Brent Leroy Butt (born August 3, 1966) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his role as Brent Leroy on the CTV

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

Corner Gas ''Corner Gas'' is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Reruns still air on CTV, CTV2, CTV Comedy Channel, Much, E! and are streaming on Crave and Amazon Prime. The series ...

'', which he created. He also created the television series ''

Hiccups A hiccup (scientific name singultus, from Latin for "sob, hiccup"; also spelled hiccough) is an involuntary contraction ( myoclonic jerk) of the diaphragm that may repeat several times per minute. The hiccup is an involuntary action involvi ...

'' and wrote the 2013 film '' No Clue''. In 2023, he released his debut novel, ''Huge'', a psychological thriller about touring comedians.

Early life and education

Butt was born on August 3, 1966, in Tisdale, Saskatchewan to Irene (née Harrison) and Herbert Butt. He attended Tisdale Unit Composite School. After graduating, Butt briefly attended

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

Sheridan College Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, formerly Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology, is a public polytechnic institute partnered with private Canadian College of Technology and Trades operating campuses ...

before returning to his home in Saskatchewan.

Career

While working as a

drywall Drywall (also called plasterboard, dry lining, wallboard, sheet rock, gib board, gypsum board, buster board, turtles board, slap board, custard board, gypsum panel and gyprock) is a panel made of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum), with or with ...

er, Butt and a friend started a publishing company, Windwolf Graphics. His comic, ''Existing Earth'', was nominated for an Eagle Award. They published two issues before running out of money. In February 1988, Butt performed stand-up comedy for the first time at an amateur night at a

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

comedy club A comedy club is a venue where a variety of comedic acts perform to a live audience. Although the term usually refers to establishments that feature stand-up comedy, stand-up comedians, it can also feature other forms of comedy such as improvisati ...

. He then began performing in the Yuk Yuk's chain in

Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West, or Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a list of regions of Canada, Canadian region that includes the four western provinces and t ...

, before moving to

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

in 1989, where he performed at the Yuk Yuk's there, living in a Cabbagetown apartment with two other comedians. Butt presented stand-up performances for CTV,

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...

's '' Definitely Not the Opera'', and The Comedy Network in Canada, as well as A&E in the United States and the

Special Broadcasting Service The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is an Australian hybrid-funded public broadcasting, public service broadcaster. About 80 percent of funding for the company is derived from tax revenue. SBS operates six TV channels (SBS (Australian TV chann ...

in Australia. He composed a number of prairie-oriented funny or "folksy" songs, including "Nothing Rhymes with Saskatchewan" and "Hairy Legs". In 2003, through his production company Prairie Pants, Butt co-created the CTV television series ''

'', set in his home province of Saskatchewan. He starred in the show from 2004 to 2009 On May 19, 2005, Butt hosted a

Royal Command Performance A Royal Command Performance is any performance by actors or musicians that occurs at the direction or request of a reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Although English monarchs have long sponsored their own theatrical companies and commis ...

gala for

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

and

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

, held in

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

, to celebrate the Canadian province's centennial. He performed his song "Nothing Rhymes with Saskatchewan" and traded jokes with

Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (February 11, 1926November 28, 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. He made his a ...

. That year, he also hosted the

Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

s. In 2008, Butt and Prairie Pants made the decision to end ''Corner Gas'' after its sixth year, which aired during the 2008–2009 season. At the World Television Festival in Banff,

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

, Butt was given the Comedy Network Sir

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, director and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits for much of his career. Ustinov received #Awa ...

Award which is presented in recognition of a significant body of comedic work. Past recipients include

John Cleese John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and Television presenter, presenter. Emerging from the Footlights, Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinbur ...

Bob Newhart George Robert Newhart (September 5, 1929 – July 18, 2024) was an American comedian and actor. Newhart was known for his deadpan and stammering delivery style. Beginning his career as a stand-up comedian, he transitioned his career to acting in ...

John Candy John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian who is best known for his work in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood films. Candy first rose to national prominence in the 1970s as a member of the Tor ...

, and

Eugene Levy Eugene Levy (born December 17, 1946) is a Canadian actor and comedian. Known for portraying flustered and unconventional figures, Levy has won multiple accolades throughout his career including four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and ...

. Butt also wrote and produced a comedy series for CTV, from 2010 to 2011, entitled ''

''. The series starred Nancy Robertson as Millie Upton, a children's author who begins seeing a life coach to deal with her anger management issues. On July 25, 2010, Butt had a one-hour comedy special titled ''The Brent Butt Comedy Special''. It was shown on The Comedy Network. Guest stars were

Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic Leading actor, leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, ...

Dave Foley David Foley (born January 4, 1963) is a Canadian actor, stand-up comedian, director, producer, and writer. He is known as a co-founder of the comedy group The Kids in the Hall, who have appeared together in a number of television, stage and fil ...

, and Jully Black. In 2014, Butt co-wrote and co-executive produced the film, '' Corner Gas: The Movie'', which was released in theatres and on CTV on December that year."Brent Butt interview: ‘Corner Gas Animated’ star talks about his hit TV revival"
''Pop Journalism''. Robert Ballantyne, April 8, 2018. He also reprised the role of Brent LeRoy. The film included cameo appearances by several Canadian TV personalities as well as

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

nominee

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...

and Will Sasso. In April 2018, Brent's follow-up series '' Corner Gas Animated'' premiered on The Comedy Network. In 2023 his debut novel was released, ''Huge'', a psychological thriller set among stand-up comedians on tour.

Personal life

Butt is married to his ''

'' and ''

'' co-star Nancy Robertson. The two have been married since 2005.

Awards and nominations

Butt has won four Canadian Comedy Awards, for Best Male Stand-up (2001), Best Male TV Performance (''Corner Gas'', 2004–05), and Best Writing – TV Series (''Corner Gas'', 2004). The Comedy Network Sir

Award was awarded to Butt at the Banff World Television Festival in 2008.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

*
Brent Butt on ComedyNightLife.com
*
Brent Butt article
in Canadian Encyclopedia

Brent Butt as guest on comedy podcast Stop Podcasting Yourself
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butt, Brent 1966 births 20th-century Canadian comedians 21st-century Canadian comedians 21st-century Canadian novelists Canadian crime fiction writers Canadian male comedians Canadian male film actors Canadian male novelists Canadian male television actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian stand-up comedians Living people Male actors from Saskatchewan Male actors from Vancouver People from Tisdale, Saskatchewan Sheridan College alumni Comedians from Saskatchewan Comedians from Vancouver Canadian Comedy Award winners Canadian television show creators Canadian Screen Award winning actors Canadian Screen Award winning writers