Yuk Yuk's On Tour 2005: Chuck Byrn (Ruby Bisop in "Shock of the New")
CHUCK BYRN
In 1994, Chuck Byrn performed for the first time on amateur night at a local comedy club in Vancouver. That was all it took.
Within three months he was working professionally locally and on the road in British Columbia. "I had found something I wanted to do all the time. Coming from a family with a strong background in business it never occurred to me that making a living as a comic was an option."
"I love entertaining people and to do it as a job feels like I’m getting away with something" After two years of working steadily in Western Canada building his act and improving his skills, Chuck decided he needed some room to grow. He packed up the U-Haul and moved to Toronto.
Toronto brought a host of new challenges: larger market, different audiences, a much larger talent pool. Chuck dove in with a simple belief, "Let the show do your talking for you. It has always been my belief that if you work hard, listen to those you respect and love what you do, then everything will fall into place. I consider myself lucky to have found something that both brings fulfillment and pays the bills." Within a year Chuck was headlining across the country.
Chuck’s standup act has something for everybody. He is comfortable talking about any subject and prefers to mix his style. Observational humor, straight joke telling, one-liners, filth, fluff, insight and stories based both in fantasy and reality all have a place in his show. The audience is also one of Chuck’s favorite tools to use when on stage. "My favorite audience is one that wants to participate without being overbearing. I encourage heckling as long as you have something to say. Often I find myself leaving the stage realizing that I’ve just completed a forty-five minute show and only did about ten minutes of material. Knowing that the audience just saw a show that will never be repeated is my goal because when they come back they will see something different."
Recently, Chuck has begun venturing into the world of acting. Working on a feature film, many television appearances, a movie of the week and numerous national television commercials for both the Canadian and U.S. markets has given him experience working with the camera and a much better understanding of how it is done. "Every time I film something I’m learning. Which, at this point in my career, is my highest priority. Making people laugh is much more of a science then most people realize and the only way to learn is to keep doing it and experiment."
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