To be a successful stand-up comedian today, you not only have to be funny, you also need to be smart. Smart and funny is what has made Canadian comic Jeremy Hotz a success. With another stellar performance at this year's Montreal Comedy Festival - Just For Laughs, Jeremy continues to grab audiences with his confused yet very astute observational comedy. Although Jeremy is your typical single guy being both challenged in the grocery store and in his fashion choices, he still finds humor in all of it and allows the audience to laugh at his everyday mishaps and adventures.
So, how does one become a stand-up? According to Jeremy, you fail at everything else. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Jeremy performed at the local Yuk Yuks Comedy club on amateur night and the club owner loved him. So began the stand-up comedy career of Jeremy Hotz.
In 1994, a childhood buddy of Jeremy's was writing for the Jon Stewart Show in New York City. He invited him down and introduced him to the executive producer. Jeremy was given a writers job on the show. That same executive producer became Jeremy's manager and Jeremy's career was taken to the next level.
Although Jeremy believes he hasn't gotten his "big break," in 1997 he performed at Just For Laughs-The Montreal Comedy Festival. He received a standing ovation at his debut performance at the festival's prestigious gala. Recognition came quickly as studios and networks showed interest and Jeremy was offered his first of many development deals. Another highlight for Jeremy was his first appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, followed by an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Jeremy Hotz is a favorite in stand-up comedy clubs across Canada and the US including the world famous Laugh Factory and Improv in both Las Vegas and Los Angeles. He returned to the Just For Laughs festival in 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2005. In 2003, Jeremy was voted Best Performer at Just For Laughs Comedy Festival by the "Globe and Mail" and Bill Brownstein of the "Montreal Gazette" gave him the title "Best in Fest". Jeremy recently headlined Canada's Just For Laughs Canadian Tour and HBO's prestigious comedy festival in Aspen, Colorado.
Television has yet to elude Jeremy both in the US and Canada. In 1996, Jeremy starred in the off-beat comedy series for the CBC Newsroom. He headlined the Roy Thompson Hall with Jon Stewart and Mike Bullard for CTV's 5th Anniversary celebration earlier this year, CBC for its 50th Anniversary Special and its half-hour sitcom Made in Canada. He was recently seen in Comedy Central's The Jeremy Hotz Special, and he guest starred in MTV's Half Hour Comedy Hour.
Jeremy is also a talented actor who has appeared in the feature films My Favorite Martian (with Elizabeth Hurley) and Speed 2 (with Sandra Bullock and Jason Patrick). He starred in the four-part mini-series Married Life on Comedy Central and was nominated for a Gemini Award for the CBC's CANA-DUH. He was the recipient of a Gemini Award for "Best Performance in a Comedy Show or Series" for his work in the celebrated series Newsroom on the CBC and PBS in America.
In addition to his stand-up career, Jeremy was a staff writer on the critically acclaimed The Jon Stewart Show (Comedy Central), and received a Gemini nomination for "Best Writing in Comedy or Variety Show or Series" for his comedy special, Whatever Happened to Jeremy Hotz?
He is currently working on a show he has written and created for CBC television called My Life and A Movie. Jeremy now calls Los Angeles home, but true to his Canadian upbringing, he still loves hockey!
