| Sugar Sammy | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Samir Khullar |
| Born | Montreal, Quebec, Canada. |
| Medium | Stand-up comedy, Television |
| Nationality | Indo-Canadian |
| Genres | Observational comedy, Improvisational comedy |
| Subject(s) | Race, Sex, Pop Culture |
| Influences | Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Don Rickles[1] |
| Website | www.sugarsammy.com |
Samir Khullar, better known as Sugar Sammy, is a canadian comedian, actor, writer and producer from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His irreverent style is what sets the tone for his brand of unique and off the wall comedy. He is known as much for his no holds barred style of comedy as he is for his charm, wit and improvisational abilities with audiences. He does comedy and is fluent in English, French, Punjabi and Hindi.[2]
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Sammy was born and raised in the Côte-des-neiges neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec. As a young and impressionable kid, his comedic inspirations came from watching Eddie Murphy’s "Delirious." He was only 8-years-old when he got his first exposure to Murphy’s racy material. He persuaded his mom to rent "Delirious," one of Murphy’s stand-up comedy specials from an Indian movie store.[3] Sammy credits Eddie Murphy’s 1983 comedy special as being a defining moment in his life. From then on, he knew what he wanted to do.[4] Also influenced by other African-American stand-up comedians, Sammy names Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle as some of his other comedic influences. Even though Sammy knew from a young age that he wanted to pursue a career in comedy, it wasn’t until the age of 17 when he got his first taste of the limelight. While some of his friends organized a high school fundraiser for the black student association they asked that the young class clown be the night's entertainment. Soon after high school, Sammy earned a degree at Marianopolis College while occasionally performing at open-mic nights at the Comedy Works and the Comedy Zone.[3] Although Sammy struggled for almost a decade to gain recognition on the comedy circuit, he later continued his studies at McGill University in cultural studies while working as a night club promoter in Montreal. Here he received what would later become his stage name after letting many of the women into the parties for free.[1]
His comedy routines tackle everything from race, sex and pop culture from the perspective of an Indo-Canadian living in French Canada. His routines are a blend of well-polished material and improvisational comedy. Anyone sitting near the stage is a potential target for his razor-sharp wit.[3]
Since 2004, he has performed on TV several times and is part of an exclusive club of Canadian comics who can draw people from all around the world. In the past year, Sugar Sammy has toured in the US, Canada, England, Australia, Germany, Ireland, Holland, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines, China, India, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Lebanon, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Northern Ireland, Dubai,[5] New Zealand and South Africa, where his one-man show sold an incredible 15,000 tickets.[6]
Sugar Sammy has appeared at the Just For Laughs Festival seven years in a row and was the first comedian ever to perform in the English and French and Hindi, Toronto editions of the Festival. He has also appeared at the Sydney Comedy Festival, the Cape Town Comedy Festival, and has been invited to the inaugural Johannesburg Comedy Festival in 2009.
On August 21, 2006, Sammy opened for Dave Chappelle at Toronto’s Massey Hall. In 2006, Sammy taped his "Comedy Now!" special which aired in Canada on The Comedy Network, CTV and A. The special also aired on Comedy Central in the United States. Sammy describes the special as going so well that he found himself spontaneously interacting with the audience; which in is Sammy’s case is a surefire way of telling he was having a good time on stage. Sammy describes the TV Special as being one of his favorite shows of 2006.
Sugar Sammy's international TV credits include; his own 1 hour TV special on Showtime Arabia entitled " Sugar Sammy Live in Dubai" which aired in 14 countries, headlining two TV shows for Showtime respectively entitled "Minority Rules" and " Friday Night Live", appearances on CBC, Comedy Now on CTV, as well as appearances on The Comedy Network (Canada), The Comedy Channel (Australia), and on Dutch TV.
Sammy’s 72 minute HBO special is set to air on June 14 and will continuously run throughout the summer. The special follows Sammy during his final stop on his Just for Laughs Canadian tour. Taped in his hometown of Montreal Canada, Sammy’s special is set primarily in English with sections of it devoted to his French Canadian audiences. Air Canada has recently picked up Sugar Sammy's HBO Special; which will air on all Air Canada Flight starting in January 2011. His HBO special is set to be released on DVD on Jan 18 2011.
Sugar Sammy’s biggest TV credit is his 72 minute HBO Canada special which became one the network’s highest rated TV specials and a first for any Canadian. The special was eventually acquired by Air Canada and was aired on all international and domestic flights. Due to popular demand, the special was eventually released on DVD; where it went straight to # 1 on the stand-up comedy bestseller’s list on Amazon Canada.
Sammy’s French career has also taken off at lightning speed. In 2007 he made a remarkable TV appearance at “Le Show Raisonnable” which garnered rave reviews. Then in 2009,he made headlines and front pages all over the country for a new appearance at the French edition of the Just for Laughs Festival. His edge and frank look at Quebec politics and culture from the perspective of a minority earned him a standing ovation and “The Revelation of the Year” award. In 2010 he made headlines again by presenting an award alongside Quebec political leader Pauline Marois. He teased her incessantly about sovereignty and the language debate.
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | COCA ( Canadian Organization for College Activities) | Best Comedian 2009 | Won |
| Montreal Mirror | top ten "most desirable man" | Won | |
| Anokhi Magazine | top 25 "Sexy and Successful" Indian artists | Won | |
| Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Male Stand-up | Nominated | |
| Masala! Mehndi! Masti! | Favorite Comedian | Nominated | |
| The Just For Laughs Festival | The 2009 French discovery of The Just For Laughs Festival | Won | |
| The Hollywood Reporter | Ten Rising Comedy Talents From Around | Won | |
| Divine magazine | Ranked#58 in the annual list of the Top 100 Men of 2009 | Won | |
| 2010 | Le Gala Les Olivier | Discovery of the Year | Nominated |
| Le Gala Les Olivier | Best Comedic Act | Nominated | |
| Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles | Prix québécois de la citoyenneté | Won | |
| Societe des Grands Citoyens | Le Prix d'ambassadeur et rayonnement | Won | |
| COCA ( Canadian Organization for College Activities) | Best Comedian 2010 | Won | |
| Montreal Mirror | Best Comedian 2010 | Won | |
| Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Television Performance | Nominated |
In 2008, Sammy released his debut comedy album, Down With the Brown. His CD tackles everything from life in Quebec to his take on sex and race from the perspective of an Indo-Canadian. It was released on January 15, 2008 and coincided with a Canadian tour.
In the summer of 2009, The Gersh Agency signed Sugar Sammy following a strong showing at the Just For Laughs Festival. After a competitive pursuit - thanks in part to his worldwide fanbase - Gersh reached a deal with Sugar Sammy. The Gersh Talent Agency also represents Jamie Foxx, Dave Chappelle and Drew Carey. Gersh and Sammy are currently collaborating on tours and various theatrical projects.
In March 2011, Sugar Sammy signed a deal to be to the new face of Videotron in English Canada. The campaign, complete with television and internet ads, premieres on April 20th 2011. Sugar Sammy is dressed by designer labels Diesel & M0851