Toronto native Alice Moran is best known for her work in improv and comedy, getting her start at The Second City as a writer and performer. She made the switch to acting and quickly found success. She can be seen in a lead role on CityTV’s Sunnyside, a sketch comedy show in the vein of Saturday Night Live, where she plays various characters, including “Meth Georgette” and “Hipster Stacey.” Sunnyside premieres September 27th.
Tell us about your work on Sunnyside.
It’s honestly the coolest job I’ve ever had. The show’s format is really different – it’s sketch comedy but the characters show up in other sketches and interact with each other, so it ends up feeling like a sitcom as well. I also get to wear a lot of wigs, so for sure the coolest job.
How is working on television different from stand-up comedy? Do you prefer one over the other?
When I’m doing sketch and improv live, I have an audience there to gauge what’s good and what registers. I don’t have that luxury on television, so I have to trust my instincts. The plus side is I get to see what I did on television, and watch it over and over again. I think I like it more in that sense, because it’s easier to learn from it. I also get a real picture of how weird my face is when I’m talking, which is often really weird.
You’ve done writing as well as performing- what is your creative process when it comes to writing? Is writing something you’d like to continue to pursue as much as acting/performing?
I love to write. Sometimes. Some days I’ll get up and write all day and love everything I write. Other days I start typing and delete it 10 seconds later, and just repeat that process until my self-esteem is depleted. It really depends if I’m lucky enough to have found something that has inspired me; be it a news article, or podcast, or something an NPC said to me while playing Skyrim (also a huge part of the writing process). I hope to get to continue writing, if only because it’s often the most satisfying part about making comedy.
Do you think there is something about Canadian comedy and humour that sets us apart? Why or why not?
There’s a sort of subversive voice you get from people like Nathan Fielder on Nathan For You that I think is very Canadian. What I love about Canadian Comedy right now is everyone seems to be playing around with classic format and seeing what can be deconstructed and heightened. Even locally, it’s crazy to see what Bad Dog Theatre is doing to push what we do with improv. There’s such a focus on strong narrative and such a deep understanding of the tropes of story telling, that I’m consistently seeing stories veer in directions that I haven’t seen before.
Any other future projects in the pipeline?
My comedy partner Jon Blair and I have teamed up with two other sketch comedians – Freddie Rivas and Jess Bryson – and we’re working on a comedy album together. I’m lucky enough to get to write with my best friends, so it’s my hope that the joy I feel working with them can be felt on the album.
What’s something that people would be surprised to know about you?
Never have I ever eaten a pickle. True story.
Photo: Dave Gillespie
