Creator and actor reveals off-camera secrets

The theme song may say there’s not a lot going on in the world of Corner Gas, but creator Brent Butt swears that behind the scenes of the franchise it’s just the opposite.

For six TV seasons and 107 episodes, the residents of Dog River, Sask., were brought to life by stars Gabrielle Miller, Fred Ewanuick, Nancy Robertson, Eric Peterson, Janet Wright, Lorne Cardinal and Tara Spencer-Nairn. They all returned for Corner Gas: The Movie, and Butt gave backstage scoop on each actor: Who’s most likely to avoid hard labour? It’s the creator of Corner Gas himself. “I used to work for a guy who liked to drink,” says Butt of an erstwhile drywalling job. “He would show up in the morning, touch the wall and go, ‘Oh, it’s too wet. We can’t do anything today.’ And off we’d go to the bar. Good gig.” Who’s most likely to be found at the snack table on set?

“I’m picturing Tara, even though she would mainly go there and grab healthy stuff and swear at the candy because she couldn’t have it. She’s got a real love-hate relationship with the craft services table.” Who’s most likely to laugh in the middle of a scene?

“Fred. He’s most likely to lose it and start giggling,” Butt says. “It’s usually non-scene-related. Something will remind him of something else, and he’s unable to contain himself.” Who’s most likely to be found in the hair and makeup department?

“Well, it’s not me — that’s for sure. I’m in the hair chair about 24 seconds. I would say probably Nancy, but not because she’s getting hair and makeup done. She’s in there gabbing, chatting with everybody.” Who’s most likely to take stuff home from the set?

“Wardrobe-wise, it’s Gabe (Gabrielle Miller),” says Butt, who admits to swiping the shirt from his Corner Gas uniform.

“We have multiples, of course, but I took the one that I was wearing in the last scene and I brought it back to wear in the movie.” Who’s most likely to forget their lines?

“Mmm. No comment. If I say, somebody’s going to be angry. I could tell you who the best with their lines was. I think Tara was the one who knew her stuff the best, most consistently.” Who’s most likely to act like their character in real life?

“Well, I’m basically identical, right? I didn’t know how good I’d be at acting, so I made the guy exactly like me,” Butt says.

“But besides myself, I’d say Janet Wright. There was a lot of Janet in Emma — just a very strong personality, not to be messed with. But the other side of the coin is she’s got the biggest, sweetest heart in the world.” Who’s most likely to say the word “jackass”?

No surprise here — it’s Eric Peterson. “Well, there are 107 episodes, so we could say for sure he said it once an episode and it’d be 107. But it’s probably more than that, right? A couple hundred times, maybe?” Who’s most likely to show up on set with facial bruising?

It’s onscreen cop Lorne Cardinal, an avid rugby player. “He would play rugby during filming, which he wasn’t technically supposed to be doing,” Butt says. “We’d have to cover black eyes, a bruised chin.”