L'artiste du Mois / Artist of the Month: Andrew Searles

Laughter is one of the oldest forms of self-expression and Innovative Motion is proud to present to you Montreal's up and coming comedian Andrew Searles. He is rapidly building a strong buzz for himself in his native city and the rest of Canada. In due time, Andrew will be another proud Montreal comedian to spread his talents globally. Ladies and gentleman Innovative Motion present you this month artist of the month Mr. Andrew Searles.

P.S we are not responsible for how hard you laugh while reading this interview!

Question 1 How did you know you wanted to be a comedian?

I actually fell backwards into comedy. I’ve always wanted to be an actor, first and foremost. But comedy was something that started in Drama class back in high school, and I liked the idea of performing in front an audience and always felt comfortable doing it. The sketches didn’t always had to be funny, but I always wanted to make them funny. Juggling drama class, being on the high school Improv team, and in the school play, it solidified in my head that I liked performing in front of people. It wasn’t until I started John Abbott College that a buddy of mine dared me to try stand-up comedy after finding out they do shows there. So I asked, and they let me perform in front of 300 people in the Agora, opening for Joey Elias and Ryan Wilner. Show was blast, and I figured “Hey that was kinda fun, let’s see how far I can go with this”. Now over 8 years later….still going strong!

Question 2 Who are your role models in the entertainment industry?

Role models would definitely be Eddie Murphy, Russell Peters, Sugar Sammy, and Chris Rock. There are so many more comedians I look up to but I think those 4 guys definitely had the greatest influence on me in the last few years of doing stand-up. Great performers and excellent teachers in the field. You know you’re a great and skilled comedian when you can teach other comedians without teaching them. I learn so much just by watching them, it’s incredible.

Question 3 Coming from Montreal, the home of the Just For Laughs festival, has that put added pressure on you to succeed? 

Not really, and if there is pressure, I certainly don’t feel it. Montreal’s Just for Laughs is the Mecca of comedy. But I don’t feel any pressure at all. Montreal has certainly exported a lot of good and amazing talent not just in comedy, but in all forms of entertainment from comedy to acting to musical talents. The only pressure I feel is, ‘Will I be the next export out of Montreal?’ We’ll see…

Question 4 What is your most memorable stand-up performance?

I think the most memorable stand-up performance I’ve done, the one that stands out the most is the first show I headlined at Dawson College, back in 2006. I recorded it, and there are some clips of it on my website and my Youtube Channel where I talk about smoking weed and touring around Quebec. I think that’s the show that really solidified myself in saying “Yeah, I’ve pushed this far and it’s a success. Time to push even further”. That show was milestone for me, so I’d say that’s the show that’s stood out the most. Shows at the Absolute Comedy in Ottawa are always crazy. Those people love comedy. But overall I’ve had some amazing audiences for shows, crazy things have happened on stage, and some shows I’ve walked off stage thinking “I should have been a doctor”. 

Question 5 Where do you see your career in 5 and 10 years from now?

Definitely juggling comedy and acting. That’s something I’ve always wanted to do, acting more so. So I think being half Denzel, Half Chris Rock would definitely be a fun and amazing lifestyle for me. Oh, and have definitely moved out of my parents house by then too. It would just be creepy to being a lovely young lady home and say “Yeah this is the Oscar I won 2 years ago. And this is a picture of (Obama and I)  together at a charity ball. And this picture was when I headlined my first TV special, and---Oh Mom, you’re up early. Damn. Oh ok, well…Mom, this is…I’m sorry, what’s your name again?”, followed by both women sucking their teeth at me.

Question 6 Where can we see you perform?

I’m often at Ernie Butler’s Comedy Nest, as well as the ComedyWorks, but if people want to follow where I’m performing next, they can definitely check out my website atwww.andrewsearles.com, and see where I’m performing next. Or join my Facebook group “That Funny Oreo Comedian” and I post all my shows there too.

Question 7 What does the power of laughter mean to you?

It’s like a weapon. I think of it as the “power of laughter” as the gun, and the person who I want to make laugh is the target. Sometimes they’re easy, other times they’re wearing a Kevlar vest, other times they’re behind 10 feet of reinforced steel behind a solid wall, buried in a dungeon a kilometre under the surface. Some people want to come to a show willing to laugh, and they want to laugh. Those are the people that show up “unarmed”. Then there are those who are a little tough to crack, but they want to laugh. Those are ones with the Kevlar vest. Now, those people who are behind the wall, behind the steel, hundreds of feet underground, those are the people who are super left wing, super politically correct, and nothing is funny for them. Those are the people who show up to a show with their arms crossed with a pissed off look on their face. I look at those people and think “Why are you here?” I don’t bother with them. I look for the people who want to laugh, and paid their money and want to enjoy the value they paid to enjoy themselves. I like provoking an emotional response and making people have a great time when they come to a show. Some people rarely get to go out, and when they do, this is their one time they get to go out and have fun, and laugh, and have a great time. Those are the people I like to make them have a great time, and make sure they walk away saying “Omg, I had such a good time tonight”. That’s when I feel very satisfied and glad they had a great time at the show. 

Question 8 How do you relate your everyday life experiences into your sets?

I bring it all into my sets. I talk about things I experience, things that I see happen, things I’ve done, and just bring it all into my comedy. But a good comedian knows how to adapt their life to the audience to make sure the people can relate and understand what’s going on in their life, so the audience can say “Oh yeah, I understand, I’ve done that. I’ve been through that”. It establishes a connection, and once you have that connection with the audience, you can take them anywhere you want to go. I talk about being a student, having a part-time job, and being single, all things people can relate to one aspect or another. 

Question 9 If you weren't a comedian what would you be?

Porn Star. I wouldn’t deny it, there’s good money to be made in it. The ladies can get a dose of the Chocolate Thunder at….oh wait, my parents will be reading this... ummm, Lawyer!! That’s what I would be doing, being a Lawyer. I wouldn’t deny it, there’s good money to be made in it. It’s almost kinda catchy too. “Hello Ladies, Chocolate Thunder. Attorney at law” 

I’m so grounded after this…and again, parents sucking their teeth at me..

Question 10 What is your definition of being FLY?
Being FLY is definitely being one step above and ahead of everyone. FLY is definitely the 21st Century of being cool. Gotta be FLY just means, you gotta be cool. Definitely something people should be getting on the band wagon for, either wise you’re just not FLY enough for me ;-)

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