Comedian K Trevor Wilson, aka Squirrely Dan on Letterkenny, released a new album on Nov. 10, titled Sorry! (A Canadian Album). Consisting of distinctly Canadian material from winters to the universal disdain for Toronto, he chatted with The Charlatan to discuss Letterkenny, the album, and his own comedic inspirations.
The Charlatan (TC): Let’s start with the album. What inspired the material that appears on it?
K Trevor Wilson (KTW): A lot of it is travel stories. I spent 17 years on the road in Canada, and I started writing jokes about the different towns I’ve been to for the next time I went back. After so many years, I found I had this collection of different stories about Canada, and I wanted to do a record showing my roots and my love for where I came from. So, I decided to do a theme album of my Canadian material from one show.
TC: How would you say Canadian audiences vary in different regions of the country?
KTW: You start out in a major market usually, you’ll go to Toronto or Vancouver or Montreal where it’s a pretty big city to learn your craft. Canada is mostly small towns, so no one really gets your jokes about the TTC when you’re up in Timmins. When you’re travelling around, you have to remember that Canada is small towns. There’s a lot of universal things that Canadians can laugh at together. Winter is always a good source for humour in Canada.
TC: What would you say is the biggest difference between small town markets and large urban centres is in your experience?
KTW: Definitely in the urban centres, they’re more multicultural, there’s more access to other cultures. Small towns, there’s a real Canadian-ness to it. Lots of guys named Gord who listen to The Tragically Hip and drink Molson and drive an ATV, where nothing’s better than cracking a 24 at the end of the week. The city, you get way more people with different experience, more cross-section.
TC: What’s been your favourite city to perform in?
KTW: You know, I always have good shows at the Ottawa Absolute. Audiences are always ready to laugh, the nickname for it is the “holodeck” because it’s like the audience is programmed to laugh at you. If you bomb at Absolute Ottawa, you should probably retire.
TC: Are there any stark differences you’ll notice while performing outside the country?
KTW: Going to the States, a lot of the Canadian jokes I don’t bring with me. There’s a lot of references they’re not going to get. But I find Canadian humour translates very well. We’re sort of in between British sensibilities and American sensibilities. Sarcasm is a Canadian art form the idea of saying something polite while actually being quite mean is very Canadian. I find it travels well but you do have to adjust. I’m not going to do all my jokes about the winter when I’m in Phoenix, AZ. On the flip side, some jokes I’ll do in the States probably work as well up here.
TC: Let’s talk about Letterkenny, how did you get involved in that show?
KTW: The old-fashioned way. My agent sent me a breakdown, said I’ve got you an audition next week, and here’s the show. I was a fan of the web series going in, and so I really took my time, did my homework, worked on my audition and went in and gave the best read I could do. I lucked out, they saw something they liked in me, saw someone they could work with, we came together and we were able to create a fun character on-screen. I work on my favourite TV show, and it’s a very rare and fortunate thing to have happen. I’d be a fan of this even if I wasn’t on it.
TC: What’s been your most memorable moment on the show?
KTW: For me, there’s been a personal victory. In season one, I was able to “shake the camera,” which is when you make the camera operator laugh so hard it ruins the take. Our lead camera operator has got over 30 years experience in the business, and he’s one of the hardest guys to get to shake the camera. I did an ad-lib in season one where I said “here’s a tip, it’s really hard to get tuna out of your dickhole.” And Billy [the lead camera operator] laughed so hard it corpsed the take, and we had to do it again. That stands out for me, because it was the first time someone got the camera crew to crack.
TC: What’s the environment like on the show?
KTW: It’s a very fun environment. We call it summer camp because we shoot on location in Sudbury, so, we always have to travel to work. We end up getting sequestered in a hotel for a month together, and it’s a great time. Everyone gets along, the cast is fantastic, the crew is second to none. There’s a lot of laughter but it’s also insanely efficient. We generally knock out about 12-13 pages of dialogue a day, which is unheard of in television production. And we do it within the confines of a regular work day. We almost never go into overtime, in fact sometimes we wrap early. It’s just everyone on the crew and cast is a pro. So even though there’s a lot of laughter and a lot of fun, when we get on set, the work gets done. It’s an amazing experience, professionally and personally.
TC: Do you have a favourite piece of Letterkenny slang?
KTW: The one that follows me around the most is “I appreciates.” Fans come up to me all the time to let me know what they “appreciates” about me. That’s the one I definitely hear the most.
TC: Do you have a favourite fan interaction that stands out in your head?
KTW: Last May, Nathan Dales and I did a show at Fort Wainwright in Alberta for about 5,000 troops from the US, Canada, the UK, New Zealand, and Australia. It was the last day of a three month training exercise at Fort Wainwright and they were having a party to blow off some steam, and Nate and I were brought in to host a show. From the moment we walked out in costume to the moment we got into the transport to leave, we were swamped by soldiers from all around the world looking for autographs and photos with us. I was completely overwhelmed with how much love they had for the show, but also the fact that here are guys who their job is risking their lives to defend their countries and they’re coming up thanking us for making a TV show . . . It was a really special day, and I don’t think I’ll soon forget visiting the guys at Fort Wainwright.
TC: Why do you think the show has provoked the kind of reaction it has across the country?
KTW: Well, it’s very relatable. Like I said, the country is mostly small towns. So, for most of the country, it is a window into their lives, and what they’re used to. But also, we don’t do parodies of these characters . . . the choice was made to make these developing, complex characters with layers and use them to address some issues in our own way. I think we present a good middle split, you know we’re not right-leaning or left-leaning with the politics of the show. We’re capturing the voice of most Canadians who embrace a bit of tradition while trying to keep their minds open for what’s coming ahead . . . it speaks to a lot of people.
TC: As a performing comic, what are your thoughts on the comedy scene in Canada?
KTW: It’s definitely at one of the strongest places it’s been in a long, long time. I think a lot still needs to happen for the business to really thrive, but there’s no shortage of talent in this country. I think one of the things that holds comedy back is we’re not really recognized as artists by the government. There’s government grants for just about everything – writing, performing, painting. You can get a government grant to subsidize you to write a book. But there’s no help offered for stand-up. We’re just not considered artists by the government’s definition . . . The fact that there’s a Juno for comedy records is a big step in the right direction. For a country that claims a lot of pride in comedians that they export to the rest of the world, they need to do a lot more to support the ones that are already here.
TC: Is there a comic that’s been particularly influential on your performance style?
KTW: There’s so many over the years, and I’ve been lucky enough to meet a lot of heroes. I grew up listening to guys like George Carlin, Robin Williams, Steven Wright, and Brian Regan who may be my favourite all-time comedian. There’s just so many guys who have influenced me and guys in Canada too who have not only influenced me but have been a big help. You know, like Brent Butt, Mike Wilmot, and Derek Edwards are all guys I looked up to growing up and I’ve had the pleasure now of working with them and meeting them and bending their ear. Guys like Mike MacDonald and Larry Horowitz had huge influences on my stand-up . . . There’s too many people to thank to pick one, but if I had to, it would be Brian Regan, who I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting and working with. The bathroom in his tour bus is nicer than the bathroom in my apartment.
TC: How has Regan influenced you?
KTW: Regan is a guy who has made has made a living off of just being a stand-up. He hasn’t done too much TV or film, he just works and writes and creates and does the whole thing clean. I’ve only ever heard him swear like once. The work ethic and the skill that goes into what he does is incredible. He’s one of those guys that he’s so good you have to watch yourself that you’re not just doing an impression of Brian. Since Bill Cosby, I don’t think anyone has done as good a job of capturing the scope of the world through a child’s eyes. Pick up Brian Regan’s first album and listen to “Lousy in Little League” or “The Science Fair,” and he takes you right there and puts you in those positions and brings that whole world to life. You remember it from when you were a kid and even though it’s not your experience, it’s your experience.
TC: Is there a Letterkenny cast member that you think is most like their on-screen counterpart?
KTW: There’s a lot of Wayne in Jared [Keeso]. There’s a lot of Jared in Wayne. He’s not exactly playing himself but there are a lot of sensibilities. The hockey players, they’re not as bad as the characters they play, but they are both former hockey players. They came up in that world. The friendship on the show is based on their real friendship in real life. But definitely Jared and Wayne are the closest. Wayne is who Jared would be if he stayed on the farm.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
