Dee Great One puts on a show
A sports reporter, an investigative journalist, an actor and a stand-up comedian. In between all that, Dee somehow had time to wrap up “The Next Chapter” tour at London's Grand Theatre on Sunday November 29, with a packed house howling and their sides splitting.
The first two titles loosely describe his work with the latter two being more accurate. Dee has made a name for himself over the past two years working for the sports network The Score. Hosting his own segment, Gerry Dee: Sports Reporter, the man literally torments big name athletes and celebrities. We will get back to this.
Currently putting food on the
table with the sports reporter gig,
the stand up comedian just finished
a stint with CBC's The Hour, and
has appeared on two seasons of
Last Comic Standing and had a
segment make it on Just For
Laughs.
Nonetheless, as he covers events
like the World Juniors, and interviews
superstars like Michael
Jordan and #99, Dee says he's just
a comedian.
“I'm not a broadcaster. I'm not a
sports reporter for real,” Dee confesses.
“I get e-mails from people
asking how to get in the business, I
have no idea? I never went this
route. What those real reporters do
is real work and very difficult.”
Dee's job isn't brain science, but
it isn't easy being a jerk to men
millions idolize. How does Dee
deliver?
“If I can get them laughing, then
it will get me laughing, then I think
the viewers will laugh,” the
Canadian comic explains before
admitting he doesn't mind muddling
things up sometimes too.
“You know, when they're a little
confused, and they'll turn to somebody
off camera and go, ‘Is the guy
for real?'”
Dee doesn't hesitate being a
handful. He believes these famous
athletes have been pampered their
whole lives, and thinks his character
can catch them off guards
sometimes.
“So when I come in I'm not
going to pamper [them], because I
think I'm the greatest sports
reporter in the world.”
But that's all Gerry Dee the
sports reporter is, just a character.
And, for a man that won the 2008
Canadian Comedy Award for Best
Male Comic, this may be the first
of many characters you see from
Dee.
“I created a show with Michael
Volpe who produced Trailer Park
Boys,” said Dee, who played
Donny the prison guard who antagonized
Ricky in the first TPB
movie. “We created a show called
Mr. Dee which is based on my
teaching years and my student
years.”
After years of writing, the two
finally got the project off the
ground, which was well liked by
the CBC. With tons of hilarious
material about his experience as a
teacher in his live show and only
one episode shot, expect to see Mr.
Dee for at least one season.
But for now, you can catch
Gerry Dee being an irritant, more
than an interviewer, on The Score.
That may not be for long though.
“I've been lucky. I'm waiting for
the day when somebody might slug
me out.”