17, she flexed her sketch and improv skills by breaking Mike Myers’ record for being the youngest comic ever hired by Second City.

It soon became clear that Sabrina Jalees’ story was more than the novelty of a young act. While studying Radio and Television Arts at Ryerson, she was offered the opportunity to host a season of CBC’s Smart Ask. Understanding of the importance of education she chose to stay enrolled, successfully balancing a fulltime shooting schedule, fulltime class itinerary and a hectic touring calendar.

Once the door to television was opened, Jalees jumped in with two feet. She flexed her acting chops in the Lifetime Movie of the Week, Mom At Sixteen, in which she played Sarah, a conflicted pregnant teen. And most recently, Sabrina can be seen in CBS’ Flashpoint in the role of Cassaundra. Other television credits include leading roles in YTV’s System Crash, Slice Network’s Plastic Makes Perfect, Animal Planet’s The A List and a memorable appearance on NBC’s Last Comic Standing.

She is perhaps most recognized from her blunt and unique sensibility on Much Music’s Video On Trial and appears as several different characters (including fan favourite, Ranjita) in the network’s Stars Gone Wild. In 2009, she was given the amazing opportunity of both writing for and hosting YTV’s exciting new reality series In Real Life, for which she was nominated for a Gemini Award.

Jalees was the host of CBC Radio’s Laugh Out Loud with Sabrina Jalees and was the Toronto Star’s weekly humour columnist for three years before moving to New York City in 2009.  In the ’09 school year, Sabrina performed at over 30 colleges and universities in North America. Aside from touring this continent, Jalees’ jokes and keynote speaking have taken her to both England and South Africa.

These days, if you’re looking for Sabrina Jalees these days, she’s either on your TV, radio, chasing gates at your local airport or all of the above.

• 1. Shut Up And Do It: A Comedic Kick In The Butt

  "The only difference between having dreams and achieving them is taking real steps towards your goals."
  
  This presentation is a clever, motivational blend of advice and stand up comedy delivered through the lens of one of Canada's fastest rising stars. Sabrina acknowledges that her success as a globally touring speaker, comedian and television personality can solely be credited to her decision to take action early in the game by stepping to her first open mic at the age of 16.
  
  Sabrina inspires her audience by relaying her stories with sincerity and wit. Aside from the importance of taking action, this talk is largely based on the importance of not only accepting but embracing diversity. Sabrina openly discusses her journey from the shy ethnic girl in a predominantly white neighborhood to not only feeling empowered about her half, Pakistani, half Swiss heritage- but earning a living based on being loud and proud about it.

• “Sabrina is a talented and dynamic comedian. She is able to make things happen for any type of audience. Her keynote performance here at the Impact National Leadership Conference added a very special touch and helped to make our event an unforgettable one. There's no doubt that Sabrina Jalees is a bright spot in our country's next generation of entertainers.”
  Impact Entrepreneurship Group
• “Sabrina Jalees, was an excellent addition to our corporate off-site. Her wit, humour, pop culture references and her ability to play off the audience made for a memorable night.”
  Rogers Cable
• “Just a quick note to tell you how delighted we all were with Sabrina's help with the Field to Fork event last week. Not only was Sabrina supremely funny - connecting perfectly with our audience of 2000 - but her professsionalism and attention to detail truly added to the quality and success of the event. I very much look forward to working with Sabrina in the future, and would heartily recommend her services to anyone needing a highly skilled, bright, witty, and conscientious Host or MC. You should not hesitate to suggest that your corporate clients use her services.”
  Canadian Association of Food Service Professionals

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