FEST BECOMES A STAR MAKER
1983
Juste pour rire is launched with four shows over two nights. In French only. Free outdoor events take place on St-Denis St.
1985
Juste pour rire launches English component, Just For Laughs. Among the performers are Jay Leno, Kevin Nealon and Yakov Smirnoff. André-Philippe Gagnon dazzles audience with his rendering of We Are the World at Théâtre St-Denis, launching his career and putting fest on map.
1986
Andrea Martin hosts series of galas, featuring the Frantics, Louie Anderson, Paula Poundstone and the debut of a man who would become a long-standing regular, the late Mike MacDonald. Jerry Lewis underwhelms at Place des Arts and receives scathing reviews — to which he replies in a most misogynist manner.
1987
David Steinberg is the featured gala host and among the performers are Steven Wright, Rowan Atkinson and a Scot named Bing Hitler, better known as Craig Ferguson. Unknown 19-year-old standup Chris Rock rocks the house – three years before joining the Saturday Night Live gang. Nasty Show series debuts, and on subject of nasty, Eddie Windsor creeps audience out, performing an unspeakable act with basset hound Lola.
1988
John Candy hosts live HBO show, featuring knockout performance by Kevin Meaney. Stevie “the Regurgitator” Starr induces audience indigestion by swallowing light bulbs, live goldfish and a jumbled Rubik’s Cube, which he then regurgitates ... solved.
1989
Up-and-coming comic and soon-to-be sitcom star Jerry Seinfeld brings the house down. Late Richard Jeni wows ’em in a solo show at Centaur.
1990
Bob Newhart hosts Showtime Gala with a killer performance from another up-and-comer, Tim Allen. The incomparable and late Bill Hicks makes an auspicious debut, as does the ever-frenetic Jim Carrey. Legendary Bugs Bunny animator Chuck Jones is paid homage at the Rialto Theatre.
1991
Mary Tyler Moore, Bobcat Goldthwait and Milton Berle host galas. Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold croon together on closing night – truly unforgettable. Bill Hicks knocks it out of the park with solo show Relentless at the Centaur. And witless Jerry Sadowitz, in the midst of anti-French rant, is assaulted on stage by unamused audience member.
1992
Lily Tomlin, Ben Elton, Alan King and Penn & Teller host galas and among the bright performing lights are Dave Chappelle, Ray Romano, Jon Stewart, Adam Sandler and Drew Carey. Unorthodox percussion act STOMP makes its North American debut with free outdoor shows, which leads to a hit off-Broadway show.
1993
Cigar-chomping, 97-year-old George Burns brings the house down and receives the JFL lifetime achievement award.
1994
Jonathan Winters is inducted into the Humour Hall of Fame. Fest launches New Faces series, hosted by Greg Proops and unknown Patton Oswalt.
1995
Jimmy Fallon opens for Penn & Teller, which leads to his first development deal, and the rest … well, you know.
1996
Dame Edna makes her JFL debut, delighting her “possums” no end and goes down as one of the all-time greatest gala hosts. A previously unheralded Kevin James makes a major splash, which soon leads to his deal to star in the King of Queens.
1997
Rick Mercer makes his debut as a gala host with his cronies from This Hour Has 22 Minutes. The show is considered one of the best ever at the fest.
1998
Ray Romano, now a major star with Everybody Loves Raymond, returns. The brilliant and late Mitch Hedberg does a gala set that will go down in the annals.
1999
New Faces features Gabriel Iglesias and Daniel Tosh.
2000
Montrealer William Shatner sheds his Captain Kirk persona with an unforgettable and kind of patriotic rendering of I Am Canadian. The outdoor component moves to Quartier des spectacles, where it still runs today.
2001
Jon Stewart returns to host one of the more memorable fest galas. Making their mark on the New Faces showcase are Mike Birbiglia, Kevin Hart and Demetri Martin. Canadian Comedy Tour begins.
2002
Cast of the Simpsons, along with creator Matt Groening, conduct a live reading and Q&A for three soldout shows at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier in Place des Arts.
2003
Jimmy Carr, the Blue Man Group, Tommy Tiernan are all on fire, but it’s John Pinette who steals the show and goes on to become one of the fest’s all-time faves.
2004
The irrepressible Bill Burr destroys and the zany Kiwi duo sensation Flight of the Conchords makes its debut.
2005
Irreverent Aussie wild man Jim Jefferies lets loose in Nasty Show and irreverent Irish wild man Tommy Tiernan lets loose in solo show at
– of all places – Gesù. Lewis Black hosts the World Stupidity Awards – certainly due for a return. New Faces showcases W. Kamau Bell, Jo Koy, Natasha Leggero and Sugar Sammy.
2006
Nasty Show to remember: hosted by Bobby Slayton and featuring Mike Wilmot, Dom Irrera, Big Jay and the late and great Patrice O’Neal. New Faces features Hannibal Buress, Adam DeVine, Russell Howard, Reggie Watts and Roy Wood Jr.
2007
Rowan Atkinson returns to première film Mr. Bean’s Holiday. New Faces showcases Amy Schumer and Tom Segura.
2008
Judd Apatow hits fest with show Apatow for Destruction, featuring Seth Rogen, Russell Brand, Craig Robinson, Mike O’Connell, Ken Jeong and Charlyne Yi. Iliza Shlesinger, Nate Bargatze, Angela Johnston and Chelsea Peretti get down in New Faces.
2009
Fest presents Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch: Matt Braunger, Wyatt Cenac, Jon Dore, Donald Glover, Ken Jeong, Ellie Kemper, Nick Kroll, Kumail Nanjiani, Aubrey Plaza and Kristen Schaal. Oscar winners Jean Dujardin and Michel Hazanavicius show up for première of their new film OSS 117: Rio ne répond plus. New Faces features Nanjiani, Moshe Kasher, Pete Holmes and Chris D’Elia. Russell Peters packs them in at the Bell Centre. Just For Laughs Chicago launches and airs on TBS.
2010
Lewis Black delivers state-of-theart address. Kevin Smith does firstever live podcast at fest. Colin Jost showcases at New Faces. JFL Sydney launches down under. Banjopickin’ gala host Steve Martin sells out two shows in record time.
2011
On Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch: Jerrod Carmichael, Chris D’Elia, Josh Fadem, Pete Holmes, Thomas Middleditch, Tim Minchin, Amy Schumer, Rebel Wilson, Harris Wittels and Ali Wong. Carmichael and Wong do New Faces.
2012
JFL42 Festival launches in Toronto. Cast of Bob’s Burgers does a live read here. Sketchers extraordinaire Key & Peele kill.
2013
After big break from performing, Dave Chappelle returns to JFL to perform series of sold-out shows at Théâtre Maisonneuve and totally rocks. Amy Poehler picks up Comedy Person of the Year Award.
2014
Cast of Brooklyn Nine-Nine comes in for panel talk. Michelle Wolf and Hasan Minhaj let loose in New Faces.
2015
Sebastian Maniscalco does 11 sold-out solo shows at Gesù. Jason Reitman puts together memorable live reading of the Big Lebowski, featuring Jennifer Lawrence, Olivia Munn, Dennis Quaid, Michael Fassbender, Mae Whitman, T.J. Miller, Martin Starr, Mike Judge and Patton Oswalt as the Dude. Mike Myers shows up to Maison symphonique for Q&A. Kevin Hart brings in biggest fest crowd ever for Bell Centre concert.
2016
Recently traded P.K. Subban makes his standup debut – and brings the house down with laughter as well as tears. Just For Laughs NorthWest launches in Vancouver. Kevin Hart teams up with JFL to present Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Network Pitch Panel. The Veep crew, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tony Hale, Timothy Simons and David Mandel, engage in Q&A at Maison symphonique.
2017
JFL celebrates its 35th anniversary and receives the Icon Award at the Canadian Screen Awards, presented by Dave Chappelle. Jerry Seinfeld and Gad Elmaleh co-headline at Bell Centre.
2018
Groupe Juste pour rire is sold.