Rick Mercer

Early Career and Breakthrough

Rick Mercer first captured national attention in 1990 with his one-man stage show Show Me the Button: I'll Push It (or Charles Lynch Must Die), a satirical commentary on Canadian life after the Meech Lake Accord. The show premiered at the National Arts Centre's Atelier in Ottawa and its success led to a national tour, establishing Mercer as a rising star. He followed this in 1992 with a second touring stage production, I've Killed Before, I'll Kill Again, performed at the National Arts Centre's Studio Theatre. That same year, he began collaborating with comedians Cathy Jones, Mary Walsh, and Greg Thomey to develop a new series for CBC Television. This collaboration resulted in the launch of the seminal news satire program This Hour Has 22 Minutes, where Mercer would become a household name over the next eight seasons.

On 22 Minutes, Mercer created several signature segments that resonated deeply with audiences. His weekly two-minute 'rants', delivered directly to camera in a rapid-fire style similar to those used by Denis Leary in MTV commercials, became a cultural touchstone for political commentary. He also orchestrated notable stunts, such as a 2000 internet petition to rename Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day to 'Doris', which later transformed into a campaign to send Christmas cards to Canadian peacekeepers in Bosnia, a trip Mercer made himself in December 2000. In 2001, after an aide impersonated MP Rahim Jaffer in a radio interview, Mercer performed a parody rap based on Eminem's 'The Real Slim Shady' with the lyric 'Will the real Rahim Jaffer please stand up?'. His work on the show was compiled into his first bestselling book, Streeters, published in 1998, which collected many of his most famous rants from the program.

Talking to Americans and National Fame

One of Mercer's most famous contributions to 22 Minutes was the segment Talking to Americans, where he travelled to U.S. cities to interview citizens about absurd Canadian 'issues'. The routine cleverly highlighted American ignorance about Canada for comedic effect, with subjects earnestly offering opinions on Canada's fictitious '20 Hour Clock' or supporting the preservation of the 'National Igloo'. He received approval from the Governor of Iowa, Tom Vilsack, on the clock issue and from Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee on saving the igloo. The segment gained international notoriety in 2000 when Mercer interviewed then-presidential candidate George W. Bush, who responded to questions about the non-existent Canadian Prime Minister 'Jean Poutine'. During the same election cycle, Democratic candidate Al Gore agreed to visit the 'Canadian capital city' of Toronto without correcting the error.

In 2001, Mercer co-produced a CBC television special based on the segment, which drew 2.7 million viewers, making it the highest-rated television special in Canadian history at the time. The success was so significant that the American news program Nightline devoted an episode to analyzing the phenomenon. The special was nominated for a Gemini Award, but Mercer declined the nomination following the September 11 attacks. Talking to Americans marked his final major project with 22 Minutes, as he departed the show at the end of the 2000 to 2001 season to focus on other endeavours including his series Made in Canada.

Television Series and The Rick Mercer Report

Between his work on 22 Minutes and his own report, Mercer co-created and starred in the sitcom Made in Canada, which aired on CBC for five seasons from 1998 to 2003. The show was a fast-paced, self-referential satire of the Canadian television production industry, often drawing from details of its own production companies and including parodies of contemporary programs. It won several Gemini Awards, which were themselves satirized in subsequent episodes, and was syndicated abroad under the title The Industry. Following its conclusion, Mercer developed a new series for CBC, Rick Mercer's Monday Report, which debuted in January 2004. The show blended political satire, field segments, and interviews in a format similar to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and was preceded by a 2003 television special, Christmas in Kabul, stemming from his visit to Canadian troops in Afghanistan.

After a move to Tuesday nights in 2005 prompted a name change to The Rick Mercer Report, the show solidified its place as a CBC flagship. It regularly featured visits with prominent political figures, including a private tour of 24 Sussex Drive with Prime Minister Paul Martin and snow angels on Parliament Hill with NDP leader Ed Broadbent. The show's guest list was remarkably diverse, encompassing politicians like Stephen Harper, Jack Layton, Elizabeth May, Belinda Stronach, and Peter MacKay, artists like Rush, Jann Arden, and Sarah McLachlan, and cultural figures like Pierre Berton and Conrad Black. A 2004 relief concert for the Indian Ocean tsunami at Calgary's Pengrowth Saddledome featured a memorable backstage segment with the Barenaked Ladies who appeared completely naked. The program consistently ranked as the network's highest-rated comedy and arts show, ending its second season as the top rated arts and entertainment program on CBC. After 15 seasons, production concluded in 2017, with the final episode airing on April 10, 2018. Beyond his signature series, Mercer has hosted other programs including It Seems Like Yesterday, which examines pop culture from the 1950s to the 1980s. His film appearances include roles in Secret Nation, Understanding Bliss, How to Be Deadly, Bon Cop, Bad Cop, and a 2014 guest spot on the penultimate episode of Republic of Doyle. In 2022, he launched Comedy Night with Rick Mercer, a CBC Television series presenting stand-up comedy performances by emerging Canadian comedians.

Books and Publications

Rick Mercer is the author of several bestselling books, primarily collections derived from his television work alongside more recent memoirs. His publications are closely tied to the evolution of his career, offering compiled rants, behind-the-scenes stories, and personal reflections. His first book, Streeters, published in 1998, compiled many of his most famous rants from This Hour Has 22 Minutes and became a national bestseller. His next book, Rick Mercer Report: The Book, was published by Doubleday Canada on September 25, 2007, and contained a collection of rants from the first four seasons of his report, together with moments from interviews and other writings.

Rick Mercer Report: The Book entered the Globe and Mail books chart at number three on October 6, 2007, reached number one in the week before Christmas that year, and was reprinted eight times. An expanded and updated paperback version, Rick Mercer Report: The Paperback Book, was published by Anchor Canada on September 16, 2008, and immediately entered the top ten of the Globe and Mail bestseller list, being reprinted several times. Mercer's subsequent books followed a similar pattern of commercial success. A Nation Worth Ranting About was published in September 2012 and was also a bestseller. Rick Mercer Final Report was published in 2018 following the end of his television series.

Mercer published Talking to Canadians: A Memoir on November 2, 2021. This memoir won the 2022 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. He continued his memoir with The Road Years: A Memoir Continued, published on October 31, 2023. These two books form a two part memoir about his life and career.

• Streeters (1998): Compilation of rants from This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
• Rick Mercer Report: The Book (2007): Rants from first four seasons of his report.
• Rick Mercer Report: The Paperback Book (2008): Expanded paperback edition.
• A Nation Worth Ranting About (2012): Bestselling collection from his report.
• Rick Mercer Final Report (2018): Published after his show ended.
• Talking to Canadians: A Memoir (2021): First memoir, winner of Leacock Medal.
• The Road Years: A Memoir Continued (2023): Second volume of memoir.

Honours, Awards and Charity Work

Rick Mercer's career has been recognized with a vast array of honours reflecting his impact on Canadian culture and his philanthropic efforts. He has received over 25 Gemini Awards for his television work. In 1993, Newfoundland premier Clyde Wells honoured him with the Newfoundland Arts Council's Artist of the Year award. In 2003, he was awarded the Sir Peter Ustinov Comedy Award at the Banff Television Festival. The following year, he received the National Arts Centre Award, a companion to the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards, and donated the accompanying $15,000 prize to the LSPU Hall in St. John's, the theatre where he performed his early work. In 2007, he was named honorary colonel of the Royal Canadian Air Force's 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, based at CFB Shearwater in Nova Scotia.

In 2014, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada by Governor General David Johnston for inspiring Canadians through humour and his charity work, and was formally invested in a ceremony at Rideau Hall on September 23, 2015. That same year, he was inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame. He received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2019. In 2023, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador. He also holds the 30th Annual Bob Edwards Award from Calgary. Mercer holds honorary degrees from nine Canadian universities: Laurentian University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Brock University, McMaster University, Bishop's University, the University of British Columbia, the University of Guelph, the University of Western Ontario, and the Royal Military College of Canada. He also received an honorary high school diploma from Landmark East School in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, in 1999.

His charitable commitments are extensive and long-standing. He is co-chair, along with Belinda Stronach, of the Spread the Net campaign, launched in 2008, which provides $10 bed nets to prevent malaria among children in Africa through a partnership with UNICEF. Since 2011, he has been the honorary patron of Hope Air, a charity that provides free non-emergency medical flights for people in financial need. He served as national spokesperson for the 2005 Walk For Life for the Canadian AIDS Society, a series of 132 fundraising walks across Canada. In December 2004, he appeared in commercials for the Government of Canada's One-Tonne Challenge and in a national ad for Harry Rosen, donating his fees from the clothing campaign to Toronto's Casey House hospice for people living with AIDS. He has narrated an animated science video on climate change for Science North in Sudbury and, in November 2010, contributed a rant to Dan Savage's It Gets Better Project to help gay and lesbian youth overcome bullying.

• Over 25 Gemini Awards: For his television work across multiple series.
• Officer of the Order of Canada (2014): For inspiring Canadians through humour.
• Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement (2019).
• Sir Peter Ustinov Comedy Award (2003): Presented at the Banff Television Festival.
• National Arts Centre Award (2004): Companion to the Governor General's Awards.
• Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour (2022): For his memoir Talking to Canadians.
• Member of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador (2023).
• Honorary Colonel (2007): Of the RCAF's 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron.

Personal Background

Richard Vincent Mercer was born on October 17, 1969, in St. John's, Newfoundland, and was raised in the nearby community of Middle Cove. His mother, Patricia Cook, worked as a nurse, and his father, Kenneth Mercer, was an executive in the provincial fisheries ministry. He attended Macdonald Drive Elementary but dropped out of Prince of Wales Collegiate in St. John's before completing his diploma requirements. During his teenage years, he was a member of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, an experience that later informed his respect for the Canadian Armed Forces, evident in his many visits to troops overseas including his 2003 trip to Afghanistan.

Mercer has been in a relationship with television producer Gerald Lunz since 1990. He maintains a clear boundary between his public and private life, stating that while he lives as an out gay man, he does not focus on his sexuality in his work because it is not the subject of his comedy. In a 2011 interview on CBC Radio's The Current, he clarified that his show is about Canadian politics and culture, not his personal life, though he is open about his identity. He regards his personal life as private and says little about it in public beyond his acknowledgment of being gay.

Career Timeline and Key Projects

Rick Mercer's career began in 1990 with his one-man stage show Show Me the Button: I'll Push It. He co-created the television series This Hour Has 22 Minutes in 1992 and later created the popular Talking to Americans segment. He co-created the series Made in Canada, which ran from 1998 to 2003. His long-running series The Rick Mercer Report aired from 2004 to 2018. He is also the author of several books, including a two part memoir published in 2021 and 2023.

Questions about Rick Mercer

What awards has Rick Mercer won?

Rick Mercer has won more than 25 Gemini Awards for his television work. His major honours include being appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2014, receiving the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2019, and winning the Sir Peter Ustinov Comedy Award in 2003. He also holds nine honorary degrees from Canadian universities, the National Arts Centre Award (2004), and his 2021 memoir, Talking to Canadians, won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. In 2023, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador.

What was the 'Talking to Americans' segment?

Talking to Americans was a comedy routine on This Hour Has 22 Minutes where Rick Mercer would travel to American cities and conduct interviews, using the subjects' ignorance about Canada for comedic effect. He famously asked Americans about Canada changing its '20 Hour Clock' and got support to save the 'National Igloo'. In 2001, a CBC special based on it attracted 2.7 million viewers, the highest-rated television special in Canadian history at the time. The ABC News program Nightline later devoted a show to it.

What charities does Rick Mercer support?

Rick Mercer is actively involved with several charitable organizations. He is co-chair of the Spread the Net campaign with Belinda Stronach, which provides bed nets to prevent malaria in Africa through UNICEF. Since 2011, he has been the honorary patron of Hope Air, a charity that arranges free medical flights for those in need. He served as national spokesperson for the Canadian AIDS Society's 2005 Walk For Life, contributed to the It Gets Better Project, and has donated fees from advertising work to Casey House hospice in Toronto.

How many books has Rick Mercer written?

Rick Mercer has authored seven books. His early works are compilations from his shows, including Streeters (1998) and Rick Mercer Report: The Book (2007) and its paperback update (2008). He also published A Nation Worth Ranting About (2012) and Rick Mercer Final Report (2018). More recently, he has published a two-part memoir: Talking to Canadians in 2021, which won the Leacock Medal for Humour, and The Road Years in 2023. His books have been national bestsellers, frequently topping the Globe and Mail bestseller lists.

What is Rick Mercer best known for?

Rick Mercer is best known for his work on the CBC Television comedy shows This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Rick Mercer Report. He first came to national attention in 1990 with his satirical stage show Show Me the Button. On 22 Minutes, his signature segments included his direct to camera political rants and the Talking to Americans routine, where he interviewed Americans about Canada for comedic effect. The 2001 CBC special based on Talking to Americans attracted 2.7 million viewers, becoming the highest rated television special in Canadian history. Mercer is also the author of multiple books based on his shows and a two part memoir. He has received more than 25 Gemini Awards for his television work.

Is Rick Mercer married?

Rick Mercer's spouse since 1990 is television producer Gerald Lunz. He regards his personal life as private and says little about it in public beyond acknowledging that he is gay. In a 2011 interview on CBC Radio One's The Current, he clarified that he tries to live his life as an out gay man. He stated he does not specifically mention his sexuality on The Rick Mercer Report because it is not what the show is about. Mercer was born in St John's, Newfoundland and raised in Middle Cove. His mother is a nurse and his father is an executive in the fisheries ministry.

Sources and further reading

• Rick Mercer (Wikipedia)
• Comedy Night with Rick Mercer | Shows (gem.cbc.ca)
• Rick Mercer's Stand-Up for Canada Comedy Tour | Sep 26 (nac-cna.ca)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-23.