Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer (born October 17, 1969) is a Canadian
comedian, television personality,
political satirist
Political satire is satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political arguments where suc ...
, and
author
An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states:
"''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...
. He is best known for his work on the
CBC Television comedy shows ''
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'' (commonly shortened to ''22 Minutes'' since 2009) is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics w ...
'' and ''
Rick Mercer Report''. He is the author of four books based on content from the shows and a memoir, ''Talking to Canadians'', published on November 2, 2021. Mercer has received more than 25
Gemini Awards for his work on television.
Career
Early work
Mercer first came to national attention in 1990 when he created and presented his one-man stage show ''Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or
Charles Lynch Must Die'' at the
National Arts Centre's Atelier in
Ottawa.
[Rick Mercer]
at The Canadian Encyclopedia
''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage.
Available f ...
. A satirical political commentary on Canadian life after
Meech Lake, ''Show Me the Button'' made Mercer a national star as he toured the show across Canada.
In 1992, he created and performed his second stage show, ''I've Killed Before, I'll Kill Again'' at the
National Arts Centre's Studio Theatre, which also became a popular touring show.
''This Hour Has 22 Minutes''
In 1992, he began to work with former ''
CODCO
''CODCO'' is a Canadian comedy troupe from Newfoundland, best known for a sketch comedy series which aired on CBC Television from 1988 to 1993.[Cathy Jones
Catherine Frederica "Cathy" Jones (born April 6, 1955) is a Canadian actress, comedian and writer. She is known for her work for 28 years on the Canadian television series '' This Hour Has 22 Minutes''. Jones left the show in 2021.
CODCO
Jones ...]
and
Mary Walsh, and fellow Newfoundlander
Greg Thomey
Greg Thomey (born May 8, 1961) is a Canadian comedian, actor and playwright and a founding member of the long-running television program ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes''. He has been a recipient of numerous Gemini Awards.
Born in St. John's, Newf ...
, to create a new television series for
CBC Television which became ''
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'' (commonly shortened to ''22 Minutes'' since 2009) is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics w ...
''. In the first eight seasons of ''22 Minutes'', Mercer provided some of the show's signature moments, including an Internet petition (on the '' 22 Minutes'' website) to force
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance (french: Alliance canadienne), formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance (french: Alliance réformiste-conservatrice canadienne), was a centre-right to right-wing federal political party in Canada that existed ...
leader
Stockwell Day to
change his first name to Doris. The website used for the petition was later repurposed as a way to have Canadians send Christmas cards to peacekeepers in
Bosnia. Mercer hand delivered these to the troops in a December 2000 special. In 2001, following an incident in which an aide to federal MP
Rahim Jaffer
Rahim Nizar Jaffer ( ur, رحيم جعفر; born December 15, 1971) is a former Canadian politician. He served in the House of Commons of Canada from 1997 to 2008, representing the Alberta riding of Edmonton—Strathcona as a member of the Con ...
posed as the politician in a radio interview, Mercer performed a parody rap based on
Eminem's "
The Real Slim Shady
"The Real Slim Shady" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his third album ''The Marshall Mathers LP'' (2000). It was released as the lead single a month before the album's release.
"The Real Slim Shady" was Eminem's first song to reach numb ...
", with the lyrics "Will the real Rahim Jaffer please stand up?
Mercer's two-minute "rants", in which he would speak directly to the camera about a current political issue, shot in a style similar to those
Denis Leary
Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. A native of Massachusetts, Leary first came to prominence as a stand-up comedian, especially through appearances on MTV (including the comedic song "Asshole") and throu ...
used in
MTV commercials, quickly became the show's signature segment. In 1998, he published a book, ''Streeters'', which compiled many of his most famous ''22 Minutes'' rants. It became a national bestseller. In 2007 he published his second book, ''Rick Mercer Report: The Book''.
In November 2010, Mercer contributed a rant he had previously recorded in 2007 on the subject of the
bullying of gay and lesbian teens in high schools to
Dan Savage
Daniel Keenan Savage (born October 7, 1964) is an American author, media pundit, journalist, and LGBT community activist. He writes ''Savage Love'', an internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column. In 2010, Savage and his husba ...
's
It Gets Better Project
It Gets Better is an Internet-based 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth around the globe. It was founded in the United States by gay activist, author, m ...
.
''Talking to Americans''
One of Mercer's comedy routines on ''22 Minutes'' was ''
Talking to Americans
''Talking to Americans'' was a regular feature presented by Rick Mercer on the Canadian political satire show '' This Hour Has 22 Minutes'', which was later spun off into a one-hour special that aired on April 1, 2001 on CBC Television.Dana Gee, ...
'', in which he would travel to a major American city or institution and conduct on-the-street interviews with Americans on topics such as Canadian politics and weather, using the subject's ignorance about Canada for comedic effect. One famous example saw Mercer asking Americans' opinion on whether Canada should change its "20 Hour Clock" to the 24-hour one used by the United States. He received approval from citizens and from the Governor of Iowa,
Tom Vilsack
Thomas James Vilsack (; born December 13, 1950) is an American politician serving as the 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture in the Biden administration. He previously served in the role from 2009 to 2017 during the Obama administration. ...
. On another occasion he got the support of
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
Governor
Mike Huckabee in calling on Canadians to save the "National Igloo".
Mercer made international headlines in 2000 when he pulled a ''Talking to Americans'' stunt on then-presidential candidate
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
. He successfully got Bush to answer questions about non-existent Canadian Prime Minister "Jean
Poutine
Poutine () is a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy. It emerged in Quebec, in the late 1950s in the Centre-du-Québec region, though its exact origins are uncertain and there are several competing claims regarding it ...
". Bush was not amused at the time, but he did make a joking reference to this incident during his visit to Canada in 2004. In the same US election campaign, Mercer asked Democratic candidate
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic no ...
to promise to visit the "Canadian capital city" of
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 anch ...
after his election. Gore did not question Mercer's incorrect identification of the capital of Canada.
In 2001, Mercer co-produced a CBC special based on ''Talking to Americans'', which attracted 2.7 million Canadian viewers—the highest-rated television special in Canadian history. Later, the respected
ABC News
ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
program ''
Nightline'' would devote a show to it. This was his last major project related to ''22 Minutes''—at the end of the 2000–2001 season, he announced his departure from that show to focus on his other television show, ''
Made in Canada''. ''Talking to Americans'' was nominated for a
Gemini Award, but following the
9/11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerci ...
, Mercer declined the nomination.
''Made in Canada''
Mercer co-created the series ''
Made in Canada'', which ran for five seasons on
CBC Television from 1998 to 2003. The show was a fast-paced
situation comedy which
self-referentially satirized the Canadian TV production industry, often drawing from details of its own production companies and including thinly veiled parodies of contemporary programs. It was syndicated abroad as ''The Industry'' and won several
Gemini Awards (which were themselves satirized in subsequent episodes).
''The Rick Mercer Report''
In 2003, ''Made in Canada'' ended its run, and Mercer began to work on a new CBC series, ''
Rick Mercer's Monday Report
''Rick Mercer Report'' (also called the ''Mercer Report'' or ''RMR'') is a Canadian television comedy series which aired on CBC Television from 2004 to 2018. Launched in 2004, as ''Rick Mercer's Monday Report'', or simply ''Monday Report'', by ...
''. Similar in format to ''22 Minutes'' and ''
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', the show debuted in January 2004. Also in 2003, Mercer went to
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
to visit the
Canadian troops stationed there, resulting in the television special ''
Christmas in Kabul''.
Despite reports of a long-standing feud Mercer invited Walsh to appear on ''Monday Report'' as a special guest to promote her own series ''
Hatching, Matching and Dispatching''.
At the end of its second season, ''Monday Report'' was the highest rated arts and entertainment show on the CBC. Former Prime Minister
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006.
The son o ...
gave him a private tour of
24 Sussex Drive and former
New Democratic Party leader
Ed Broadbent
John Edward "Ed" Broadbent (born March 21, 1936) is a Canadian social-democratic politician, political scientist, and chair of the Broadbent Institute, a policy thinktank. He was leader of the New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. In the 200 ...
made snow angels with Mercer on
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill (french: Colline du Parlement, colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings, and their archit ...
. Other prominent guests were
NDP
NDP may stand for:
Computing
* Neighbor Discovery Protocol, an Internet protocol
* Nortel Discovery Protocol, a layer two Internet protocol, also called SONMP
* Nondeterministic programming, a type of computer language
Government
* National ...
leader
Jack Layton
John Gilbert Layton (July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011) was a Canadian academic and politician who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2003 to 2011 and leader of the Official Opposition in 2011. He previously sat on To ...
(who was Mercer's own MP);
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
leader
Stephen Harper (former Prime Minister);
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...
leader
Elizabeth May
Elizabeth Evans May (born June 9, 1954) is a Canadian politician, environmentalist, author, activist, and lawyer who is serving as the leader of the Green Party of Canada since 2022, and previously served as the leader from 2006 to 2019. Sh ...
; then-Conservative MP
Belinda Stronach
Belinda Caroline Stronach (Born May 2, 1966) is a Canadian businesswoman, philanthropist and a former Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to 2008. Originally elected as a Conservative, she later crossed the fl ...
; Conservative MP
Peter MacKay
Peter Gordon MacKay (born September 27, 1965) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2015 and has served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General (2013–2015), Minister of National Defence (2007 ...
; former Newfoundland and Labrador Premier
Danny Williams; Olympic gold medallist
Kyle Shewfelt
Kyle Keith Shewfelt (born May 6, 1982 in Calgary, Alberta) is a Canadian gymnast. His gold medal in the men's floor exercise competition at the 2004 Athens Olympics was the first-ever medal for a Canadian in an artistic gymnastics event and was ...
; author
Pierre Berton
Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton, CC, O.Ont. (July 12, 1920 – November 30, 2004) was a Canadian writer, journalist and broadcaster. Berton wrote 50 best-selling books, mainly about Canadiana, Canadian history and popular culture. He also wr ...
; recording artists
Jann Arden
Jann Arden (born Jann Arden Anne Richards; March 27, 1962) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. She is famous for her signature ballads, "Could I Be Your Girl" and " Insensitive", which is her biggest hit to date.
Early life and educat ...
,
Bif Naked
Beth Torbert is a Canadian singer best known by her stage name Bif Naked. Between 1996 and 2016, she was among the top 150 selling Canadian artists in Canada.
Early life and education
Bif Naked was born in New Delhi, India, to teenage parents ...
,
Rush,
bassist Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee (born Gary Lee Weinrib; July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. Lee joined the band in September 1968, at the re ...
,
drummer and
lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's incom ...
Neil Peart
Neil Ellwood Peart OC (; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian-American musician, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush. Peart earned numerous awards for his musical performances, including an ...
, and
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan OC OBC (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is '' Surfacing'', for which she won two Grammy Awards (ou ...
; publishing mogul
Conrad Black; and former
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Jean Chrétien. When Mercer hosted a relief
benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate hu ...
for the victims of the
2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...
at the
Pengrowth Saddledome
Scotiabank Saddledome is a multi-use indoor arena in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Located in Stampede Park in the southeast end of downtown Calgary, the Saddledome was built in 1983 to replace the Stampede Corral as the home of the Calgary Flame ...
in
Calgary, musical guests
Barenaked Ladies appeared in a segment Mercer shot backstage completely naked.
In 2005, the CBC moved ''Monday Report'' to Tuesday nights, which caused the show's name to be changed to ''The Rick Mercer Report''. On his blog, Mercer wrote of the time slot shift that "we ended the season as the highest rated comedy show on the network. Clearly some drastic changes were needed."
In 2017, it was announced that the ''Rick Mercer Report'' would end production after its 15th season; the last episode aired on April 10, 2018.
Other film and television work
Mercer has hosted ''
It Seems Like Yesterday'', which examines pop-culture from the 1950s to the 1980s. He has appeared in a few films, including ''
Secret Nation'', ''Understanding Bliss'' and ''
Bon Cop, Bad Cop
''Bon Cop, Bad Cop'' is a 2006 Canadian dark comedy- thriller buddy cop film about two police officers – one Ontarian and one Québécois – who reluctantly join forces to solve a murder. The dialogue is a mixture of English and French. The ...
''.
In 2022, he is slated to host ''
Comedy Night with Rick Mercer'', a
CBC Television series showcasing stand-up comedy performances by emerging Canadian comedians.
Books
A book by Mercer, ''Rick Mercer Report: The Book'', based on his television program, was published on September 25, 2007, by Doubleday Canada. This was Mercer's first book since ''Streeters'' of 1998, and contained a collection of Mercer's rants from the first four seasons of ''Rick Mercer Report'', together with moments from interviews for the program and other writings by Mercer. On CBC Radio's ''Sounds Like Canada'' on September 21,
Shelagh Rogers
Shelagh Rogers, OC, is a Canadian broadcast journalist based in British Columbia. She is the host and producer of CBC Radio One's '' The Next Chapter'', and former chancellor of the University of Victoria.
Background
Rogers grew up in Ottawa ...
said of the book that "it's the most fun I've had in bed in a long time." The book entered the ''Globe and Mail'' books chart on October 6 at number three. It was number one in the ''Globe'' bestseller list in the week before Christmas 2007, and reprinted eight times.
An expanded and updated paperback version of ''Rick Mercer Report: The Book'', called ''Rick Mercer Report: The Paperback Book'', was published by Anchor Canada on September 16, 2008 and immediately entered the top ten of the ''Globe and Mail'' bestseller list. It has been reprinted several times.
Mercer's next book, ''A Nation Worth Ranting About'', was published by
Doubleday Canada
Doubleday Canada is an imprint of the publishing company Penguin Random House Canada. The company used to be known as Forboys. It was incorporated in 1936, and since 1945 it has been known as Doubleday Canada Limited. In 1986 parent company Doubl ...
on September 18, 2012. It was also a bestseller.
''Rick Mercer Final Report'' was published by Doubleday Canada in 2018.
''Talking to Canadians: A Memoir'' was published by Doubleday Canada on November 2, 2021.
Awards
Mercer has received more than 25
Gemini Awards for his television work. He has also won the
Sir Peter Ustinov Comedy Award, presented to him at the 2003
Banff Television Festival
The Banff World Media Festival (formerly known as the Banff World Television Festival) is an international media event held in the Canadian Rockies at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The festival is dedicated to world ...
. In 1993, Newfoundland premier
Clyde Wells honoured Mercer with the Newfoundland Arts Council's Artist of the Year award. In 2004, Mercer was presented with the
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre (NAC) (french: Centre national des Arts) is a performing arts organisation in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre building.
History
The NAC was one of a number of ...
Award, a companion award of the
Governor General's Performing Arts Awards
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
. He donated his $15,000 cash prize to the LSPU hall, the theatre in Newfoundland where Mercer performed his early work.
He holds
honorary degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...
s from
Laurentian University in
Sudbury,
Memorial University of Newfoundland in
St. John's,
Brock University
Brock University is a public research university in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It is the only university in Canada in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, at the centre of Canada's Niagara Peninsula on the Niagara Escarpment. The university bears t ...
in
St. Catharines,
McMaster University
McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood and Westdale, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Ga ...
in
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
,
Bishop's University
Bishop's University (french: Université Bishop's) is a small English-language liberal arts university in Lennoxville, a borough of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The founder of the institution was the Anglican Bishop of Quebec, George Mountain, w ...
in
Lennoxville
Lennoxville is an ''arrondissement'', or borough, of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Lennoxville is located at the confluence of the St. Francis and Massawippi Rivers approximately five kilometres south of downtown Sherbrooke.
Lennoxv ...
, the
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thre ...
, the
University of Guelph
, mottoeng = "to learn the reasons of realities"
, established = May 8, 1964 ()As constituents: OAC: (1874) Macdonald Institute: (1903) OVC: (1922)
, type = Public university
, chancellor ...
, the
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thames R ...
in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, and the
Royal Military College of Canada
'')
, established = 1876
, type = Military academy
, chancellor = Anita Anand ('' la, ex officio, label=none'' as Defence Minister)
, principal = Harry Kowal
, head_label ...
in
Kingston He received an honorary high school diploma for his outstanding efforts and determination from
Landmark East School in
Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Wolfville is a Canadian town in the Annapolis Valley, Kings County, Nova Scotia, located about northwest of the provincial capital, Halifax. The town is home to Acadia University and Landmark East School.
The town is a tourist destination due ...
in 1999.
Mercer was awarded the 30th Annual
Bob Edwards
Robert Alan "Bob" Edwards is an American broadcast journalist, a Peabody Award-winning member of the National Radio Hall of Fame. He hosted both of National Public Radio's flagship news programs, the afternoon ''All Things Considered'', and '' ...
Award in Calgary.
In 2007, he was named
honorary colonel of the
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
's
423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron
423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron (French: ) is a unit of the Canadian Forces under Royal Canadian Air Force. It currently operates the Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone from CFB Shearwater in Nova Scotia, Canada.
History
No. 423 Squadron RCAF was a World ...
, based at
CFB Shearwater
Canadian Forces Base Shearwater , commonly referred to as CFB Shearwater and formerly named HMCS ''Shearwater'', is a Canadian Forces facility located east southeast of Shearwater, Nova Scotia, on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour in the Hal ...
in
Shearwater, Nova Scotia.
On June 30, 2014, Mercer was appointed an Officer of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the cen ...
by
David Johnston
David Lloyd Johnston (born June 28, 1941) is a Canadian academic, author, and statesman who served from 2010 to 2017 as Governor General of Canada, the 28th since Canadian Confederation. He is the commissioner of the Leaders' Debates Commis ...
,
Governor General of Canada
The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, ...
, for "his ability to inspire and challenge Canadians through humour" and his work with charitable causes. He was formally invested into the Order in a ceremony at
Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall (officially Government House) is the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and their representative, the governor general of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main b ...
on September 23, 2015. The same year, he was inducted into the
Canadian Disability Hall of Fame The Canadian Disability Hall of Fame (formerly the Terry Fox Hall of Fame), recognizes "outstanding Canadians who have made extraordinary contributions to enriching the quality of life for people with physical disabilities". It is run by the Canadia ...
. In 2019, Mercer received the Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award as part of the
Governor General's Performing Arts Awards
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
.
His memoir ''Talking to Canadians'' was the winner of the 2022
Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, also known as the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour or just the Leacock Medal, is an annual literary award presented for the best book of humour written in English by a Canadian writer, published or self ...
.
Spokesperson and endorsements
Mercer is co-chair, along with
Belinda Stronach
Belinda Caroline Stronach (Born May 2, 1966) is a Canadian businesswoman, philanthropist and a former Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to 2008. Originally elected as a Conservative, she later crossed the fl ...
, in the
Spread the Net campaign, partnered through
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
, which kicked off at
Brock University
Brock University is a public research university in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It is the only university in Canada in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, at the centre of Canada's Niagara Peninsula on the Niagara Escarpment. The university bears t ...
on September 10, 2008. Spread the Net provides bed nets for $10 each to prevent the spread of malaria among children in Africa.
In December 2004, Mercer appeared on the commercials advertising the
One-Tonne Challenge for the Government of Canada. Mercer also appeared as a model in a national ad for men's clothing store,
Harry Rosen, wearing a Canali suit. All of Mercer's fees for the campaign went to
Casey House, a hospice 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 anch ...
for people living with
AIDS. Casey House was founded by
June Callwood
June Rose Callwood, (June 2, 1924 – April 14, 2007) was a Canadian journalist, author and social activist. She was known as "Canada's Conscience".
Callwood achieved acclaim and a loyal following for her articles and columns written for na ...
, who appeared as a celebrity guest on ''Monday Report''.
In September 2005, Mercer became the national spokesperson for the 2005 Walk For Life, a series of 132 fund-raising walks across Canada that raise money for people living with HIV and AIDS. The Walk for Life is a project of the
Canadian AIDS Society
The Canadian AIDS Society (CAS) operates as a national Charitable organization (Canada), charitable organization, functioning as a coalition representing various community-based AIDS service organization, AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) acro ...
.
Mercer has narrated an animated science video on
climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
for
Science North
Science North is an interactive science museum in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
The science centre, which is Northern Ontario's most popular tourist attraction, consists of two snowflake-shaped buildings on the southwestern shore of Ramsey La ...
in Sudbury.
In November 2010, Mercer joined the
It Gets Better
It or IT may refer to:
* It (pronoun), in English
* Information technology
Arts and media Film and television
* ''It'' (1927 film), a film starring Clara Bow
* '' It! The Terror from Beyond Space'', a 1958 science fiction film
* ''It!'' (1967 ...
campaign, a series of videos that aim to help gay and lesbian youth overcome bullying.
Since 2011, Mercer has been honorary patron of
Hope Air, a charity that provides free non-emergency medical flights for people in financial need.
Personal life
Mercer was born in
St. John's,
Newfoundland and raised in
Middle Cove. His mother Patricia Cook is a nurse, and his father Kenneth Mercer is an executive in the fisheries ministry. Growing up he attended Macdonald Drive Elementary and dropped out of Prince of Wales Collegiate in St. John's before completing his diploma requirements. He was a member of the
Royal Canadian Sea Cadets during his teen years.
Mercer's spouse since 1990 is television producer Gerald Lunz. Although the romantic relationship came first, Lunz is also Mercer's long-time partner in business, who discovered him, fostered his career, and was the executive producer of ''Rick Mercer Report''. He regards his personal life as private, and says little about it in public beyond acknowledging that he is gay; in a 2011 interview on
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial-free and offers local and national programming. It is available on AM and FM to 98 percent of C ...
's ''
The Current'', he clarified that he tries "to live
islife as an out gay man" but doesn't specifically mention his sexuality on ''Rick Mercer Report'' because it's just "not what the show is about".
"Rick Mercer comes out — again — after his rant goes viral"
''Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and pa ...
'', October 27, 2011.
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercer, Rick
1969 births
Living people
20th-century Canadian comedians
20th-century LGBT people
21st-century Canadian comedians
21st-century LGBT people
Canadian bloggers
Canadian Comedy Award winners
Canadian Disability Hall of Fame
Canadian gay actors
Canadian gay writers
Canadian male comedians
Canadian male television actors
Canadian parodists
Canadian Screen Award winners
Canadian sketch comedians
Canadian satirists
Canadian television hosts
Comedians from Newfoundland and Labrador
Gay comedians
Governor General's Performing Arts Award winners
LGBT broadcasters from Canada
Male actors from Newfoundland and Labrador
Male bloggers
Officers of the Order of Canada
People from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Television show creators
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Stephen Leacock Award winners