Sugar Sammy
Encyclopedia
Samir Khullar, better known as Sugar Sammy, is a canadian 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...

, 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...

, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

 and producer from Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

, Canada
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...

. 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
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

, Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...

 and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

.

Early life

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
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....

’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.
Sammy credits Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....

’s 1983 comedy special as being a defining moment in his life. From then on, he knew what he wanted to do. Also influenced by other African-American stand-up comedians, Sammy names Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...

, Chris Rock
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...

 and Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle
David Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film Robin Hood: Men in Tights in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films The Nutty Professor, Con Air, and Blue Streak. His...

 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
Marianopolis College
Marianopolis College is a private, subsidized CEGEP in Montreal nestled against the side of Mount Royal in Westmount, Quebec, Canada. It is one of the smallest anglophone colleges, with a student body of fewer than 2,000...

 while occasionally performing at open-mic nights at the Comedy Works and the Comedy Zone. Although Sammy struggled for almost a decade to gain recognition on the comedy circuit, he later continued his studies at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...

 in cultural studies while working as a night club promoter in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

. Here he received what would later become his stage name after letting many of the women into the parties for free.

Subjects

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.

Appearances

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
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...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, Holland, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

, the Philippines, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...

, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...

, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...

, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...

, Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...

, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

, Malaysia, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...

, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, where his one-man show sold an incredible 15,000 tickets.

Sugar Sammy has appeared at the Just For Laughs Festival
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 :...

 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
Dave Chappelle
David Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film Robin Hood: Men in Tights in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films The Nutty Professor, Con Air, and Blue Streak. His...

 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
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...

, Comedy Now on CTV
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...

, as well as appearances 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 ....

 (Canada), The Comedy Channel
The Comedy Channel
The Comedy Channel is an Australian subscription television channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television.-History:...

 (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
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 :...

 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.

HBO CANADA SPECIAL

Sugar Sammy’s biggest TV credit is his 72 minute HBO Canada
HBO Canada
HBO Canada is a Canadian television channel, which airs programming sourced from the HBO subscription service in the United States. HBO Canada is not available as a standalone channel, but as one channel within the TMN and Movie Central multiplexes....

 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
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...

 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.

French Career

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
Pauline Marois
Pauline Marois is the current leader of the Parti Québécois in the province of Quebec, since June 27, 2007 and current Leader of the Official Opposition of the National Assembly of Quebec, representing the riding of Charlevoix...

. He teased her incessantly about sovereignty and the language debate.

Accomplishments

  • Voted by the readers of the Montreal Mirror
    Montreal Mirror
    Montreal Mirror is a free English language alternative newsweekly based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with a circulation of 70,000, and reaches a quarter of a million readers per week. It is published by Communications Gratte-Ciel Ltée....

     "funniest comedian" for three years in a row.
  • Winner of 2009 COCA ( Canadian Organization for College Activities) Awards for Best Comedian.
  • Voted by the readers of the Montreal Mirror
    Montreal Mirror
    Montreal Mirror is a free English language alternative newsweekly based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with a circulation of 70,000, and reaches a quarter of a million readers per week. It is published by Communications Gratte-Ciel Ltée....

     as one of the top ten "most desirable men".
  • HBO special premieres on June 14, 2009 across Canada and will run continuously throughout summer.
  • Named one of the top 25 "Sexy and Successful" Indian artists by Anokhi Magazine.
  • Askmen.com
    AskMen.com
    AskMen.com is a free online men’s web portal, with international versions in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.-History:...

     named him "Comedy's New Rock Star".
  • Rumour's Restaurant & Comedy Club in Winnipeg has named a sandwich in Sugar's honor, The Sugar Sammy Sammie (Butter Chicken on a Bun)
  • Nominated for Best Male Stand-up at the 2009 Canadian Comedy Awards
  • Nominated for the category of Favorite Comedian by Masala! Mehndi! Masti!
  • Recipient of the 2009 'La Revelation de Juste Pour Rire' ( The 2009 French discovery of The 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 )
  • Named One of the top Ten Rising Comedy Talents on the planet by The Hollywood Reporter
  • Awarded the 2010 COCA awards
  • Ranked #58 in the annual list of the Top 100 Men of 2009 by Divine magazine
  • Featured in the 27th edition of the 'Juste le meilleur des galas 2009' DVD; a greatest hits compilations by the french version of the prestigious 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 :...

     Comedy Festival
  • Nominated in the categories; 'Discovery of the Year' and 'Best Comedic Act' for his routine entitled ' les Quebecquois' for the 12th annual ' Le Gala Les Olivier', a ceremony which honors Quebec's top comedians.
  • Recipient of the 2010 'Prix québécois de la citoyenneté' which honors individuals, enterprises and organizations for their commitmment and contribution to making Quebec a more pluralistic and inclusive society.
  • Recipient of the 2010 ' Le Prix d'ambassadeur et rayonnement' presented by the ' Societe des Grands Citoyens' for his contribution as an international ambassador for Canada.
  • The first Canadian to have a special on HBO Canada. Which consequently ended up being one of the top rated specials on that channel.
  • His HBO special is set to be released on DVD on Jan 18 2011.
  • Sugar Sammy's HBO Special is the #1 bestselling DVD on Amazon.ca
  • Air Canada has picked up Sugar Sammy's HBO Special; which aired on all domestic and international Air Canada Flight
  • Sugar Sammy's stand-up videos have had over 3 million views on youtube.
  • Has multiple international TV specials and appearances including in Canada, Dubai, Australia & Holland.
  • First comedian to perform at Just for Laughs in English, French, Hindi & Punjabi.
  • Performed at Just for Laughs 7 years in a row since 2004.
  • Signed a major endorsement deal with Videotron for a 2011 campaign.

Awards

Year Award Category Result
2009 COCA ( Canadian Organization for College Activities) Best Comedian 2009
Montreal Mirror
Montreal Mirror
Montreal Mirror is a free English language alternative newsweekly based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with a circulation of 70,000, and reaches a quarter of a million readers per week. It is published by Communications Gratte-Ciel Ltée....

top ten "most desirable man"
Anokhi Magazine top 25 "Sexy and Successful" Indian artists
Canadian Comedy Awards
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...

Best Male Stand-up
Masala! Mehndi! Masti! Favorite Comedian
The Just For Laughs Festival The 2009 French discovery of The Just For Laughs Festival
The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...

Ten Rising Comedy Talents From Around
Divine magazine Ranked#58 in the annual list of the Top 100 Men of 2009
2010 Le Gala Les Olivier Discovery of the Year
Le Gala Les Olivier Best Comedic Act
Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles Prix québécois de la citoyenneté
Societe des Grands Citoyens Le Prix d'ambassadeur et rayonnement
COCA ( Canadian Organization for College Activities) Best Comedian 2010
Montreal Mirror
Montreal Mirror
Montreal Mirror is a free English language alternative newsweekly based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with a circulation of 70,000, and reaches a quarter of a million readers per week. It is published by Communications Gratte-Ciel Ltée....

Best Comedian 2010
Canadian Comedy Awards Best Television Performance

Down With the Brown

In 2008, Sammy released his debut comedy album, Down With the Brown. His CD tackles everything from life in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

 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.

Sugar Sammy Signs With Gersh

In the summer of 2009, The Gersh Agency
The Gersh Agency
The Gersh Agency was established in 1949 by Founder . With 125 employees, 60 agents and offices in Beverly Hills and New York, TGA maintains seven full-service departments: Talent, Feature Literary, TV Literary, Theater, Comedy, Below-the-Line, and a modeling agency.-External links:***...

 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.

Endorsement & Sponsorship deals

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

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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