|
Brent Butt was born in
Tisdale, Saskatchewan (pop. 3000) on August 3, 1966- the very same
day that legendary comedian Lenny Bruce died. The youngest of seven
children, Brent discovered that making people laugh was the quickest
way to get their attention. In an environment where sharp wits triumphed
over pull-my-finger gags, Brent learned to 'work clean' at a very
early age. However, you can only build a comedy career so far in
Tisdale- and so it wasn't long before Brent headed for the bright
lights of Toronto. In a few years he went from doing 5 minutes on
amateur night in Saskatoon to performing professionally for huge
crowds in Canada and the United States.
Brent's style, which he refers to as "coffee
shop humour", is comfortable and relaxed. "My friends and
I used to sit in the local coffee shop, litterally for hours, just
talking. We would discuss everything from world domination to the
best kind of socks." Butt says, "That's what I try to recapture
onstage, that easy style. The jokes naturally build and multiply in
that situation. You don't have to force them".
Brent's career has continued to build momentum over the years. From doing Television Specials on every network in Canada (and a few cable channels) to sold out concert shows in theatres across the country, Brent established himself as one of Canada's favourite funnymen. In 2003, he teamed up with CTV to create the hugely popular sitcom "CORNER GAS". The ratings for the show went through the roof, averaging over a million viewers per episode - with reruns of the show even drawing in a million plus each week. The network signed up for a second season (18 episodes this time) and on Oct.5 2004, the second season opened with the largest viewing audience ever - 1.53 MILLION VIEWERS!!!
Brent continues to live in Vancouver, BC and tours extensively across the country in between seasons of Corner Gas. |