Rick Currie has been a cornerstone of Canadian comedy since the 1990s, earning a reputation as one of the country’s most popular, reliable, and consistently hilarious performers.
He has appeared at clubs and corporate events nationwide, and his work has been featured on CTV, The Comedy Network, SiriusXM, CBC Television, and CBC Radio. Rick has also taken the stage at major festivals including Just for Laughs, Winnipeg Comedy Festival, and Halifax Comedy Festival.
His country‑crooner alter ego, Dusty Bucks, is another crowd favourite, charming audiences wherever he performs.
Rick’s writing credits span some of Canada’s biggest broadcasts, including The Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Canadian Country Music Awards, six national CBC New Year’s Eve specials, and Canada’s 150th celebrations live from Parliament Hill.
For eight seasons, Rick was a staff writer on CBC’s Rick Mercer Report, where he earned three Canadian Screen Awards, penned a sketch filmed aboard the International Space Station, and crafted material for everyone from Prime Ministers to pop stars. He continues to collaborate with the Rick Mercer team on select projects, most recently the 2025 Stand Up for Canada national theatre tour.
THE LONG STORY
Rick’s comedy career began in high school in 1984—yes, 1984—when he landed a job running sound and lights at Ottawa’s improv club Skit Row. From the booth, he learned by watching a troupe that regularly sold out shows, eventually joining them as stage manager for three National Arts Centre productions, the Miss Grey Cup Pageant, a run in London, England, and a CBC national TV pilot.
By the late ’80s, Rick stepped out of the wings and onto the stage. After a short stint at Yuk Yuks amateur nights, he was touring comedy clubs and one‑nighters across Canada. His clean, whimsical style quickly found a home on the national circuit, leading to bigger stages throughout the ’90s across Canada, Europe, and the U.S. Highlights include CBC Radio’s Madly Off in All Directions, the Comedy Network’s Club 54, Toronto’s People’s Comedy Festival, Just for Laughs in Montreal, and roles in national TV ads and films.
Rick returned to Ottawa in 1999 and became widely recognized for the parody “I Am an Ottawa Senators Fan,” played nightly at the Corel Centre during the 2000 playoffs and broadcast across North America. That same year, he produced The Ottawa Comedy Collision, a sold‑out fundraiser at Barrymore’s benefiting the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre Foundation.
In 2001, Rick was selected from hundreds of applicants to join the writing team for Open Mike with Mike Bullard, where his material appeared nightly for four seasons. Other early‑2000s highlights include a standout set at Yuk Yuks’ 25th Anniversary Show at the NAC, a Comedy Now! special for CTV, and multiple appearances on CBC Radio’s The Debaters. He also served as remote correspondent for 93.9 BOB FM’s The Morning After with JR and Sandy.
Rick performed at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival in 2008 and 2009 (both aired on CBC TV), and in 2009 Ottawa embraced his viral “OC Transpo Strike Song.” Another gala TV taping followed at the Halifax Comedy Festival in 2012.
In 2010, Rick joined the writing team for CBC’s Rick Mercer Report, remaining until the show wrapped in 2018. Career highlights include writing a sketch filmed aboard the International Space Station, scripting a bit in which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared “a national 24‑hour period of peace and forgiveness,” and winning three Canadian Screen Awards for Best Writing in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series.
Rick has continued collaborating with Rick Mercer on numerous projects, including the Canadian Country Music Awards, Canada 150 celebrations on Parliament Hill, six national CBC New Year’s Eve specials, the 2018, 2023, and 2025 Scotiabank Giller Prize broadcasts, and Just For Laughs: Comedy Night with Rick Mercer—both the TV series and national theatre tour.
Most recently, he toured the country with the 2025 Stand Up for Canada with Rick Mercer national theatre tour.
Rick Currie still performs at clubs, theatres, and private events.