Roman Danylo
Encyclopedia
Roman Danylo is a Canadian
comedian
, improviser and actor
based out of Vancouver
, British Columbia
. He currently stars in the CTV television network
show Comedy Inc.
in Calgary. Among the skits he performed was the recurring Studs are us! which he created with his friend Peter Oldring
.
Roman then went on to study with Keith Johnstone
at the Loose Moose Theatre
in Calgary (Loose Moose is where Theatresports originated and is often credited as being one of the founding institutions of humorous improvisational theatre). He also worked in several local comedy clubs with friends Oldring, Albert Howell
and Graeme Davies and performed with Theatre Calgary
. He participated in various CBC Radio
dramas as well.
He has performed at the HBO Comedy Festival
in Aspen, Colorado
and Montreal's Just for Laughs
Festival and also starred in the UPN
series Off Limits with Aisha Tyler
. Danylo has been featured on NBC
's Late Friday, Jeremiah
, The Outer Limits
and Sliders
.
However, Roman is best known in Canada and has appeared in several Canadian series, including CBC
's Comics, These Arms of Mine, Made in Canada with Rick Mercer
, the Just For Laughs Improv Championships, Slightly Bent on The Comedy Network
and Corner Gas
on CTV with Brent Butt
.
In 2002, Danylo joined fellow comedians Jessica Holmes
and Kurt Smeaton as a writer and cast member on The Holmes Show
. Following the show's cancellation, he was offered a starring role in Comedy Inc. while he was in Los Angeles
during pilot season.
Some of his recurring characters include "Vlad, the Russian Romantic", "Tantric Sex Master" and "Ken Shawn of WFTO-TV News" (usually paired with Nikki Payne
as WFTO's long-suffering weathergirl).
Co-stars on Comedy Inc. include Aurora Browne
, Jen Goodhue, Terry McGurrin, Winston Spear
, Jenn Robertson, Gavin Stephens, Ian Sirota and Albert Howell. The series recently won the Gold Medal Award for "Best TV Variety Program" at the New York Festivals for the second year in a row and was picked up by the U.S. cable network Spike TV
in April 2005. Comedy Inc. was also nominated for a 2006 Canadian Comedy Award
for best writing in a television series.
For his performance in CBC's Western Alienation Comedy Hour, Roman won a Leo Award in 2004 for excellence in British Columbia film and television. That same year, he was nominated for a Gemini
for his work on Comedy Inc..
Danylo also performs with the Canadian improv troupe Urban Improv in Vancouver.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, improviser and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
based out of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. He currently stars in the CTV television network
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
show Comedy Inc.
Career
As a teen, Danylo ran a weekly sketch review show as a student at Sir Winston Churchill High SchoolSir Winston Churchill High School
Sir Winston Churchill High School is a public senior high school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It derives its name from Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II and the early 1950s. The high school is built in the northwest quadrant of the city, and currently...
in Calgary. Among the skits he performed was the recurring Studs are us! which he created with his friend Peter Oldring
Peter Oldring
Peter Oldring is a Canadian TV actor and comedian.- Biography :In addition to performing with The Second City improv group in Toronto and Los Angeles, Oldring has appeared on Canadian television. He was also a regular cast member of the redneck-themed sketch comedy series Blue Collar TV...
.
Roman then went on to study with Keith Johnstone
Keith Johnstone
Keith Johnstone is a drama instructor whose teachings and books have focused on improvisational theatre and have had a major influence on the art of improvisation.-Education:...
at the Loose Moose Theatre
Loose Moose Theatre
The Loose Moose Theatre Company , is a theater company based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was co-founded in 1977, by Keith Johnstone and Mel Tonken. LMTC has an international reputation for developing the theatrical style of improvisation and specifically the work of Keith Johnstone...
in Calgary (Loose Moose is where Theatresports originated and is often credited as being one of the founding institutions of humorous improvisational theatre). He also worked in several local comedy clubs with friends Oldring, Albert Howell
Albert Howell
Albert Howell is a Canadian improv comedian and poet. He has appeared in several films and television shows, and has received recognition for his screenwriting as well as for his improv work.-Improv comedy:...
and Graeme Davies and performed with Theatre Calgary
Theatre Calgary
Theatre Calgary, theatre company in Calgary, Alberta, established as a professional company in 1968.-History:The origin of the company dates back to the 1940s, when students of Betty Mitchell, a drama teacher at Calgary's Western Canada High School, established an amateur group known as "Workshop...
. He participated in various CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
dramas as well.
He has performed at the HBO Comedy Festival
U.S. Comedy Arts Festival
The Comedy Festival, formerly known as the US Comedy Arts Festival, is a comedy festival held each year in Las Vegas, Nevada. From its 1985 inception to 2007, it was held annually at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado...
in Aspen, Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
and Montreal's Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs is a comedy festival held each July in Montreal, Quebec, founded in 1983. It is the largest international comedy festival in the world.- Information :...
Festival and also starred in the UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
series Off Limits with Aisha Tyler
Aisha Tyler
Aisha N. Tyler is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and author, known for her regular role as Andrea Marino in the first season of Ghost Whisperer and voicing Lana Kane in Archer, as well as her recurring roles in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Talk Soup, and on Friends as Charlie...
. Danylo has been featured on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Late Friday, Jeremiah
Jeremiah (TV series)
Jeremiah is an American television series starring Luke Perry and Malcolm-Jamal Warner that ran on the Showtime network from 2002 to 2004. The series takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where most of the adult population has been wiped out by a deadly virus.Developed by Babylon 5 creator J...
, The Outer Limits
The Outer Limits (1995 TV series)
The Outer Limits is an American television series that originally aired on Showtime,the Sci Fi Channel and in syndication between 1995 and 2002...
and Sliders
Sliders
Sliders is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast for five seasons, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2000. The series follows a group of travelers as they use a wormhole to "slide" between different parallel universes. The show was created by Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Tormé...
.
However, Roman is best known in Canada and has appeared in several Canadian series, including CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
's Comics, These Arms of Mine, Made in Canada with Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer
Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger.Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in...
, the Just For Laughs Improv Championships, Slightly Bent on The Comedy Network
The Comedy Network
The Comedy Network a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media specializing in comedy programming.The channel operates two time shifted feeds, East and West ....
and Corner Gas
Corner Gas
Corner Gas is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Re-runs still air on CTV and The Comedy Network in Canada; it formerly aired on WGN America in the United States....
on CTV with Brent Butt
Brent Butt
Brent Butt is a Canadian stand-up comedian actor and writer. He is best known for his role as Brent Leroy on the CTV sitcom Corner Gas, which he also created. The series was an instant hit when it made its debut in 2004....
.
In 2002, Danylo joined fellow comedians Jessica Holmes
Jessica Holmes
Jessica Holmes is a Canadian comedian and actress. She is best known for her work with the Royal Canadian Air Farce, which she joined in 2003. She is married to actor Scott Yaphe....
and Kurt Smeaton as a writer and cast member on The Holmes Show
The Holmes Show
The Holmes Show is a Canadian sketch comedy television series that premiered on CTV on September 24, 2002. The 22 episode series stars Jessica Holmes, Roman Danylo and Kurt Smeaton. Filming took place at the CTV studios in June and August 2002. Each scene was shot twice with the second scene...
. Following the show's cancellation, he was offered a starring role in Comedy Inc. while he was in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
during pilot season.
Some of his recurring characters include "Vlad, the Russian Romantic", "Tantric Sex Master" and "Ken Shawn of WFTO-TV News" (usually paired with Nikki Payne
Nikki Payne
Nikki Payne , is a Canadian comedian and actress, from Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada. Born with a cleft palate, she is well known for incorporating her lisp into her comedy act. She has won three Canadian Comedy Awards for Best Stand-up Newcomer and Best Female Stand-up...
as WFTO's long-suffering weathergirl).
Co-stars on Comedy Inc. include Aurora Browne
Aurora Browne
Aurora Browne is a Canadian actress and comedian originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario, currently based out of Toronto. In 2000, she was nominated for the Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award. Also in that year she was hired by Toronto's The Second City comedy troupe...
, Jen Goodhue, Terry McGurrin, Winston Spear
Winston Spear
Winston Spear is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actor from Toronto, Ontario. He is the winner of the 2003 Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male Stand-up and is a member of the cast of the popular CTV sketch comedy show Comedy Inc.. He has been called "King Of Obscure".* Winston is known for...
, Jenn Robertson, Gavin Stephens, Ian Sirota and Albert Howell. The series recently won the Gold Medal Award for "Best TV Variety Program" at the New York Festivals for the second year in a row and was picked up by the U.S. cable network Spike TV
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
in April 2005. Comedy Inc. was also nominated for a 2006 Canadian Comedy Award
Canadian Comedy Awards
The Canadian Comedy Awards, founded by , are an annual awards ceremony celebrating notable English speaking Canadian comedians for achievements in Live, Radio, Film, Television and Internet media over the previous year...
for best writing in a television series.
For his performance in CBC's Western Alienation Comedy Hour, Roman won a Leo Award in 2004 for excellence in British Columbia film and television. That same year, he was nominated for a Gemini
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
for his work on Comedy Inc..
Danylo also performs with the Canadian improv troupe Urban Improv in Vancouver.
Selected filmography
| Title | Year | Type | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comedy Inc. | 2002 to 2007 | TV series | Various |
| The Holmes Show The Holmes Show The Holmes Show is a Canadian sketch comedy television series that premiered on CTV on September 24, 2002. The 22 episode series stars Jessica Holmes, Roman Danylo and Kurt Smeaton. Filming took place at the CTV studios in June and August 2002. Each scene was shot twice with the second scene... |
2002 | TV series | Various |
| Seeking Winonas | 2001 | Film | Smart Guy |
| Improv Comedy Games | 2000 | TV mini-series | Host |
| Duets Duets An original motion picture soundtrack CD was released on September 12, 2000 by Hollywood Records. The CD contained twelve tracks including the original music composed for the film by David Newman.... |
2000 | Film | Albuquerque Desk Clerk |
| Happy Birthday | 2000 | Film | The Boyfriend |
| 10,000 Delusions | 1999 | Short film | Jehovah's Witness |
| Babette's Feet | 1999 | Short film | Man Eating Sushi |
| The Improv Comedy Olympics | 1998 | TV special | Comedian |
| Free Willy 3: The Rescue | 1997 | Film | Pizza Kid |
| Super Dave's All Stars | 1997 | TV series | Cheerleader |
| The Inner Voice | 1995 | Film | Sy |
| The Omen | 1995 | TV pilot | Bob |
External links
- Official web site
- Biography on Comedy Inc. website
- Roman Danylo on ComedyNightLife.com
- Comedy Inc. on The Comedy Network
- Canoe JAM - Article about Roman Danylo.