Ron Sparks (comedian)
| Ron Sparks | |
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| Born | May 20, 1978 Canada |
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| http://www.myspace.com/sparksnation | |
Ron Sparks (born May 20, 1978) is a Canadian comedian, actor and writer. He was born in Chatham-Kent, Ontario but lives in Toronto, Ontario, where he is best known as a stand-up comedian and regular and favourite juror on MuchMusic's highest-rated show, Video on Trial. He also starred as The Judge in the MuchMusic "Holiday Wrap" special Stars on Trial. Currently he is a regular on the series This Movie Sucks! along with Ed the Sock and Liana K where he now riffs on bad movies.
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Biography[edit]
Ron Sparks is a Canadian comedian, writer and actor, born in Chatham, Ontario. He first began performing with York University's Vanier Improv Company then sketch comedy. His troupe, The Minnesota Wrecking Crew, were nominated four straight years (2003–2006) for Canadian Comedy Awards for Best Sketch Troupe, winning in 2003 and 2004. In 2006 they won a third Canadian Comedy Award for Best Taped Live Performance for the CBC TV special Sketch with Kevin McDonald.
He began performing stand-up in April 2003 at The ALTdot COMedy Lounge and won that year's Tim Sims Award, given to Toronto's most promising new comedy act, then followed it up with the 2004 Canadian Comedy Award for Best Stand-up Newcomer. Frank Magazine described him as "the next stand-up wunderkind". Stand-up credits include the Halifax, Winnipeg and Just for Laughs comedy festivals. He was named JFL's Toronto Homegrown Champion.
On television he stars in MuchMusic's highest rated show Video on Trial and its spin-off, Stars on Trial. He has also been a regular on various Ed the Sock series and The Toronto Show. His CTV Comedy Now! stand-up special aired in 2008 and won a WorldFest Award and two Canadian Comedy Awards. He has also made appearances on CBC Radio's Brave New Waves and Out Front.
He has written his own series of shorts for The Comedy Network, From the Desk of Ron Sparks, and for various other series including This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Little Mosque, Life's a Zoo and Crash Canyon.
Currently Ron has a weekly live show in Toronto, The Newsdesk with Ron Sparks, which he also does as a weekly segment on 102.1 The Edge. He is also a regular guest on CBC's Debaters.
He has also won several awards as a playwright.
He is not related to fellow comedian Hal Sparks.
In 2006 he offered to fight Uwe Boll who had challenged his critics to a series of boxing matches leading up to the release of his movie Postal, but Boll declined due to Sparks's size advantage because he would be fighting five boxers back-to-back.
Video on Trial[edit]
In newer episodes of Video on Trial he is listed as having fake occupations instead of just "comedian". He has been billed as such things as (in order of use):
- a handsome bachelor
- a movie star
- a hand model
- a member of the Justice League
- the president of the Shawn Desman Fan Club (an in-joke, as Ron often makes fun of Desman)
- a Man About Town
- a Ghost Whisperer
- a haberdasher
- a vampire hunter
- the inventor of techno music (during an episode featuring a techno music video)
- a Crocodile Hunter
- a Ninja Assassin
- a macaroni artist
- a non-union stunt man
- star of "Sorority Shootout"
- a birdhouse architect
- "Not Cool in the '80s" (During the "80s Supertsars" episode)
- Santa's Biggest Elf (During the "Holiday Crap" episode)
- Benson's Butler (Totally 80s Video on Trial)
Filmography[edit]
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Year | Nominated work | Event | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Ron Sparks | Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award | Tim Sims Award | Won |
| 2003 | The Minnesota Wrecking Crew | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Sketch Troupe | Won |
| 2003 | Laughing Matters | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Writing - TV Special or Episode | Nominated |
| 2004 | Ron Sparks | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Stand-up Newcomer | Won |
| 2004 | The Minnesota Wrecking Crew | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Sketch Troupe | Won |
| 2005 | The Minnesota Wrecking Crew | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Sketch Troupe | Nominated |
| 2005 | From the Desk of Ron Sparks | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best One Person Show | Won |
| 2006 | The Minnesota Wrecking Crew, Sketch with Kevin McDonald | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Taped Live Performance | Won |
| 2006 | The Minnesota Wrecking Crew | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Sketch Troupe | Nominated |
| 2006 | The Newsdesk with Ron Sparks | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best One Person Show | Nominated |
| 2007 | Plan LIVE from Outer Space | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Play | Won |
| 2008 | The Newsdesk with Ron Sparks | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best One Person Show | Nominated |
| 2009 | Life's A Zoo | Banff Rockie Award | Best Music or Variety Program | Nominated |
| 2009 | Ron Sparks, Comedy Now! | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Taped Live Performance | Won |
| 2009 | Ron Sparks, Comedy Now! | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Writing - TV | Won |
| 2009 | Himself, Comedy Now! | Worldfest Bronze Award | Best TV Special, Comedy | Won |
| 2010 | Debaters, Monotheism vs. Polytheism (Ron Sparks vs. Sean Cullen) | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Radio Program | Won |
| 2011 | This Movie Sucks! | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best TV Show | Won |
| 2012 | The Trial | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Film | Nominated |
| 2012 | The Trial (Kevin MacDonald & Ron Sparks) | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Direction - Film | Nominated |
| 2012 | The Newsdesk with Ron Sparks | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best One Person Show | Nominated |
| 2012 | Ron Sparks | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Male Stand-up | Won |
| 2012 | Ron Sparks' Celebrity Roasts | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Comedic Play, Revue or Series | Nominated |
| 2012 | Debaters, Fast Food is Evil (Alan Park vs. Ron Sparks) | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Radio Program or Clip | Nominated |
Other awards:
- Voted "North America's Sexiest Comedian" at the 2007 Canadian Comedy Awards "Statelessness of the Industry" address against Nicole Arbour.
- First place in York University playwrighting competition, 2000 and 2001. Second place in 1999. Third place in 2001.
- Grand Theatre Stage Presence Competition winner for young theatre artists in 1997.
External links[edit]
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- 1978 births
- Canadian Baptists
- Canadian stand-up comedians
- Canadian television personalities
- Canadian television actors
- Canadian screenwriters
- Canadian television comedians
- Canadian television directors
- Canadian television producers
- Canadian film directors
- Canadian film producers
- Ed the Sock
- Living people
- People from Toronto
- People from Chatham-Kent
- People from Chatham, Ontario
