... He Nails It!

The CBC's 22 Minutes presented a preview of George Stroumboulopoulos on Hockey Night in Canada last night to its viewers.  In this episode, George interviews Joffrey Lupul, and Jian Gomeshi joins them to add some commentary to George's commentary.  The result?  Mark Critch nails it.  Watch.  ;)

Watch

This week in Strombo GST June 17-19

George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight this week
On CBC. We will cover CNN's Friday show in another post.

Monday June 17
Activist Jane Goodall

Guest on the panel Chuck Hughes

Tuesday June 18
Comedian, actor, innkeeper Shaun Majumder

Panel guest the very funny Jamillah Ross

Wednesday June 19
Murdoch Mysteries'Yannick Bisson

On the panel Lauren Hammersley

Thursday June 20
From BNL Ed Robertson

Canadian musical icon k-os

On the 3 things panel Bobby Mair

Friday June 21
Actress Famke Janssen

ActorDonal Longue

Comedy panelist, the hilarious Jessica Holmes

George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight: March 11-15, 2013

 George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight this week
This week features some interesting guests. Four of the guests have a connection to This Hour Has 22 Minutes and six of them have a connection to the CBC. Seven guests are from the East Coast with one from Saskatoon, another from Scotland and two others from outside Canada.  So without any further adieu, let us get to know our guests a little bit more.

MONDAY

Mary Walsh was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland. She grew up in a troubled home and left to study theatre at Ryerson University in Toronto. She did not complete her degree in pursuits to work with CODCO, produced on the East Coast, which ran on CBC from 1987 to 1992. CODCO transformed into This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
The 60 year old award winning actress, comedian and social activist lives with macular degeneration. The condition affects older adults with a loss of vision due to a damaged retina. Mary uses her experiences to occasionally serve as the spokesperson for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. She married an English professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Don Nichol, in 2002.

Maggie Cassella is the youngest in a family of six children. Her Italian heritage and Catholic-Jewish roots have influenced her along with her degrees in Philosophy and Women’s Studies. She taught Philosophy and Religion to Connecticut students in a boarding school. She later became a lawyer for 8.5 years helping marginalized individuals and the gay community.
She fell in love with a girl from Toronto and relocated where she became a Stand Up Comedian. She performed Because I Said So in Provincetown for 21 years before appearing regularly on STAR. She turned that experience into her own talk show called Because I Said So, which allowed her to interview high profile celebrities and produce a stint at TIFF. She’s written a book and two screenplays while doing comedy on radio.
 She currently stars in The Vent and has a production company, A Sweet Little Production Company, in Toronto.  

TUESDAY

Trailer Park Boys is a Canadian mockumentary takes place in the fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The series ended in 2008, but the films continued afterwards in 2009 and 2013.
Mike Smith was born in New Glasglow, Nova Scotia and grew up in Thorton. He has an English degree from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He was once considered a guitar prodigy and even played in the band, Sandbox. He has played with Rush and Guns N’ Roses.
Rob Wells and John Paul Tremblay grew up on the same street in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. They attended the same high school. Rob was born in Moncton, New Brunswick and moved to Cole Harbour when he was eight. Rob is also a distant cousin to Stephen Harper.    

Frank Spadone attended Humber College in the Photography program, which led to his career as a Comedian. He worked with some of the top photographers and entertained crew with his sense of humour and imitations. He began his career as a Stand Up Comedian in 1997. He credits Second City and his grandparents for perfecting his craft. He also starred in Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle like another guest coming up this week.  In addition, he has appeared on CBC's Laugh Out Loud.

 WEDNESDAY

David Sutcliffe was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He has an English degree from University of Toronto where he played varsity basketball and served as a waiter before he sustained a knee injury. He has worked with Sandra Oh, Diane Lane, Antonio Sabato Jr, and Heather Graham in his television and film career. The 43 year old actor has appeared on Will and Grace, Friends, CSI, Private Practice, and Gilmore Girls.  
He currently stars as Aidan Black on Cracked as a police offer who transfers to Emergency Task Force after struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The show revolves around people with mental illness.

Shaun Majumder was born in Burlington, Newfoundland 40 years ago to a European mother and Bengali Hindu Indian mother. He has explored his roots in the Canadian version of Who Do You Think You Are?
He also explores his background in his HBO documentary, Every Word Is Absolutely True. Shaun’s new show, Majumder Manor, aired their season finale two weeks ago. It tracks his quest to build an eco-luxe and modern four to five bedroom house in Burlington NL.
Shaun has a long career in theatre, stand-up comedy, and improv. The Gemini winner has appeared in Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, Pushing Tin, Unhitched, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, 24, Republic of Doyle and The Firm.  He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Shelby, and their dog Jazz.

THURSDAY

Ron James was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia but later moved to Halifax. He has a History and Political Science degree from Acadia University and intended to be a History Teacher. James headed into theatre instead and eventually joined Second City in Toronto. After spending time in Los Angeles doing mostly voice work for Star Wars: Ewoks and appearing in TV shows like Wings, he came to Canada where he won a writing award for This Hour Has 22 Minutes. He separated from his wife in 2011 and currently lives in Toronto.

Jonny Harris is originally from Whitehorse, Yukon before spending most of his life in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He currently stars as George on Murdoch Mysteries where he has received two Gemini nominations for Best Supporting Lead in a Dramatic Series.  He’s also been a guest writer on This Hour Has 22 Minutes along with a long career in comedy.  

 FRIDAY

Billy Connolly has an intriguing past. He first appeared with the Scottish Opera in 1978 after working as a welder in the shipyards and performing a folk band called The Humblebums. He has released videos, books and acted in London’s West End, The Royal Albert Hall, Hammersmith Oden. He broke the Hammersmith’s record for longest run in 1991. He has traveled across Australia, New Zealand, Mozambique, Ireland, Canada, The Middle East, Hong Kong, USA, and the UK.
He’s starred with Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Whoopi Goldberg, Dame Judi Dench, Malcolm McDowell, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robin Wright Penn, Renee Zellweger, Gerard Butler, Ken Watanabe, Timothy Spall, Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey, Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman. He married Pamela Stephenson in Fiji in 1990. He’s enjoyed a long career in comedy, theatre, BBC, and film.

Chuck Byrn has been a professional comedian for 19 years. He’s done several comedy festivals, commercials and appeared in Monk and Last Comic Standing.

Strombo this week Jan 27 - Feb 1

George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight this week

Sunday Jan 27  
The Strombo Show on CBC Radio 2 every Sunday night at 8pm -11pm.

Monday Jan 28
The star of Majumder Manor Shaun Majumder

Shaun Majumder was born in Burlington, Newfoundland to a Bengali Hindu Indian father and a European descended mother. This Gemini Award winner appeared in 24, Da Kink in My Hair, Robson Arms, Republic of Doyle, The Firm and This Hour Has 22 Minutes. His film work includes Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, and Pushing Tin. His documentary, Every Word is Absolutely True, debuted on HBO and gained critical praise. He currently resides in Los Angeles. Shaun will be discussing his new show, Majumder Manor, where he invites audiences to his hometown of 350 people as he builds a 2.6 million, 5 star environmentally friendly lodge with high end guest cabins, a food supply and guided tours. You can see how his community, family, and friends feel about his quest to rejuvenate Burlington every Monday at 7pm on the W Network.  

Panel guest actress Jamillah Ross

Jamiliah Ross is an actor, singer and comedian who enjoys making brownies and is happy to see Wynne become the Ontario premier.

Tuesday Jan 29
Steve-O of Jackass fame.

Steve O was born Stephen Gilchrist Glover and is a stunt performer, comedian and TV personality best known for his work on Jackass. He was born in London, England to a Canadian mother and American father who was the president of the South American division of Pepsi-Cola. He moved between Canada, Brazil, Venezuela, Uganda and United States. Tommy Lee mentioned Steve in his autobiography as he was impressed by the young boy’s passion to meet Motley Crue that he phoned every hotel until he was able to track down the band. Steve now hosts a reality singing competition, Killer Karaoke, on Friday’s at 9pm on truTV. 

Panel guest comedian Pat Thornton

Pat was born in Kingston, Ontario and was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Performance by a Male- Television for Comedy Bar in 2012. He won the CCA for Best Sketch Troupe in 2007. He has appeared in various TV series such as Warehouse 13, Call Me Fitz, and Jon Dore Television Show.

Wednesday Jan 30
From Vancouver George interviews Oprah Winfrey

Oprah born in impoverished Mississippi to a teenage single mother before creating an empire under her name. Her name was intended to be Orpah after a biblical character in the Book of Ruth, but it was misspelled on her birth certificate and Oprah stuck. She has overcome childhood rape and becoming pregnant at 14 only to lose her son in infancy. She landed a job in radio while still in high school and began co-anchoring the local evening news by the time she was 19. Although she began her career with a reputation for classy and intimate conversations with her subjects, she eventually revolutionized the tabloid talk show. Oprah is also no stranger to controversy and even her attempts to focus on literature, self-help and spirituality did not escape the critics. Her influence over the public didn't seem effected and her support for Obama delivered over a million votes in the 2008 Democratic primary race. George had the opportunity to interview Oprah last week in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Watch tonight for an exclusive interview he had in Vancouver.

Panel guest comedian Lawrence Morgenstern

Lawrence Morgenstern is a stand-up veteran of over 20 years and played in every major comedy club in Canada and the United States. He has written material for David Schwimmer, Richard Lewis and Andre Philippe Gagnon in addition to Saturday Night Live and Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Thursday Jan 31
Actor and model Jason Momoa

Jason Momoa is best known for his role as Ronon Dex on Stargate: Atlantis and Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones, but this former model has also appeared as the title character in Conan the Barbarian. His father is Hawaiian while his mother is German, Irish and Native American. He has two children with Lisa Bonet. He was slashed in the face with a broken beer glass on November 15, 2008 and received around 140 stitches in reconstructive surgery and careful viewers can see his scars in later work. Jason teams up with Sylvester Stallone in Bullet to the Head in an action crime thriller about an assassin and detective who join forces to bring down a common enemy.

Panel guest comedian Jean Paul

Jean Paul was born in Trinidad, raised in Brooklyn and currently lives in Toronto. He is known for his spunk and diverse accents.

Friday Jan 1
Best of the week

Special thanks to Amanda Parsons for the words.

George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight: January 7-11, 2013

One of the greatest aspects of George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight is its promotion of Canadian content and this week is no exception. We get to meet our nation’s stars and listen to some fantastic in depth interviews. Here is what this week has in store for us.

MONDAY 7 JANUARY 2013

Yannick Bisson may have been born in Montreal, but he began acting when he moved to Toronto as a teenager. He starred in the TV movie Hockey Night with Megan Follows (Anne of Green Gables) and Rick Moranis.  Although he has starred in other Canadian series and features such as High Tide, Soul Food, Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye, and other projects he is often associated with his lead role in Murdoch Mysteries which has its sixth season premiere tonight at 9pm (9:30NT). Yannick is married to Chantal Craig and has three adult daughters Brianna, Dominique, and Mikaela. Yannick will discuss his career and life with George. Our panel includes

Lauren Hammersley When Lauren isn’t doing photography and stand-up comedy, she is acting full time. She has starred in Stag, Jon Dore Television Show, and Mr. D.

TUESDAY 8 JANUARY 2013

David Sutcliffe is originally from Saskatoon and holds an English Literature degree from University of Toronto. David’s varsity basketball career was short lived as he had sustained a knee injury and later moved to waiting tables at a greasy diner while he pursued acting. He is most known for his roles on Gilmore Girls, Private Practice and has now moved onto Cracked, an hour long crime drama on CBC. George will discuss acting, psychology and TV with David. And our panel features 

Shaun Majumder was born in Burlington, Newfoundland to a European descended mother and Bengali Hindu Indian father. He started his career on YTV’s Clips, but is most known for his work on CBC’s This Hour has 22 Minutes. Although he is associated with his alter ego, Raj Binder, Shaun has appeared on other shows like Republic of Doyle and The Firm. He also played Kumar’s brother in Harold and Kumar go to White Castle.  Shaun is also proud of his Newfoundland heritage and it shows in his HBO documentary Every Word is Absolutely True. 

WED 9 JANUARY 2013

Adam Rueben Beach is a Canadian Saulteaux actor who was born in Ashern, Manitoba. He grew up on the Lake Manitoba/Dog Cree First Nation Reserve and lost his mother when he was eight years old to a drunk driver. Eight months after his mother’s death, his father drowned in a nearby community unable to deal with his grief. He and his brothers were put into residential schools before embarking on his illustrious career in television and film. Adam has starred in Smoke Signals, Walker Texas Ranger, Flags of our Fathers, Windtalkers, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Law and Order: SVU, Skinwalkers, Thief of Time and now the lead on Arctic Air. He is also currently involved in the Idle No More campaign. George discusses acting, filming up north, and getting older with Adam. The panel features stand-up comedian Darrin Rose

Darrin Rose can be seen as Bill on Mr. D. Audiences may also know him from his time on Videos on Trial.

THURSDAY 10 JANUARY 2013

Ron James was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia and has a degree in History and Political Science from Acadia University. He originally intended to be a History Teacher, but fell under the influence of Helen Starr Bogg who ran the theatre program there. Upon graduating he moved to Toronto where he worked at Second City and later moved to LA where he had an interesting career. He has also done voice work in animation for shows including Star Wars: Ewoks and RoboCop: The Animated Series. James also played a bank security guard in Tommy Boy. Ron is mostly known for his stand-up comedy and associated with The Ron James Show, which debuted its fourth season premiere earlier this week.

Plus, our comedy panel features stand-up comedian Jonny Harris

Jonny Harris is a Canadian comedian from Pouch Cove, Newfoundland and can be seen as George on Murdoch Mysteries, which had its sixth season premiere on Monday night. He has also appeared on the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Halifax Comedy Festival, The Debaters and The Sketchertons. 

Friday’s show will feature the best of the week. 

Remember to tune into CBC Radio 2  tomorrow night to hear the conclusion of The Hundo on on The Strombo Show where George will count down the top 50 songs of 2012.