Just For Laughs 42 is descending on Toronto from September 21 to 30, and we’ve decided to quiz the funniest comedians from this year’s event. Don’t miss out on seeing them perform live – get tickets here.
Courtney Gilmour co-hosts and produces the monthly clean-themed So Fresh N’ So Clean at Toronto’s Comedy Bar, and she can also be heard on SiriusXM’s Canada Laughs. She’s previously made appearances at the All Jane Comedy Festival in Portland, NXNE, and SiriusXM’s Top Comic.
SDTC: What should we be paying more attention to?
CG: Anything that is outside of your bubble. Pay attention to art made by artists who don’t get as much recognition, pay attention to why not. Also pay more attention to your cat’s litter box.
What was the last Netflix series you binged on?
Paranormal Survivor. It’s this series about encounters with ghosts and poltergeists and I’m pretty sure it’s Canadian because I keep seeing reenactment scene cameos of comics I know, which is an amazing bonus. I love a good ghost story, so I’m easily hooked on that stuff.
One new thing you learned this year?
I learned that caring about how you feel, like on an actual moment-to-moment basis, changes your entire life. I get sloppy with this still but overall the concept of prioritizing a good headspace has been mind blowing for me. When I feel good, I’m at the top of my game and am in a better place to create things and make decisions. Before this year I would think, “Wait but if I spend all my time focusing on being positive/happy, what if what I want doesn’t happen?” Then I realized that there is no downside to being happy and that’s when the shit I was worried about actually started to flow – and much, much faster.
Describe 2017 so far in one word.
Fun.
What book/song/lyric/etc is resonating with you right now?
I will plug this book ’til the day I die because every time I do the recommendation travels so far and so many people message me to tell me they’ve read it and love it. It’s called You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero. I read it two and a half years ago and still connect to it and refer back to it every now and then.
Describe the funniest thing you’ve experienced in recent memory.
My prosthetic leg completely snapped in half on the staircase at Ossington station on my way to a show and I had to call my agent to come get me. He carried me across the street to Comedy Bar and I performed my set with this weird broken fake leg dangling and rotating underneath my jeans. I don’t know why I didn’t just take it off completely. I guess because everything was so hurried and that had never happened to me before so I didn’t know what to do. But I went back and forth between sitting on a chair and balancing on one leg throughout my set and I had to change up my jokes because it was just so ridiculous and insane. Like when I usually come out at shows I address not having hands and almost never mention the leg because it’s not really noticeable, but in this case it was just like this mangled mess of a human hobbling around on stage, and I couldn’t be like, “Yeah so Tinder’s pretty crazy right?”
Then afterward my boyfriend came to get me and pushed me across town on his bike with my fake leg sticking out of an eco bag. The whole thing was just so absurd.
Best advice you’ve been given?
Stop caring what other people think. It’s tough but helpful. When I want to do something, I don’t take polls anymore to see who agrees with my idea. That’s a great way to become even more confused and less self-assured. Just do the thing! Who cares?!
What is the best part of being your current age?
Appreciating different types of cheese, still loving parties while valuing sleep.
What word or phrase should we use more often?
I like the word arbiter.
What’s on your night stand?
Lotion, a small jewellery box, Vicks VapoRub.
What one item would you be lost without (besides your phone)?
Anastasia Brow Wiz pencil.
What do you love/loathe most about humanity?
I love unity and the will to overcome crazy impossible circumstances.
What trends are you loving right now?
I love the food trends that annoy people like weird juices and avocado toast. I think it’s good even if it means I’ll never afford a house or whatever.
Who was your celebrity crush when you were a kid?
Devon Sawa. When he comes down the spiral staircase in Casper? Give me a break.
Describe your ideal Saturday.
Bad weather to make me feel like I shouldn’t go outside, then watching ghost things or Kitchen Nightmares all day and eating snacks. Also, I like making lattes and drinking them in the bathtub.