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Albert Howell (comedian)

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Albert Howell is a Canadian comedian, actor and writer, most noted as a Gemini Award nominee and Canadian Screen Award winner for his work on the writing team for the sketch comedy series This Hour Has 22 Minutes.[1]

Originally from Calgary, Alberta, where he did improv comedy with Loose Moose Theatre while studying political science at the University of Calgary,[2] he later moved to Toronto to join The Second City,[3] appearing in several shows with the company in both Toronto and Chicago between 1993 and 1996.[4]

Sketch comedy

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After leaving Second City, Howell and colleague Andrew Currie formed the comedy duo The Devil's Advocates; styling themselves as devil-horned spokesmen for Satan, they began regularly appearing on Citytv's Speakers Corner to present sarcastic commentary on videos recorded by other contributors.[5] Their segments became one of the most popular features of the program, particularly after a senior citizen named Harry began recording his own videos criticizing their videos, turning into a recurring feud.[6] They attracted such a following that at least one special episode of the series was devoted entirely to a "best of" compilation of Devil's Advocate appearances.[7]

In 1998, Howell and Currie were given their own show, Improv Heaven and Hell, on The Comedy Network, which saw the duo as the hosts of an improv comedy competition similar to Whose Line Is It Anyway?.[6] The series ran for three seasons, ending in 2001. Following the show's conclusion, Howell and Currie appeared in the improvisational stage show Sin City: The Live Improvised Soap Opera at the Poor Alex Theatre, alongside Pat Kelly, Peter Oldring, Herbie Barnes, Kirsten Van Ritzen, Joanne O'Sullivan, Mark McIntyre and Raoul Bhaneja.[8]

In 2002, Howell appeared in Population 282 at the Tim Sims Playhouse, alongside Janet van de Graaf, Lisa Merchant, Melody Johnson, Doug Morency, Jack Mosshammer, Leslie Kaz, Adrian Truss and Colin Mochrie.[9]

In 2003, he joined the cast of the sketch comedy series Comedy Inc..[10] In the same year, he mounted a joke campaign for Mayor of Toronto in the 2003 Toronto municipal election, running primarily on a platform of changing the city's garbage collection practices.[11]

Writing

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Following the end of Comedy Inc., Howell joined the writing staff of This Hour Has 22 Minutes, remaining with the show for several years.[12] He subsequently also wrote for the television series That's So Weird! and First World Problems, and was a story editor on the sitcom Satisfaction.

In 2013 he joined the writing staff of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,[1] although he noted the irony that even though he had previously lived in Toronto and wrote several Rob Ford sketches for 22 Minutes, he was largely sidelined from writing jokes about the crack scandal which broke a few weeks after he joined the show.[2]

Acting

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He has also had supporting or guest roles in the films Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Childstar, Plain Brown Rapper, Take This Waltz and First Round Down, and the television series The War Next Door, The Endless Grind, Little Mosque on the Prairie, My Babysitter's a Vampire, The Next Step and PEN15.

Awards

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Award Year Category Work Result Ref(s)
Canadian Comedy Awards 1999 Best Male Improviser Albert Howell Nominated
Best Performance by a Male in Television Improv Heaven and Hell
with Andrew Currie 		Nominated [13]
2004 Best Male Improviser Albert Howell Nominated
2006 Best Writing in a Television Series Comedy Inc.
with Roman Danylo, Aurora Browne, Jennifer Goodhue, Terry McGurrin, Jennifer Robertson, Ian Sirota, Winston Spear, Gavin Stephens 		Nominated
2007 Best Writing in a Television Special or Episode This Hour Has 22 Minutes
with Kevin White, Mark Critch, Gary Pearson, Gavin Crawford, Jennifer Whalen, Dave Nystrom, Carolyn Taylor 		Won
2008 This Hour Has 22 Minutes
with Mark Critch, Gavin Crawford, Gary Pearson, Kyle Tingley, Jennifer Whalen, Tim McAuliffe, Nathan Fielder, Geri Hall, Andrew Bush, Dean Jenkinson 		Won [14]
2009 Best Writing in a Television Program or Series This Hour Has 22 Minutes
with Mark Critch, Gavin Crawford, Kyle Tingley, Jennifer Whalen, Tim McAuliffe, Dean Jenkinson, Geri Hall, Nathan Fielder, Joanne O'Sullivan, Peter White 		Nominated
2011 This Hour Has 22 Minutes
with Tim McAuliffe, Mark Critch, Cathy Jones, Gavin Crawford, Kyle Tingley, Dean Jenkinson, Mike Allison, David Kerr, Bob Kerr 		Nominated
Gemini Awards 2007 Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series Comedy Inc.
with Roman Danylo, Aurora Browne, Jennifer Goodhue, Terry McGurrin, Jennifer Robertson, Ian Sirota, Winston Spear, Gavin Stephens 		Nominated [15]
2008 Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series This Hour Has 22 Minutes
with Andrew Bush, Gavin Crawford, Mark Critch, Nathan Fielder, Geri Hall, Dean Jenkinson, Tim McAuliffe, Gary Pearson, Kyle Tingley, Jennifer Whalen 		Nominated [16]
WGC Screenwriting Awards 2008 Writing, Television Variety This Hour Has 22 Minutes
with Kevin White, Mark Critch, Irwin Barker, Gavin Crawford, Gary Pearson, Jennifer Whalen, Carolyn Taylor, Dave Nystrom, Geri Hall, Todd Allen, Tim McAuliffe 		Won [17]
2009 This Hour Has 22 Minutes
with Mark Critch, Gavin Crawford, Kyle Tingley, Jennifer Whalen, Tim McAuliffe, Dean Jenkinson, Geri Hall, Nathan Fielder 		Won [18]
2010 This Hour Has 22 Minutes
with Ed Macdonald, Mark Critch, Gavin Crawford, Kyle Tingley, Dean Jenkinson, Joanne O’Sullivan, Tara Doyle, Erik van Wyck, Mike Allison, Joey Case 		Won [19]
Canadian Screen Awards March 9, 2014 Best Writing, Variety or Sketch Comedy This Hour Has 22 Minutes
with Bob Kerr, Cathy Jones, Dean Jenkinson, Gary Pearson, Greg Thomey, Mark Critch, Mary Walsh, Michael Balazo, Mike Allison, Nigel Lawrence, Rupinder Gill, Scott Vrooman, Shaun Majumder, Susan Kent 		Won

References

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  1. ^ a b Scott Stinson, "Going to America; For Albert Howell, it's Rob Ford lessons and a new kind of work". National Post, December 23, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Eric Volmers, "Night Shift; It's been a wild ride for Calgary native Albert Howell since he got the call from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon". Calgary Herald, November 16, 2013.
  3. ^ Nick Krewen, "Comics show their mettle". Hamilton Spectator, March 28, 1994.
  4. ^ Andrew Clark, "Tragically OHIP current as can be". Toronto Star, October 24, 1996.
  5. ^ John McKay, "Comedy's diabolical duo enjoying new-found fame". Canadian Press, November 3, 1998.
  6. ^ a b Maryam Sanati, "Devilish duo score heavenly CTV deal". The Globe and Mail, October 19, 1998.
  7. ^ "Speakers Corner: an oral history". The Grid, January 7, 2014. Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  8. ^ Leatrice Spevack, "Sin-fully delicious improv soap opera". Toronto Star, November 22, 2001.
  9. ^ Leatrice Spevack, "Improv show's stars struggle". Toronto Star, February 14, 2002.
  10. ^ Valerie Fortney, "One Funny Kid: Calgary's Roman Danylo shines in ensemble TV comedy". Calgary Herald, October 23, 2003.
  11. ^ Brian Borzykowski and James Cowan, "They would be king". National Post, October 14, 2003.
  12. ^ Eric Volmers, "Calgary funnyman returns to his roots". Calgary Herald, December 30, 2011.
  13. ^ "Canadian Comedy Awards nominees". Toronto Star, April 1, 2000.
  14. ^ "Superbad, Juno honoured at Canadian Comedy Awards". CanWest News Service, October 3, 2008.
  15. ^ Patricia Robertson, "The Hour has come for the Geminis". The Globe and Mail, October 27, 2007.
  16. ^ "The Gemini nominees are...". Playback, September 29, 2008.
  17. ^ Etan Vlessing, "Writers hand awards to Corner Gas, Motor City". Playback, April 28, 2008.
  18. ^ "Corner Gas, 22 Minutes pick up TV screenwriting honours". CBC News, April 20, 2009.
  19. ^ Diane Wild, "WGC Screenwriting Award winners announced". TV, eh?, April 19, 2010.
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