How Just for Laughs Montreal Festival Has Boosted Comedic Careers
variety.comStuart Miller In days of yore, the best opportunity for a stand-up comedian to break out was to be tapped by Johnny Carson’s team for a “Tonight Show” slot.
Getting invited to the couch afterward was a whole other level. By the 1990s, Carson was done and while there were other coveted late-night slots (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien), another star-maker had emerged: the Just for Laughs Montréal Festival.
The comedy fest — which takes place July 14-29 and features solo shows by Ali Wong, Ronny Chieng and Anthony Jeselnik — was born 40 years ago and for decades it has been the place to be seen, with its New Faces showcase attracting a swarm of industry executives and acting as a launching pad for up-and-coming talent. “Immediately after I walked off the stage, the booker from ‘The Tonight Show’ said, ‘Save that set, we want it on the show,’” recalls Jo Koy. “I was still a shoe salesman at that point, so it felt like a scene from a movie.” Chieng had a similar experience years later. “When I was in Australia, we would hear about Just for Laughs and all our comedy heroes going there,” he says. “When I got invited for the first time in 2012 it was a huge deal for me, and it essentially launched my career — I met Trevor Noah and my U.S.
agents there.” The comedy landscape has changed rapidly and dramatically in recent years. There are plenty of rival festivals in New York, Los Angeles, Austin and beyond, and many comedians can create their own exposure and move their own product on social media.
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