Ali Hassan finds a home on Stroumboulopoulos show
Those of you who tuned in to CBC-TV this past Monday at 7 p.m. may have been startled to discover that Wheel of Fortune was replaced by … Wheel of Strombo.
The shifting of George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight from 11 p.m. to this time slot drew some predictable rejoinders from the host’s cronies: “Wanna buy a vowel, George?” joked one, in reference to Wheel of Fortune. “Oh, I forgot they’re all in your last name!”
A sombre Strombo then made this statement to his audience: “We used to go to bed together. Now we’re having dinner together — and maybe just that.”
Funny stuff. But funnier still was the appearance of a three-person comedy panel ruminating on all things Canadian — with a satirical bent — from our banking to Conrad Black, Pamela Anderson to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
And offering insights from the panel into the genteel Canadian mindset was none other than hometown boy Ali Hassan: “We (Canadians) can brag, but it should always be followed by a ‘sorry.’ ” True, that.
As for Black, Hassan noted he might consider writing an opus called: “It Wouldn’t Have Happened If My Last Name Was White.” Perhaps not so true, that, but still piquant.
Hassan is not only a permanent member of the panel through this year, and perhaps all the way through to June of next year, but he has also landed a writing gig on the show as well.
Though he was born in quaint Fredericton, N.B., to college-prof parents, and though he bolted to Toronto two years ago for marital and career purposes, Hassan will always be, in the hearts of many, a Montrealer. Heck, he still has his 514 phone number. And he still worships at the Habs altar (as apparently does Strombo).
More importantly, though, Hassan helped shape the comedy scene in this city and served as a mentor to many up-and-comers here. And not only a gifted standup comic, but also an equally gifted stand-up chef, who gave the funniest cooking classes around town. Yup, he can bust guts in two creative ways. Plus, Hassan has added the role of actor to his resumé with roles in such flicks as French Immersion, The Breakaway and Goon.
It would now seem that life has really hit stride for Hassan as he hits 40. And with the gig comes something Hassan has rarely seen over the years: sunrise.
“Getting up at six in the morning is still quite the shock to the system of this enthusiastic napper,” says Hassan in a phone interview. “My body is very confused. There has got to be a spot in the CBC building where I can doze off for 20 minutes a day. It’s my over-arching goal to find that spot.”
And with the gig also comes something foreign in the life of most comics: security. Hassan has been putting in 60-hour weeks — highly unusual for those in his métier. But it helps pay the bills for Hassan, his wife and three kids.
“In an effort to do my part to curb over-population on this planet, I will not be having any more children,” explains Hassan, who holds a master’s degree in business administration from McMaster.
Nor has the Strombo job meant that he has cut back on comedy at night: “Standup is what got me here and is, no doubt, what I’ll be returning to again.” So he will continue performing several nights a week in Toronto and on weekends around the country, including a fournight stand in Montreal in November during a Strombo show break.
Also in development is a TV cooking show. “Food is still a passion, and I’d love to host a show that goes into all that’s cool and fun about eating,” says Hassan, as renowned for his samosas as for his spirited classes at Appetite for Books, the Viking Showroom and Cuisine Gourmet, among other spots in Montreal.
On the subject of the local food front, celeb Montreal chef Chuck Hughes was also a guest panellist this week along with improv master Colin Mochrie and comic Ron James. Others set to take that guest-panel seat for one night in the coming weeks are comics Andy Kindler and Neal Brennan, as well as personalities like Jian Ghomeshi, Alan Thicke and Warren Kinsella.
Hassan is billed as the “lead comedy panellist,” while actress Naomi Snieckus — who just landed a role as the gym teacher on the CBC-TV series Mr. D — will also be part of the panel on a long-term basis with Hassan. The difference is that Hassan is also involved with writing much of the material for the panel segments.
“They told me I was ‘head comedy panellist,’ but that sounded too arrogant, so I changed it to ‘lead comedy panellist.’ But that still sounds too arrogant, so I just call myself ‘comedy panellist.’ ”
The gig has also brought Hassan peace on the family front: “This is the first time in years that my mother hasn’t told me that it’s time to settle down and find a real full-time job. She has never been this happy with me — and it’s only taken 40 years.”
Also thrilled for him are his Montreal comedy cronies like Eman, with whom he orchestrated Best of Open Mic Nights at the Comedyworks and with whom he has performed at such shows as We Ain’t Terrorists — in their whimsical bid to break down cultural barriers and stereotypes.
It was the latter show that also gave rise to one of Hassan’s classic one-liners: “I’m someone who never has to worry about identity theft. I can just imagine someone out there finding my passport: ‘Ali Hassan? Forget it. Throw it away. I’ve got enough problems.’ ”
Then again, that might no longer hold true these days.