Anthony Kavanagh (born September 26, 1969) is a Canadian

stand up comedian Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage and delivers humorous and satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical acts. These performances are typically composed of rehea ...

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

singer Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

and

TV presenter A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces or hosts television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. It is common for people who garnered fam ...

. After a successful career on the

francophone The Francophonie or Francophone world is the whole body of people and organisations around the world who use the French language regularly for private or public purposes. The term was coined by Onésime Reclus in 1880 and became important a ...

stand-up scene in Quebec, he became a major star in France and is now a popular television host.

Early life

Anthony Kavanagh was born to Haitian parents on September 26, 1969. He made his stage début in a high school talent show at the age of 14. In 1989, he won the Best New Comic Award of the Juste pour rire Festival ("Just for Laughs") in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

. This award propelled him onto the

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

show business scene. Kavanagh charmed English and French speaking audiences alike. In 1992, Kavanagh opened for touring artists such as

Julio Iglesias Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva (; born 23 September 1943) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. Iglesias is recognized as the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world and one of the top List of best-selling music artists, reco ...

and

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to prominence in the mid-1970s, with the release of her debut ...

and spent two years as

Céline Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the " Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had a significant impact on popular musi ...

's opening act across

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, in French and in English. Kavanagh got his own television talk show in 1993 "''…et Anthony''", becoming the youngest

talk show A talk show is a television programming, radio programming or podcast genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show', pp.3-4Erler, Robert (201 ...

host in Quebec at age 23. He co-starred on the French Canadian comedy radio show ''Les Midis fous'' on CKOI (No.1 in their time slot), then in a recurring role on the television series '' Super sans plomb'' and a starring role in the made-for-TV movie "''Voodoo Taxi''" for

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...

(CBC).

Career

Stand-up comedy

Kavanagh presented his first stand-up comedy show, "''Kavanagh!''" across

in 1995. The one-man show was a success and garnered rave reviews. That same year, he received the Outstanding New Talent award at the Montreux Comedy Festival in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. In December, Kavanagh once again opened for

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

at the Paris-Bercy and Zenith arenas. In 1998, after taking a year to adapt and prepare his show "''Kavanagh!''" for

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

with famous French comedian

Pascal Légitimus Pascal Légitimus (born 13 March 1959) is a French actor, comedian and theatre director. He is a member of the well-known French comedy band Les Inconnus. Personal life He is the son of an Armenian theater seamstress, Madeleine Kambourian, and ...

, Kavanagh debuted in

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

right in the middle of the

FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...

. Nevertheless, the show drew sold-out crowds, even turning away more than 150 people a day. In the fall, he took up residence at Theâtre Trévise in Paris for seven months to sold-out audiences. After less than one year in France, Kavanagh was asked to do four shows at the Olympia, the most prestigious theater in France. After 5 years, in 2003, his ''Kavanagh!'' Tour ended after 500 shows in 7 countries and 250,000 DVDs sold. In 2008, after a five-year break from stand-up comedy, Kavanagh returned to the comedy stage with a new one-man show "''Anthonykavanagh.com''" touring in Canada, France and Switzerland. The following year, he returned to Théâtre du Gymnase with another new comedy show called "''Ouate Else''". Kavanagh took this show on tour across France and Switzerland in 2010. Kavanagh has since performed the one-man show "''Anthony Kavanagh fait son coming out''" at Bobino Theater in Paris and is on tour throughout France and the French-speaking world. Every year, since 2010, Kavanagh has hosted the "''Grand Gala at the Festival Grand Rire de Québec''" , a Quebec comedy festival which airs on

Radio-Canada Radio-Canada may refer to: * CBC/Radio-Canada, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation *Ici Radio-Canada Télé, the CBC's main French-language television network *Ici Radio-Canada Première Ici Radio-Canada Première (formerly Première Chaîne) i ...

Acting career

Following in the footsteps of

Richard Gere Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began appearing in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in ''Looking for Mr. Goodbar (film), Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Hea ...

on film and Usher on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

, Kavanagh was chosen in 2003 to play lawyer Billy Flynn in the French version of the musical comedy ''

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

'' in Montreal and Paris. In 1998, Kavanagh voiced the character Mushu for the French-Canadian dub of the Disney animated film ''

Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary Chinese folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century Common Era, CE) of Chinese history. Scholar, Scholars generally consider Mulan to be a fictional character. Hua Mulan is depicte ...

''. He also provided voice work in French for ''

Home on the Range "Home on the Range" ( Roud No. 3599) is an American folk song, sometimes called the "unofficial anthem" of the American West. Dr. Brewster M. Higley (also spelled Highley) of Smith County, Kansas, wrote the lyrics as the poem "My Western Hom ...

'' (2004) by Disney : Buck (French voice); ''

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

'' 1 (2005), 2 (2008) & 3 (2012) by DreamWorks: Marty the zebra (French and French Canadian voice); ''

Happy Feet ''Happy Feet'' is a 2006 animated jukebox musical comedy film directed and produced by George Miller and written by Miller, John Collee, Judy Morris and Warren Coleman. It stars the voices of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hug ...

'' 1 (2006) and 2 (2011) by Warner Bros: Memphis and Lovelace (French voice); ''

The Princess and the Frog ''The Princess and the Frog'' is a 2009 American Animation, animated musical film, musical Romance film, romantic fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Inspired in part by the 2002 ...

'' by Disney (2010): Ray (French and French Canadian voice). In 2006, Kavanagh launched the show " Les démons de l'Arkange" accompanied by the album by the same name. The show was a musical, a concert, and standup comedy show all rolled into one. The show debuted at the

Grand Rex Le Grand Rex is a cinema and concert venue in Paris, France. Location and access It is located at No. 1, boulevard Poissonnière in the 2nd arrondissement, on the grands boulevards. Its facades and roofs, as well as its hall and its ...

in Paris, and then moved to Théâtre des Variétés. French filmmaker

Étienne Chatiliez Étienne Chatiliez (born 17 June 1952) is a French film director. He was born in Roubaix, France. After starting out directing many advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (busi ...

gave him the leading male role in his 2008 film " Agathe Clery" in which he played Quentin Lambert, a French businessman. Kavanagh played American GI Gary Larochelle in the Philippe Niang made-for-TV movie " Les amants de l'ombre" in 2009. It was a huge hit, attracting over four million viewers. Kavanagh took a supporting role in the mini-series " La Fille au Fond du Verre à Saké" by Emmanuel Sapolsky which aired on Canal Plus in 2009, playing a gay French Canadian car designer living in Paris. This year for the new season of "

Fais pas ci, fais pas ça ''Fais pas ci, fais pas ça'' (; 'Don't do this, don't do that') is a French television series created by Anne Giafferi and Thierry Bizot for France Télévisions, starring Valérie Bonneton, Isabelle Gélinas, Bruno Salomone and Guillaume ...

", (French hit TV series), Kavanagh guest starred as the new neighbour, sports agent Chris Lenoir.

Television

Since 2001,

TF1 TF1 (; standing for ''Télévision Française 1'') is a French commercial television network owned by TF1 Group, controlled by the Bouygues conglomerate. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network. TF1 is part ...

, the biggest television network in Europe and the most popular in France, has invited him to MC the "

NRJ Music Awards An NRJ Music Award (commonly abbreviated as an NMA) is an award presented by the French radio station NRJ to honor the best in the French and worldwide music industry. The awards ceremony, created in 2000 by NRJ in partnership with the televisi ...

" (equivalent to the

MTV Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

) six years in a row welcoming major French and international stars like

David Guetta Pierre David Guetta (; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and record producer. He has sold over 10 million albums and 65 million singles globally, with more than 30 billion streams on Spotify. Guetta was voted the number one DJ in the DJ Mag ...

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

, U2,

Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group formed in Los Angeles in 1995, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo (rapper), Taboo. Fergie (singer), Fergie was a member during the height of their popularity in the 2000s, and ...

, Usher,

Coldplay Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

.Kavanagh's charisma, outstanding presence, and combined North American and French culture helped make this show a must-see annual showcase to this day. In 2006, Kavanagh hosted numerous primetime French TV shows on

France 2 France 2 () is a French free-to-air public television channel. The flagship channel of France Télévisions, it broadcasts generalist programming including news, entertainment (such as dramas, films, and game shows), factual programmes, and sp ...

television network – "The Dancing Show", "

Fête de la Musique The Fête de la Musique, also known in English as Music Day, Make Music Day, or World Music Day, is an annual music celebration that takes place on 21 June. On Music Day, citizens and residents are urged to play music outside in their neighborho ...

" and the "Symphonic Show" and the renowned «Night of Proms» orchestra. Kavanagh also returned to television in 2010 as host of a show he co-wrote and co-produced called "Nous avons les images", broadcast on Comédie Channel in France and Super Écran in Canada. In 2014, he participated in the fifth season of ''

Danse avec les stars ''Danse avec les stars'' (''DALS''; ) is the French version of the British reality TV competition ''Strictly Come Dancing'' and is part of the ''Dancing with the Stars'' franchise. The show was first broadcast on TF1 on 12 February 2011, the parti ...

'' – the French version of ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...

''. He was partnered with professional dancer Silvia Notargiacomo. On November 1, 2014, they were eliminated finishing 7th out of 11 contestants.

Various shows

* 2010 : ''Anthony Kavanagh fait son coming out'' * 2009 : ''Ouate Else'' * 2008 : ''Anthonykavanagh.com'' * 2006 : '' Les Démons de L'Arkange'' * 2003 : ''

'', the musical - Billy Flynn * 1995-99 : ''Kavanagh !''

Filmography

* 2024 : ''

Moana 2 ''Moana 2'' is a 2024 American animated musical film, musical adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The second film in the Moana_(franchise)#Films, ''Moana'' franchise, it was directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and D ...

'' : Maui (French and Quebec voice) * 2021 : ''

Fatherhood A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. A biological fathe ...

'' - ER doctor * 2019 : ''

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...

'' : Genie (French and Quebec voice) * 2016 : '' Moana'' : Maui (French and Quebec voice) * 2010 : ''

'' : Ray (French and Quebec voices) * 2008 : '' Agathe Cléry'' - Quentin Lambert * 2008 : '' Madagascar 2'' - Marty le zèbre (French voice) * 2005 : ''

'' - Marty le zèbre (French voice) * 2004 : ''

'' - Buck (French voice) * 2000 : ''

Antilles sur Seine The Antilles is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest, and the Atlantic Ocean to the north and east. The Antillean islands are divided into two smaller groupings: the Greater An ...

'' * 1998 : ''

'' - Mushu (Quebec voice)

Television

Movies

* 2011 : ''

'' - Chris Lenoir * 2011 : '' Oggy et les cafards'' (voices) * 2009 : '' Les Amants de l'ombre'' - Gary Larochelle * 2008 : '' La Fille au fond du verre à saké'' - Maxime Leroy * 2005 : '' Le cœur a ses raisons'' - Brock Steel * 1989 - 1991 : ''Super sans plomb'' * 1991 : '' Voodoo Taxi''

Shows

* 2010 : ''Nous avons les images'' on Comédie channel ! * 2006 : ''Shymphonic Show'' on

. * 2006 : ''Dancing Show'' on France 2. * 2001 à 2006 :

NRJ Music Award An NRJ Music Award (commonly abbreviated as an NMA) is an award presented by the French radio station NRJ to honor the best in the French and worldwide music industry. The awards ceremony, created in 2000 by NRJ in partnership with the televisio ...

Radio

* 1994 : ''Midis Fous'' de CKOI, on

CKOI-FM :For the CKOI radio network, see '' CKOI (network)''. CKOI-FM (96.9 FM) is a commercial radio station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It airs a French-language contemporary hit radio format and is owned and operated by Cogeco. The studios are in Pl ...

Video games

* 2011 : '' Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure'' - Kaos (Quebec French) * 2012 : '' Skylanders: Giants'' - Kaos (Quebec French)

External links

Official website of Anthony Kavanagh
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kavanagh, Anthony 1969 births Living people Haitian Quebecers Canadian male soap opera actors Canadian male voice actors Comedians from Quebec People from Longueuil Male actors from Quebec Participants in French reality television series Canadian expatriates in France Black Canadian male actors Black Canadian comedians Canadian stand-up comedians Canadian male comedians

Early life

Career

Stand-up comedy

Acting career

Television

Various shows

Filmography

Television

Movies

Shows

Radio

Video games

See also

External links