Sean Cullen is a man of many talents, including writing, acting, and doing stand-up. He has released four CDs in total—two musical comedies and two live albums.
He has also hosted a radio show on CBC Radio One and written and starred in a sitcom on CBC. Currently, he is a frequent panelist on the revamped Match Game on the Comedy Network.
Despite having so much to do, he still finds time to occupy himself with activities outside of work. He said it’s where he finds his inspiration.
“I try to fill my mind with lots of different things . . . It usually comes out of something that has made me laugh,” Cullen said.
He also said he writes, reads, and watches television, which helps him find bases for his bits and routines.
“I try to figure out what’s funny about it or what’s weird about it . . . and try to do something funny about it,” Cullen said.
Even though Cullen is constantly coming up with new ideas, he said he doesn’t simply sit down every couple of weeks and force himself to write.
“I like to say I’m always writing things, but every couple of years I kind of try to overhaul everything and make a new show,” he said.
Cullen, famous for his combination of improvisation and musical comedy, said his show in Ottawa will be “crazy.”
“We’re going to do a lot of music and songs and weird improvisation . . . It’s all unique,” he said.
He said what he likes best about his live shows is that “each one is different. You won’t see the same one again.”
In addition to the improvisation, the audience should be seeing a pretty fresh routine. However, Sean will also be doing some old favourites, which he hopes to record.
Even though Sean Cullen is a seasoned comedic professional, he said he is always improving.
“I think it happens naturally, if you’re working,” he said.
He also said keeping your routine fresh is a good way to improve yourself.
“The hardest test is a live audience. If they don’t like it, it’s terrible,” he said.
Cullen said he uses the audience as a means of creating the best routine possible by seeing what works and what does not, and it seems Ottawa will be his next test run.
Cullen performs in the capital March 22 at the Ottawa Little Theatre.
