ON STAGE
奥丑补迟:听The Alternative Comedy Tour with T.J. Miller, Rhys Darby and Nick Vatterott
Where: McPherson Playhouse
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Tickets: $55.75 through , the Royal McPherson box officeor 250-386-6121
When comic T.J. Miller talks, you can鈥檛 be sure if he鈥檚 telling the truth. But when it comes to explaining what makes Canadians laugh, he appears to have a solid understanding.
鈥淐anadians, unlike some Angelinos and some New Yorkers, don鈥檛 take themselves that seriously,鈥� Miller said recently during a tour stop in Edmonton. 鈥淢ontrealers do, but for the most part, Canadians are open to being made fun of and like self-effacing humour. There鈥檚 a national sensibility here I can get right in line with.鈥�
Though he has yet to stage a cross-sa国际传媒 tour, the raspy-voiced 36-year-old 鈥� who was born in Denver and lives in New York 鈥� has worked in several Canadian cities. He shot both Deadpool movies in Vancouver and was in Toronto for his role in the hockey comedy Goon: Last of the Enforcers.
He also has nearly a decade鈥檚 worth of experience with Edmonton comedy club The Comic Strip, a key stop for comics in West Edmonton Mall.
鈥淚鈥檝e been working in West Edmonton Mall for almost the entire time I鈥檝e been doing standup, because the Bronsons, who own it, are practically family. They were some of the first people to really believe in me as a headliner.鈥�
Miller 鈥� who is better known for his work in the Deadpool franchise and HBO comedy Silicon Valley than his standup comedy these days 鈥� is back in sa国际传媒 as a headliner for The Alternative Comedy Tour. Miller is joined by Rhys Darby and Nick Vatterott for the Just For Laughs showcase, two comedians with similarly expressive and absurdist styles. None of the three is what you would call predictable, hence, the tour title. But it鈥檚 clear Miller is the true wild card.
Miller prefers to call himself a loose cannon. 鈥淩ather than an unhinged madman, I鈥檓 a slightly hinged lunatic,鈥� he said.
To him, his role on the tour is 鈥渢o distract, to entertain, to remind people that life can be silly and funny.鈥� He鈥檒l have his chances with two shows in Victoria on Saturday at the McPherson Playhouse, his first performances on Vancouver Island and the final shows of the tour.
Miller feels confident heading into the weekend, having spent plenty of time in Vancouver over the years, to film his scenes as the wisecracking Weasel in Deadpool. He鈥檚 also seen enough of the country in recent weeks to know that his Victoria performances will be equal parts love-in and laugh-fest.
He鈥檚 a massive fan of Canadian sketch troupe Kids in the Hall, and counts John Candy and SCTV among his biggest comedic influences. 鈥淢y experience with sa国际传媒 was limited to Edmonton and Vancouver, where we do Deadpool, and the big cities 鈥� Toronto, Montreal,鈥� he said.
鈥淏ut I鈥檝e always known Canadians to be really funny. Some of the best comedians in America are Canadian. I strongly identify with the Canadian sense of humour. Right now, Schitt鈥檚 Creek [which airs on CBC] is my favourite television show.鈥�
Miller 鈥� a polarizing figure 鈥� has his detractors, to be sure. After quitting the critically acclaimed Silicon Valley this year, he gave a widely discussed interview with The Hollywood Reporter wherein he criticized some of the producers and cast of the Emmy-winning show. He has also been involved in Twitter spats with fellow comics Marc Maron and Rob Schneider, among many others. Polarizing? You bet.
He finds himself in such situations on a regular basis, which suggests that Miller (who studied persuasion theory at George Washington University) relishes his role as a provocateur. He encountered a heckler during the Hamilton, Ont., stop on the current tour. Looking back on it days later, he laughed.
鈥淣o hard feelings,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was really, really fun. I love any experience like that. It鈥檚 really fun for me.鈥�
The other side of Miller鈥檚 career 鈥� his work as a voiceover actor in family-friendly movies 鈥� presents an interesting dichotomy. It鈥檚 ironic for him to be known with one audience as the sidekick in Deadpool, the highest-grossing R-rated film of all-time, while simultaneously earning cheers from another audience for his work in the popular animated films How To Train Your Dragon, Big Hero 6 and The Emoji Movie.
Miller, of course, believes he has it all figured out, especially where Walt Disney Pictures is concerned. Rumours have appeared suggesting the company (which Miller worked with on the Academy Award-winning Big Hero 6) was in talks to purchase 20th Century Fox, which owns the rights to the lucrative Deadpool franchise. When the news appeared, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds expressed concern over the future of the franchise, whereas Miller, who says he is friends with several Disney executives, responded with: 鈥淗oly shit would this be amazing.鈥�
In a rare moment of seriousness, Miller explains his stand where Disney and Deadpool are concerned.
鈥淒isney is good. We believe in Disney. They are interested in positively affecting children鈥檚 moral compasses by injecting progressive values into their movies. It鈥檚 about caring, it鈥檚 about support, it鈥檚 about becoming a hero 鈥� all these are great things.鈥�
