He’s a chemical engineer graduate who can put all of the right formulas together for the perfect laugh. As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian Leonard Chan. The Toronto, CN native shares some of his favorite moments in stand-up comedy and lets us know how he always owns the laughs.
Name: Leonard Chan
Hometown: Toronto, CN
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: @theleonardchan
Years in Comedy: 10
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before: Stand-Up Show with Jon Dore, Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Halifax Comedy Festival, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, & The 2022 Juno Awards
Comedic Influences: Patton Oswalt, Gary Gulman, Ronny Chieng, Roy Wood Jr, Sarah Silverman, Neal Brennan, Mike Birbiglia, John Mulaney, & Aziz Ansari
Favorite Comedy Album: Patton Oswalt “Werewolves and Lollipops”
Favorite Comedy Special: Toss up between Neal Brennan’s “3 Mics” and Tig Notaro’s “Live”
Favorite Comedy Movie: Groundhog Day
Favorite Comedy TV Show: Community
Favorite Comedic Character: Leslie Knope
Favorite City to Perform In: Toronto
Favorite Topics to Joke About: Literally anything… or cats.
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: Paying
Favorite Comedy Club: Comedy Bar in Toronto is basically my Cheers
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
There was a radio show called The Sunday Funnies which I listened to when I was a kid where they played stand-up bits. I made comedy mix-tapes of my favorite comedians from back then and listened to them over and over. Never thought I’d actually become a comedian though. That was for people who were allowed to follow dreams.
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
I had the idea in my head that open mics were going to be basements full of sad men talking about their genitalia (which I have since discovered to be true). But at this particular show, a bunch of pros dropped in and I was confused as to why everybody was so damn good. My first time ever on stage, I had to follow K. Trevor Wilson from Letterkenny.
How would you describe your comedic style:
I aim for clever and insightful with mixed results.
Describe your process for comedic writing:
Jokes start with a kernel of an idea (either something I think is funny or, even better, something I believe) and then I look for all the different ways to approach the premise and write and write and write. And then I cut and cut and cut. And then I take it on stage to find out how much more of it I need to throw away and/or rewrite. Rinse and repeat until I end up with something that I’m not embarrassed to call one of my bits.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
I might be biased, but I truly believe Toronto is one of the top comedy cities in the world.
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
Success is constantly learning and continually improving both as a comedian and as a human. Just figuring out how to make better choices on stage and in life. You can’t control anything other than that.
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
Arthur Simeon, Hisham Kelati, Nour Hadidi, Hoodo Hersi, Ryan Belleville, Deanne Smith, Joe Vu, Foad HP, Allie Pearse, Courtney Gilmour… the list goes on and on.
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
Performed at a bachelor party for a group of bikers in Northern Ontario, got heckled by a guy who was definitely armed with a knife, and managed to be funny enough to not get stabbed
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
That it’s only a failure if you don’t learn anything.
How do people react towards you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
They’re less likely to want to stab me.
Describe what it’s been like building a career in stand-up comedy:
It’s like surfing. You need to put in the work to learn how to stand up on the board, actually surf, and paddle out to where the waves are. You can’t control when the waves come. You just have to be ready for when they do. When you do catch a wave, ride it for as long as you can, and then do it all over again. And again. And again. And again. Do that for long enough and it’ll count as a career.
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
t’d be nice if there were a bit less complaining about cancel culture. You can say anything you want. You just have to be really good at it if you want to get away with it.
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
Comedy is great, but don’t forget to live life. Because that’s where comedy comes from.
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
Based on the state of my current material, this would be a much-too-early release, so I’d call it “Premature Ejaculation”
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
Ages ago, I went to see Dave Chappelle at Just For Laughs in Montreal. He was really making fun of fat people but assured us that there was a good reason for it that he would reveal at the end of the show. But near the end of his set, a fight broke out in the crowd and, as good as Chappelle is, he couldn’t get back into material, he ended the show, and we never found out why he was making fun of fat people. A few years after this, I was actually performing at Just For Laughs, attended an after party, and there was a guy at the bar in front of me who, from the back, looked an awful lot like Chappelle. I asked aloud, “Is that Dave Chappelle?” He turned around and confirmed, “I’m Dave Chappelle!” Before I could say anything, he ran away to a private area and I cried out after him, “But… but… what about the fat people?!” But he was long gone and the reason for the fat people jokes remains a mystery.
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
A nudist colony (whilst also nude, of course)
A Leonard Chan Fun Fact:
I ate so much cheap Chinese food when I was a poor graduate student that I developed an allergy to MSG which, as an Asian, is simply embarrassing.
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
I’m a writer at heart and I would, eventually, love to parlay this comedy career into my own TV show on which I could employ all my funny friends.
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing. Turn jealousy into inspiration. Just put in the work and you will eventually be rewarded.
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
While the foundation of comedy always will come back to “whatever makes people laugh”, comedy will evolve as culture evolves. And with new technology, such as the Metaverse (whatever tf that is), where comedy is performed will also continue to change. And I expect things will continue to change until robots take all our jobs, including comedy.
If you could write one episode for one classic TV sitcom which show would it be and give a brief detailed sentence on the episode:
I’d write an episode of Jeopardy where Alex Trebek saves the world from terrorists in the form of a question.
If you could choose 1 comedy club and 3 comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
We’d be at the Comedy Cellar, it would be just a bunch of my friends, and then we’d get kicked off the stage because none of us are supposed to be there.
What’s next for you:
Currently on tour and working out material for my next album. Will record that in 2023. Maybe. We’ll see how it goes.
Why should a person always laugh at life:
Because life is objectively funny.
Follow Leonard Chan’s comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: @theleonardchan
Youtube: Leonard Chan
Personal Website: Leonard Chan
