Carla Collins
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Carla Collins (born April 30, 1965) is an award-winning comedian, actress, television host and writer. A stand-up, she has been hailed by the press as “Canada’s Tina Fey”[1] and the “Queen of Comedy”[2]. Carla performs across North America. She is a regular at the Laugh Factory[3] in Los Angeles and on tour with the renowned “Hot Tamales”[4].
Early life
Collins was raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario,[5] until moving to Guelph, Ontario and attending Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute where she was Prom Queen and Valedictorian, Collins pursued her education at the Université de Franche-Comté in France and the University of Western Ontario.
1990s
She joined The Weather Network in 1990 as an on-air host[6], and subsequently moved to CFTO to host Eye on Toronto. In 1995, she began hosting CTV's Entertainment Now, which she cohosted with Dan Duran. She also hosted the Canadian variety series Sonic Temple and the sketch comedy series Chez Carla. In 1998, Collins played an anchorwoman in Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms and Donna Jean in When Husbands Cheat.[7]
Earlier in her career, she was a morning radio personality on Toronto's Mix 99.9 from 1992 to 1994, co-hosting with Tom Rivers along with Larry Fedoruk. Rivers left in 1993 and Fedoruk and Collins continued as a duo. She returned from 2001 to 2003. For the latter stint, following a short period co-hosting with Steve Anthony who then moved to afternoon drive time, Collins became the first woman in Canada to be billed as the sole regular host of a morning radio show on a commercial station in a major media market, as opposed to co-hosting with one or more men.
2000s
Collins had her first solo stand-up special, The Wonder Bra Years, on The Comedy Network in 2001.[8]
Collins starred in 50 episodes of Paradise Falls a soap opera on Showcase Television as Rusty Sinclair (2001). She also appeared in: The City as a Sex-Shop Owner (2000), The Caveman's Valentine (2001), Degrassi: The Next Generation as Herself (2002), two episodes of Doc as Felicia Brand (2002-2003), Recipe for Murder as a Glam Reporter (2002), Tracker as Dr. Janet Sullivann (2002), and Show Me Yours as Tammy (2005.)
In 2003, she began to lend her voice to the PBS animated show cyberchase as Erica Ram, a reporter who reports on events in cyberspace.
Collins was a writer, star and host of: "Chez Carla" (2000), "Sonic Temple" (2001), “2 Smart Blondes” (2003) and "E-Now" (1995)[9]
In 2006 Carla teamed up with producer Frank Sicoli for an unscripted television sitcom titled The Visionary Position.[10] This series (released on DVD) is described as Curb Your Enthusiasm meets Sex and the City meets Bewitched. Collins says, "I prefer to think of it as The Ghost Whisperer on crack."[11]
In 2006, she workshopped a well-received one-woman show called The Visionary Position in Toronto and Los Angeles.
She is also a freelance writer for Inside Entertainment.[12]
Collins' reality show Carlawood debuted on TVtropolis in April 2009. The show follows her attempt to find work after her move to Hollywood, and satirizes reality shows.[5]
2010s
Collins' filmed season two of her docu-soap/comedy Carlawood, and is working on the movie The Hack, a comedy/horror film in which she stars as a comedian who kills other performers for their material.[13]
She also completed her first book “Angels, Vampires and Douche Bags”[14] published by Burman Books.
She also lent her voice to a special from the hit Canadian animated series, Total Drama Action, in its special, "Celebrity Manhunt's Total Drama Action Reunion Special", as the host of the show-within-a-show, Celebrity Manhunt, Blaineley.
References
- ^ http://www2.canada.com/tvtropolis/tv/carlawood/index_basic.html
- ^ http://www.inmag.com/profiles/carla-collins.html
- ^ http://www.laughfactory.com/comedians/147/Carla-Collins
- ^ http://www.vegasnews.com/11818/showtimes-kiki-melendez-hot-tamales-live-to-perform-at-the-pearl-at-the-palms.html
- ^ a b Vaughan, R. M. and Commanducci, Massimo (April 10, 2009). "Carla Collins: People made fun of her for years, she says. Now, it's her turn", The Globe and Mail, p. R4.
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0172198/bio
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0172198/
- ^ http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/comedy-now/season-4/carla-collins-the-wonder-bra-years/#clip45387
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0172198/#actress1990
- ^ http://www.lasplash.com/publish/Los_Angeles_Performances_116/The_Visionary_Position_-_Review_-_Get_Laid_with_a_Little_Help_from_Imaginary_Friends_printer.php
- ^ "Carla Collins", Speakers' Spotlight.
- ^ http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=6748613
- ^ http://www.inmag.com/profiles/carla-collins.html
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/Angels-Vampires-Douchebags-Carla-Collins/dp/1897404247
External links
