Charles "Chas" Lawther is a British-born

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

actor, comedian and writer. Lawther came to local prominence in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

when in the 1980s he created the character of Chuck The Security Guard for CFMT-TV's '' The All-Night Show'', on the ostensible premise that as the station's night security he would be allowed to use the broadcast facilities to play classic television shows, short films and music videos between sign-off and 6 a.m. Lawther and his comedy partner Suzette Couture formed the comedy duo Joined at the Hip, regularly playing comedy venues across Canada and at one point getting their own special on CBC. Lawther has written and hosted several comedy "stand-up mockumentaries" on

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...

. He also wrote episodes for television shows including ''

Bob and Margaret ''Bob and Margaret'' is an adult animated television series created by David Fine and Alison Snowden and produced by Nelvana. The series was based on the Academy Award-winning short film ''Bob's Birthday'', featuring the same main characters, wh ...

'', ''

The Raccoons ''The Raccoons'' is a Canadian animated television series that ran on CBC from November 11, 1985 to March 19, 1991 in Canada and on Disney Channel from July 4, 1985 to August 28, 1992 in the U.S., with three preceding television specials from ...

'' and '' The All-Night Show'' and the direct to video film '' The Sex and Violence Family Hour''. He also created a television movie documentary film called ''Is It Arf?'' in which he hosted and starred with his wife Gail Kerbel. Many know him for his role hosting " The Showcase Revue" after the

Showcase Showcase or vitrine may refer to: *Cabinet (furniture) *Display case Music * ''Showcase'' (Bill Anderson album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Patsy Cline album), 1961 * ''Showcase'' (Buddy Holly album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Philly Joe Jones album), 1959 ...

channel launched in Canada in the early 1990s. Lawther is still a working actor, and was a recurring character as a seemingly gormless television executive on CBC's ''

Made in Canada Made in Canada and Product of Canada (French: Fabriqué au Canada and Produit du Canada) are certification marks designating a claim that Canada is the country of origin of a good. A product label for that good may use these marks, or a qualifi ...

''.

Filmography

*1966: ''

Blowup ''Blowup'' (sometimes styled as ''Blow-up'' or ''Blow Up'') is a 1966 mystery drama thriller film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and produced by Carlo Ponti. It was Antonioni's first entirely English-language film, and stars David Hemming ...

'' - Waiter (uncredited) *1979: ''

Matt and Jenny ''Matt and Jenny'' (or ''Matt and Jenny on the Wilderness Trail'') is a Canadian television series of 26 episodes of 25 minutes each, broadcast on Global starting October 21, 1979."Matt and Jenny". '' The Globe and Mail'', October 20, 1979. A Fr ...

'' - Friar *1980-1981: '' The All-Night Show'' ( CFMT-TV, TV series host) - Chuck the Security Guard *1982: ''Chuck's Choice Cuts'' (straight to video special produced for Admit One Video) - Chuck the Security Guard *1983: ''

The Littlest Hobo ''The Littlest Hobo'' is a Canadian television series (French title: ''Le Vagabond'') based upon a 1958 well-known film of the same name directed by Charles R. Rondeau. The series first aired from 1963 to 1965 in syndication, and was revived for ...

'' - Drugue / Proust / Mr. Proust / Murphy *1985: ''

Terminal Choice Terminal Choice was a German industrial rock band. It was formed by singer Chris Pohl (also of Blutengel, Tumor, Pain of Progress and owner of the Fear Section label) in 1993. History Their lyrics are sung in German and English. The sound wa ...

'' - Kingsley's Son-in-law *1986: ''

Mafia Princess "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...

'' - Make-up Artist *1986: '' Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' - Mr. Delaney *1987: '' Ford: The Man and the Machine'' - Connors *1988: '' Friday the 13th: The Series'' - Phil / Bernie Bell *1989: '' Champagne Charlie'' (TV movie) - David McLeod *1989: '' George's Island'' - Blinky *1990: '' Dracula: The Series'' - Lane Zorro *1991: '' Street Legal'' - Ed Hollis *1992: '' The Shower'' - Wayne *1993: ''

Shining Time Station ''Shining Time Station'' is an American children's television series jointly created by British television producer Britt Allcroft and American television producer Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by Quality Family Entertainment (the Ame ...

'' - Ringmaster *1993: ''

E.N.G. ''E.N.G.'' is a Canadian television drama, following the staff of a fictional Toronto television news station. The show aired on CTV from 1989 to 1994. The series ran for 96 episodes, produced by the Alliance Entertainment Corporation. Plot ...

'' - Philpott *1994: ''

The Ref ''The Ref'' (''Hostile Hostages'' in some countries) is a 1994 American black comedy film directed by Ted Demme, starring Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey and Glynis Johns. Plot On Christmas Eve in an affluent Connecticut hamlet, Lloyd and ...

'' - Santa Family #2 *1994: ''

Paint Cans ''Paint Cans'' is a 1994 Canadian comedy film written, produced and directed by Paul Donovan and based on his book of the same name. A satire of Canadian film and television production, the film stars Chas Lawther as Wick Burns, a bureaucrat in ...

'' - Wick Burns *1994: '' The Mighty Jungle'' - Brill *1995: '' Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story'' (TV movie) - Arnie *1995: ''

Iron Eagle IV ''Iron Eagle on the Attack'' (also known as ''Iron Eagle IV'') is a 1995 direct-to-video action film directed by Sidney J. Furie. The fourth and final instalment in the ''Iron Eagle'' series, it stars Louis Gossett Jr. reprising his role once aga ...

'' - Col. Birkett *1995: '' Kung Fu: The Legend Continues'' *1996: '' F/X: The Series'' - Konich *1997: '' Lexx: The Dark Zone Stories'' (TV series regular) - Video Customs Officer *1997: ''

Good Will Hunting ''Good Will Hunting'' is a 1997 American psychological drama film directed by Gus Van Sant, and written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. It stars Robin Williams, Damon, Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård and Minnie Driver. The film received positive r ...

'' - M.I.T. Professor *1998: ''

Elimination Dance ''Elimination Dance'' is a 1998 Canadian short drama film. Directed by Bruce McDonald, Don McKellar and Michael Ondaatje based on Ondaatje's poem of the same name, the film stars McKellar and Tracy Wright as a couple in a jazz dance competition, ...

'' *1998: ''

'' - Brian *1998: '' La Femme Nikita'' - Gufeld *1999: ''

Power Play Power play or powerplay or their plurals may refer to: Sports * Power play (sporting term), a sporting term used in various games * Powerplay (cricket), a rule concerning fielding restrictions in one-day international cricket * Power play (cur ...

'' - Harrison Boulder *1999: ''

Love Letters A love letter is an expression of love in written form. However delivered, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation and description of feelings. History One of the oldest references to a l ...

'' (TV movie) - Harry *2000: '' Urban Legends: Final Cut'' - Dean Patterson *2000: ''

The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne ''The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne'' is a Canadian science fiction television series that first aired in June 2000 on CBC Television in Canada. The series first ran in the United States on cable on The Sci-Fi Channel (now Syfy), and last ...

'' - Dr. Cordoba *2002: ''

Puppets Who Kill ''Puppets Who Kill'' is a Canadian television comedy programme produced by PWK Productions and originally broadcast on The Comedy Network. It premiered in Canada in 2002, and in Australia on The Comedy Channel in 2004. It has also been broadcast ...

'' - Dr. Lester / Chester the Great *2003: ''

Slings and Arrows ''Slings & Arrows'' is a Canadian television series set at the fictional New Burbage Festival, a Shakespearean festival similar to the real-world Stratford Festival. It stars Paul Gross, Stephen Ouimette and Martha Burns. Rachel McAdams appeared ...

'' - Mr. Stewart *2004: '' Zixx: Level One'' *2004: ''

Wonderfalls ''Wonderfalls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Todd Holland and Bryan Fuller that was broadcast on the Fox television network in 2004. The show centers on Jaye Tyler (Caroline Dhavernas), a recent Brown University grad ...

'' - Pastor *2004: '' This is Wonderland'' *2007: '' Is It Art?'' (

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...

) - Himself - Host *2007: ''

Full of It ''Full of It'' is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Christian Charles and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. Starring Ryan Pinkston, Kate Mara and Teri Polo, the film follows a teenage boy whose outrageous lies magically come true. ...

'' - Mr. Von Der Ahe *2008: '' The Border'' - Bennett Barden *2009: ''

Little Mosque on the Prairie ''Little Mosque on the Prairie'' is a Television in Canada, Canadian television sitcom created by Zarqa Nawaz and produced by WestWind Pictures, originally broadcast from 2007 to 2012 on CBC Television, CBC. Filmed in Toronto, Ontario, and Indian ...

'' - Rivertree's Father *In development: ''Things That Intimidate Me'' (

TVOntario TVO Media Education Group (often abbreviated as TVO and stylized on-air as tvo) is a publicly funded English-language educational television network and media organization serving the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario ...

)

References

External links

Northern Stars: Chas Lawther
* *

''All-Night Show'' reunion programme.
Chas Lawther at TV Guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawther, Charles Living people Year of birth missing (living people) British emigrants to Canada Canadian television writers Canadian male screenwriters Canadian male television writers Canadian male television actors Canadian male film actors Canadian male voice actors Male actors from Toronto Writers from Toronto 20th-century Canadian screenwriters 20th-century Canadian male writers 21st-century Canadian screenwriters 21st-century Canadian male writers