Gerry Dee (born Gerard Francis-John Donoghue;[1][2] December 31, 1968) is a Canadian actor, stand-up comedian, game show host, director, producer, and writer.[3] He is the host of Family Feud Canada. He placed third on the fifth season of Last Comic Standing, and he wrote and starred in the sitcom Mr. D, which aired on CBC Television.
Early life
Dee was born Gerard Francis-John Donoghue, and is of Irish and Scottish descent. He was born in Scarborough and raised in Toronto. He was a university varsity hockey player and golfer. He attended St. Gabriel's (Bayview/Sheppard) and De La Salle College, Oaklands, where he later worked as a physical education teacher and hockey coach. He studied kinesiology and athletic therapy at York University and education at St. Francis Xavier University. His father was a bus driver for the TTC in Toronto for over 20 years.[citation needed]
Dee placed third on the fifth season of Last Comic Standing. He had tried out for Last Comic Standing during the second and fourth seasons, but never advanced to the finals. He missed the birth of his daughter while appearing on the show. Starting in late 2007, Dee had his own segment on Canadian cable channel The Score (later known as Sportsnet). These segments, entitled Gerry Dee: Sports Reporter, saw Dee conducting humorous interviews and segments. The interviews included such sports personalities as Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Cito Gaston, Randy Couture, and Chris Bosh.[citation needed]
Dee appeared in television commercials for Rogers, Wisers, KFC, and Nissan, and is currently making guest appearances on CBC's The Hour. He won a 2008 Canadian Comedy Award in the Best Male Stand-Up comic category.[4]
In January 2012, his sitcom Mr. D premiered on CBC Television. Created, written by and starring Dee, the show is based on his experience as a high-school teacher. Dee’s children, Alyce, Faith, and Breton Donoghue, are also a part of the cast. Alyce played "Amanda-Susan" as well as some background characters, Faith played "Faith" as well as some background characters, and Breton played "John".
He appears in the sitcom Animal Control, which began in 2023 and was renewed into 2024.
Publishing career
In October 2012, Doubleday Canada published Dee's Teaching: It's Harder Than It Looks. Like Dee's sitcom Mr. D, Teaching is based on his ten years as a teacher. A national bestseller, the book came out in paperback in May 2013.[6]
Personal life
Dee is the son of Scottish immigrant parents. He is a former high school physical education teacher. He was the first Canadian to win the San Francisco Comedy Competition. He played varsity hockey at St Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Dee and his wife Heather have two daughters Alyce and Faith, as well as one son, Breton.[1] His daughters played recurring roles on his comedy show Mr. D as Amanda-Susan (Alyce) and Faith (Faith), while his son appeared in the series finale as John. Gerry is a supporter of Celtic Football Club.
