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François Morency
Cast · Known for Galas Juste Pour Rire
François Morency (born June 20, 1966) is one of Quebec’s most beloved comedians. Over the last 15 years, he has created 4 solo shows that he performed 600 times in front of a total of 500,000 spectators. He has hosted eight Juste pour rire galas and he’s been asked to host the prestigious Gala Artis three times. He has also hosted more than 1400 radio shows, winning the Olivier award for Best Comedy Radio Show four times in a row in the process.
Patrick Huard
Cast · Known for Mommy
Patrick Huard (born January 2, 1969) is a Québec actor, comedian, filmmaker, author, emcee, director and producer. He has appeared in 15 feature films, including La Vie après l'Amour, Nez Rouge, Sur le Seuil, Maman Last Call, Monica la Mitraille, Cadavres, Bon Cop Bad Cop (for which he co-wrote the screenplay and which became one of biggest box office successes of all time in Canada), Funkytown, Starbuck (Quebec's most popular film in 2011, distributed in more than 20 countries) and Omertà, from screenwriter and director Luc Dionne. This film revisits the cult TV series 11 years after the end of its third season. In March 2012, he made an eagerly anticipated return to the stage with his third one-man show entitled Le Bonheur, nearly 12 years after his last solo effort. Patrick is currently touring the province with this show. Previously, he presented two highly successful two comedy shows, 18 ans et plus and Face à Face. As well, he appeared in several Juste pour rire galas and in Eric Bogosian's play Talk Radio, doing some 1,200 shows and selling hundreds of thousands of tickets across Quebec. On television, Patrick has played all kinds of characters-guy guys, bad guys and even a drag queen-in such series as Music Hall, Cover Girl, Fortier, Au Nom de la Loi and Taxi 0-22 where he spent four seasons as Rogatien, his famous irascible taxi driver. For this role, he was honoured with the Artis trophy in 2008 and 2009 in the "actor in a comedy program" category. The public also showed their affection for Patrick, twice selecting him for the Male Personality of the Year trophy, in 2009 and 2010. In 2012, after his return to the stage, Patrick took part in TVA's hit show Star Académie. After making his mark in the 2009 edition for his amazing ability to share his knowledge, he was pleased to reprise his role as a performance teacher on the popular program. Patrick Huard has also hosted several Juste pour rire galas, the Gala de l'ADISQ, the Soirée des Jutra, a comedy series on Radio-Canada as well as several daily radio shows. Increasingly, Patrick Huard can also be found behind the camera. He produced and directed Taxi 0-22 (four seasons on TVA), in addition to videos, commercials, a documentary for Canal D, his first feature film, Les 3 P'tits Cochons [The Three Little Pigs], the biggest box office hit in Quebec in 2007, and Filière 13.
Virginie Fortin
Virginie Fortin (born September 3, 1986) is a Canadian actress and comedian from Québec. She first became known as a comedian in the early 2010s, when she won the 2013 edition of the televised stand-up comedy competition En route vers mon premier gala Juste pour rire. In 2014 and 2015, she was a cast member of the sketch comedy series SNL Québec and Le nouveau show.
Nigel Barber
Cast · Known for Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Nigel is an American actor based in London England. He has worked as a professional actor and voice over artist since 1968, when he joined AEA. He is also a member of British Equity, SAG and AFTRA. Nigel has worked on stage (Drama and Musical Theatre) in Film, Television and Radio, as well as a Commercial Print and Voice Over artist. Nigel has just completed, 2014, shooting the features 'Firequake', playing the male lead 'Declan Glas' staring opposite Alexandra Paul, 'High Strung' a Michael Damian film, with Jane Seymour and Paul Freeman, as well as 'Lake Placid 5', playing the 'Mayor', directed by Stephan Faust. This year, 2014, Nigel appeared as 'Frank' in the world premier of 'A Hard Rain', directed by Tricia Thorns, for Above The Stag in London and was in the original cast of 'The Bodyguard -The Musical', at the Adelphi Theatre, West End, London. Nigel appeared as the lead, 'James Arthur Ray' in the world premier of 'Hearts On Fire', being short listed for best performance at the Edinburgh Festival. "The brilliant Nigel Barber as Ray speaks with a passionate, glazed-eyed delusion whose effects are frightening to behold" Broadway Baby. "Nigel Barber, believable, powerful and terrifying". US military service. American and British passport holder. Extensive Green Screen experience. Extensive Voice Over experience. Training: Certificate Program in Professional Acting, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts. Advanced Acting Technique, The Actors Workshop - Los Angeles. Adler Technique - Level III, Stella Adler Academy of Acting and Theatre - Los Angeles. Sal Dano Actors Workshop - Los Angeles. The Actors Centre - London. Nathan Osgood Actors Studio - London.
Ronny Chieng
Cast · Known for The Daily Show, Forgotten Island, Godzilla vs. Kong
Ronny Chieng is a stand up comedian. Ronny is a Chinese guy, born in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, raised in New Hampshire, MA USA and Singapore. He went to Australia to attend the University of Melbourne, and he graduated with a Degree in Commerce and a Degree in Law in 2009. In 2012 Ronny was named by The Age as one of the Top 5 up-and-coming acts to watch and one of the Top 10 rising comedians in Australia by the Sydney Morning Herald. In 2012 Ronny performed his debut one hour comedy special, "The Ron Way", at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the Sydney Comedy Festival, to rave reviews for which he was awarded the Best Newcomer at the MICF 2012, selling out his entire four week run, including the larger capacity extra shows that were added to cope with demand. Ronny has been invited to perform twice at the prestigious invitation-only Just for Laughs Comedy Festival (2012 & 2013) in Montreal and at the SOHO Theatre in London's West End, selling out his entire 2 week run. In 2013 Ronny was once again named one of the Top Ten Hottest Comedians by The Age and the Herald Sun, and performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2013's Opening Gala, which was broadcasted on Network Channel Ten, and the Sydney Comedy Festival Opening Gala 2013 at the Sydney Opera House. Ronny performed his second one hour comedy special "Can You Do This? No You Can't." and sold out his entire 24 show season after the first week, even after being moved to a larger 400 seat venue and doing an extra 1400 seat show at the Melbourne Town Hall Main Hall. 2013 also saw Ronny debut his show to rave reviews at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August then returned to London's SOHO Theatre where he once again performed to packed houses.
Christopher Rodriguez Marquette
Cast · Known for Freddy vs. Jason, Strong Medicine, Reacher
Christopher Marquette (born October 3, 1984), also credited as Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette, is an American actor. He began his career with a main role as Adam Brody on the ABC sitcom Aliens in the Family (1996) before his breakout with a main role as Marc Delgado on the Lifetime medical drama series Strong Medicine (2000–2005). Following his breakout on Strong Medicine, Marquette had a main role as Mason McAllister on the Fox soap opera Pasadena (2001) and voiced lead character Alex O'Connell on the WB animated series The Mummy (2001–2003). He gained further mainstream attention with a main role as Adam Rove on the CBS series Joan of Arcadia (2003–2005) and starring roles in the films Freddy vs. Jason (2003), The Girl Next Door (2004), Just Friends (2005), Alpha Dog (2006), and The Invisible (2007). In the late 2000s, Marquette starred in the films Life During Wartime (2009), Race to Witch Mountain (2009), and Fanboys (2009). In the 2010s and 2020s, he starred in the films The Double (2011) and Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story (2015) and had a main role as Octie on the Gala Film web series RZR (2024). In 2025, he was cast in the fourth season of Reacher.
Ashley Loren
Ashley Loren is known to theatre lovers as the longest running Satine in the Broadway hit Moulin Rouge: The Musical. Ashley also starred in For The Record's production of BAZ: Star Crossed Love, Ursula in Reprise 2.0’s inaugural production of Sweet Charity directed by Kathleen Marshall, the Broadway revival of Jekyll & Hyde (and it’s national tour), and played Extraordinary Girl in Green Day’s American Idiot in LA. She won Best Featured Actress Film Festival award for her work in the film Be The Light, and featured on Season 2 of NBC's This Is Us and Season 1 of HBO's And Just Like That. After appearing on Season 8 of American Idol, Ashley was signed to Universal Music Group/Island Def Jam and traveled the world singing with artists such as Bono/U2, Angelique Kidjo, Lupe Fiasco, Dev Hynes/Blood Orange, and Yoko Ono. She has sung back-up for Carly Rae Jepsen, Melissa Etheridge and Iggy Azalea on NPR Tiny Desk, Good Morning America, The Today Show, LIVE with Kelly & Michael, The View, MADE, America's Got Talent, Howard Stern (siriusXM), Saturday Night Live!, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, James Corden and Ellen. Ashley has performed internationally with Broadway ROX, Spiegelworld's Empire, Nederlander Worldwide and with Amnesty International. Ashley has used the platform afforded to her to advocate for those with chronic and invisible illness, and increase awareness for Lyme Disease, a condition she was diagnosed with as young child. Her continued story of hope, resilience and strength while facing Lyme was brought to the world in a November 2022 profile in People Magazine, and during her keynote speech at the 2022 Global Lyme Alliance Gala in New York City, an event that raised $1.85 million for Lyme Disease research, education, awareness, and patient services.
Stjepan Hauser
Stjepan Hauser (born 15 June 1986),[1] known professionally as HAUSER, is a Croatian cellist. He is a member of 2CELLOS, along with Luka Šulić. Early life and musical training Hauser was born in Pula, Croatia, into a musical family, where he began his musical education. He studied in Zagreb but completed his undergraduate studies with Natalia Pavlutskaya at Trinity College of Music (now Trinity Laban) London. He completed his postgraduate studies with Ralph Kirshbaum as a Dorothy Stone Scholar at RNCM in Manchester and with Bernard Greenhouse in USA. Career Hauser has performed in more than 40 countries including debuts in Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Southbank Centre and many more. In October 2006, Hauser was chosen to perform at the gala at Palazzo Vecchio in Florence for the late Mstislav Rostropovich. Following this appearance, Hauser has been invited to perform in numerous festivals in Europe. At the International Holland Music Sessions 2009, he was chosen to participate in the "New Masters on Tour" concert series, presenting young artists in prestigious concert venues all over the continent. In December 2007, Hauser played the Kol Nidre with the Metropolitan Sinfonia at a Gala Tribute Concert dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich. Subsequently, Hauser went on to perform and record as a solo artist including his recording of British composer Christopher Ball's First Concerto for Cello, written by the composer specifically for him. The album, Christopher Ball: Music for Cello, was recorded at the first live performance of the concerto in 2010, and features former Greenwich Trio member, Yoko Misumi, on piano. On 11 June 2009, Hauser launched his channel on YouTube, which had since reached over 680 million views by September 2022. In January 2011, Hauser, along with friend and fellow cellist Luka Šulić, performed a cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" which was played solely on cello. In just a few days, the music video became a YouTube sensation. The album Hauser Classic was released on 7 February 2020, in which he plays alongside the London Symphony Orchestra. The album was produced by Nick Patrick.
Erika Prevost
Erika Prevost is a mixed race Japanese-Canadian actor born and raised in Montreal, Canada. From a young age Erika loved the spotlight. Finding her first form of expression through movement, she had a career in dance before being exposed to the world of Acting. Beginning with a series regular role on Disney's hit teen dance drama TV series The Next Step, Erika continued to hone her craft at The National Theatre School of Canada. Majoring in Acting in 2020, Erika has moved to Toronto to continue her career, which is where she is currently based. Erika has made her mark in the film and television industry through her roles in Sony's Party Of Five, Amazon Prime's Colors of Love; Lionsgate's Step Up All In; Starz' American Gods; Lifetime's Saying Yes To Christmas; Universal Picture's 7th installment of their hit franchise Bring It On, to name a few. Her upcoming releases include a starring role in a Tubi original picture, set to come out December 2022. Erika also has extensive dance training and has a background in HipHop, Contemporary, Ballet, Jazz and Ballroom. A few of her dance credits include work on NBC's The Voice, the Just For Laughs Gala, Cirque due Soleil's NBA All Star Games and Pan Am Games Opening Ceremony, and many more. Prevost has filmed all across the country, from the west coast (Vancouver) to the east coast (Halifax) and shows no sign of slowing down. Embracing the constant changes of this industry, Erika aspires to keep sharing her love of storytelling with as many people as possible, while never trading honesty for relatability.
Arturo Brachetti
Arturo Brachetti (born 13 October 1957) is an Italian quick-change artist considered the best quick change performer in the world. In the Guinness Book of Records he is described as the quickest and most prolific quick change artist in the world. Brachetti was born in Turin. His career covers a wide artistic range and has made him an international name. The change from one costume to another is performed in a matter of seconds, often by throwing a sheet up and completely changing costume by the time it falls. In the current show, Brachetti performs 80 characters in one evening. His skills also include shadowgraphy and sand painting. As a child, he frequented a seminary, where he met a young priest, Silvio Mantelli, with the hobby of magic. Spending most of his time in the magical warehouse of the priest, Brachetti learnt all kind of magic tricks. At the age of 15, using costumes borrowed from the seminary's theatre, he invented and performed his first quick-change act, an art introduced to the world by Leopoldo Fregoli (1867-1936). His professional career began in 1978 in France at the parisian cabaret Paradis Latin, under the direction of Jean Marie Rivière. This led to a starring role in André Heller's German production of "Flic Flac"(1981). From Germany he went to England, appearing at London's Piccadilly Theatre starring in the production of "Y" which ran for just over a year (1983–84). He was nominated for the prestigious Society of West End Theatre Award. That same year he performed at "The Covent Garden Christmas Gala" in the presence of the British Royal Family. On his return to Italy, he participated as the guest star in 10 episodes of the television show Al paradise for the Italian national television RAI (1985). It was after this that he was introduced to the Italian theatre scene. This led to a string of successful theatre productions (M. Butterfly, L'Histoire du Soldat, Varietà, In Principio Arturo, Amami Arturo, Il Mistero dei Bastardi Assassini, I Massibilli, etc.), and television appearances, making him one of the most critically acclaimed young actors of the Italian stage. He also memorably performed as the interval act at the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest in Rome. He returned to London to perform in Tony Harrison's production of "Square Rounds" at the National Theatre. In 1989 and 1990 he was also a regular performer on The Best of Magic for Thames Television. Then off to Disneyland Paris where, with Mickey Mouse, he co-hosted the show A Night of Magic, which was transmitted internationally. From 1995, with the Italian production company Compagnia Della Rancia and the director Saverio Marconi, Brachetti continued to concentrate on creating and developing musicals for the Italian audience. His original musical "Fregoli" won the Biglietto D'Oro (Golden Ticket Award) for the best selling show in a season (280,000 tickets). His popularity continued with the production of "Brachetti in Technicolor" and "Midsummer Night's Dream". In the opera field, he played the storyteller in Stravinsky's "Histoire du soldat", "Peter and the wolf"(2011) and "Allegro un po' troppo" (2013). ... Source: Article "Arturo Brachetti" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
June Galas
Producer · Known for Family Ties
Fan Wei
Cast · Known for Love Stories in the Countryside
Fan Wei is a Chinese skit, sitcom and film actor best known for his performances with Zhao Benshan and Gao Xiumin in CCTV New Year's Galas since 1995. His father was a publicity officer in a factory and his mother was a salesperson. He has an elder sister and a younger brother. In 1978, by age 16, Fan studied acting from Chen Lianzhong.
Nita Whitaker
A favorite singer of legendary producer David Foster, Nita has sung with some of the most famous voices of our time. She sang the original demos for Whitney Houston’s standards, “I Will Always Love You”, “I Have Nothing” and “I Look to You” working with producers David Foster and Walter Nelson Jr. Having toured with Andrea’ Bocelli as a guest duet artist, as well a featured vocalist on tour with jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, Nita has performed with some of the great singers of our time including Michael Bolton, Lionel Ritchie, Yolanda Adams, Patti LaBelle, Barbara Striesand, Patti Austin, Josh Groban, and Michael Buble’. She has entertained thousands as well hundreds in her own intimate one woman shows, charity galas and corporate events; her expansive talent and humor continues to find new avenues to be expressed.
Drew Scott
As co-founder and executive producer of Scott Brothers Entertainment, Drew Scott is a multi-faceted entrepreneur who has enjoyed huge success as a co-host of three smash-hit TV series, as well as past achievements in the film and television industry as a producer, director and actor. He has long held an interest in entertainment and began acting in theater, improv, and sketch comedy in his teens. This led to behind-the-camera work freelancing in Vancouver’s film and television industry, and the eventual formation of an independent production company with his brothers. Together they have produced several films that have toured the festival circuit, as well as industry galas such as the Producers Ball, which is held during the Toronto International Film Festival. Never one to rest on his laurels, Drew personifies a true entrepreneurial spirit as he has simultaneously built a successful real estate investment company while maintaining the steady growth of Scott Brothers Entertainment.
Juli Reding
Esther Fay Reding (November 28, 1935 – September 16, 2021), better known as Juli Reding, was an American actress and model, best known for her role in the horror film, Tormented (1960). Reding, usually presented as a curvaceous platinum blonde starlet, won a Warner Brothers contract in a publicity contest in the 1950s. She appeared in several films, most notably the horror film Tormented (1960), and murder mystery Mission in Morocco (1959). She held various beauty queen titles and also appeared on the covers and in pin-up pages of magazines including Scamp, Escapade, Fling, Vagabond, Vue, and Foto-Rama. Later in life, Juli Reding Hutner was a socialite in Los Angeles, often photographed at charity galas. She was named to the board of directors of the Hollywood Entertainment Museum in 1994. She died in Springfield, Missouri on September 16, 2021, at the age of 85.
Jake Zyrus
Jake Zyrus (known as Charice Pempengco prior to his gender transition) was born in Cabuyao, Philippines. When he was three years old, he witnessed his abusive father point a gun at his mom during an episode of domestic violence. Along with his mother and younger brother Carl, they left their father in search of a better life. At the age of seven, with money hard to come by and with little food to put on the table, Zyrus urged his mother to teach him how to sing and let him join singing contests to help support their family. He went around the provinces of Laguna and Batangas, joining amateur singing contests in town fiestas and later, on little-known shows on television. He started winning most of the contests he joined, often borrowing money from friends and neighbors for the bus fare then paying them back after he had won. He estimates he joined 80-100 singing contests all in all. In May 2008, Zyrus was invited to guest on Oprah, for a themed show called World's Smartest Kids. She sang I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston and bought the audience to their feet, giving him another standing ovation. No one was more impressed than Oprah Winfrey herself though, incredulously asking him, "Girl, that was fantastic! Who are you?!" The next day, Charice and his mother were already on a plane waiting to take off for the Philippines when Oprah called to stop the plane and bring them back to her office. Oprah had been so impressed with the child and couldn't get him off her mind. He listened to Zyrus' story and told him, "Don't lose hope. I promise you something big will happen." She then called legendary music producer David Foster who took Zyrus on under his wing. Zyrus, as David Foster's protégé, suddenly found himself singing duets with Andrea Bocelli in Italy and with his idol Celine Dion in Madison Square Garden. He also shared the stage with other big names such as Michael Buble and Josh Groban. He performed at three of President Barack Obama's pre-inauguration galas and made a cameo appearance as himself in 2009's Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. He also went on to appear on the Oprah show three more times after his initial appearance, the most recent one being last May 11, 2010, a day after his 18th birthday, to debut his international album CHARICE. His single Pyramid with singer Iyaz topped the Billboard Dance chart at #1. His album sales during its first week landed him in the #8 spot on the US Billboard Hot 200 chart, making him the first ever Asian artist in history to enter the Billboard top 10. In June 2017, Zyrus came out as a trans-man and announced that he underwent gender transition. He dropped his old name "Charice Pempengco" and adopted his current name.
Kay Adams
Born April 6, 1986, in Chicago, Illinois, Kay Adams is the daughter of Polish immigrants and grew up speaking fluent Polish and English. She developed an interest in a media career while attending Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago. Adams attended the University of Missouri, majoring in communications while working multiple part-time jobs to pay for her education, including positions as a bartender at a sports bar and a radio personality on local music and sports radio stations. Adams began her career as an in-game host for the St. Louis Cardinals at their home games before transitioning to professional football coverage. She established herself in the fantasy football world, hosting SiriusXM's "Livin' the Fantasy" and "SiriusXM Fantasy Drive," as well as DirecTV's "NFL Sunday Ticket Fantasy Zone." In 2012, she appeared as a guest on "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," gaining broader public recognition. She also worked as a reporter for NBC Sports Network, occasionally appearing on shows including "The Crossover with Michelle Beadle" and "NBC SportsTalk." In 2016, Adams became one of the original hosts of NFL Network's "Good Morning Football," the network's year-round weekday morning show. Her engaging personality, authentic energy, and ability to connect with NFL players, coaches, and celebrities made the Emmy-nominated program a must-watch for football fans across the country. She interviewed top National Football League stars while making complex football topics accessible to viewers. During her six-year tenure, Adams solidified herself as a trusted voice and fan-favorite television personality. Beyond football, Adams expanded her hosting repertoire considerably. On September 17, 2018, she joined the DAZN boxing broadcast team alongside Sugar Ray Leonard, Brian Kenny, Chris Mannix, and LZ Granderson. In 2020, she hosted a mobile version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" where the general public played for real money. From 2020 to 2022, she hosted "People (the TV show!)," a daily entertainment newsmagazine based on People magazine that aired over Meredith Corporation stations. After choosing not to re-sign with NFL Network in 2022, Adams launched her own daily NFL sports show, "Up & Adams," for FanDuel TV on September 6, 2022. The show, which also appears on YouTube and MAX Sports, was credited with contributing to the channel's audience growth. Adams has also hosted major live events including Netflix's first-ever live sporting event, Nickelodeon's "Superstar Slime Showdown," and TruTV's "Impractical Jokers Live Special." She maintains a personal connection to the Muscular Dystrophy Association and frequently hosts fundraising events and galas.
Galal Chater
Gala Montes
Cast · Known for El Señor de los Cielos
Gala Gordon
Gala Gordon is an English stage and screen actress and model.
Gala Caldirola
Manny Galan
Manny Galan is known for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), The Equalizer (2021) and Wu-Tang: An American Saga (2019).
