Ali Hassan
Ali Hassan is a Canadian comedian, actor, author, and broadcaster. Born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, he was raised in Montreal, Quebec. He attended McMaster University to study business administration. Initially, he pursued a career outside of comedy, running a catering business with the goal of hosting a television cooking show. However, he began performing stand-up comedy as a means of building confidence. Hassan’s comedic journey took off when he performed in Montreal for two years before embarking on international tours. He opened for Russell Peters at the Amman Stand-up Comedy Festival in Jordan. Following this, he has entertained crowds throughout Canada, the United States, and worldwide, with notable engagements at the Just For Laughs festivals held in Montreal and Toronto. Additionally, he embarked on a nationwide tour as part of the 'Just For Laughs ‘Comedy Night In Canada’ initiative. His work includes supporting roles in films such as Breakaway , French Immersion , Goon , and Tammy's Always Dying . He has also appeared in television shows like Boston Blue , DOC , Odd Squad , Dino Dana , Workin’ Moms , Murdoch Mysteries , Hudson & Rex , and most recently, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . Since moving to Toronto, Ontario, in 2011, Hassan has become a prominent figure in Canadian media. A frequent guest on George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, he now leads CBC Radio One's weekly comedy show, Laugh Out Loud, and also presents the stand-up comedy radio program 'Laugh Out Loud' broadcast on both CBC Radio and SiriusXM. For eight years, he has hosted CBC Radio’s annual Canada Reads competition. He is known for his one-man shows, including Muslim, Interrupted , which he has performed at the Just For Laughs Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. His present touring production is a solo performance titled 'Does This Taste Funny?', inspired by ten years spent in the food sector. He also participates in NPR’s The Moth series of storytelling events. Published in 2022, his comedic memoir, Is There Bacon in Heaven?, garnered positive reviews; Rick Mercer lauded it as “perhaps the funniest and most heartfelt Canadian memoir yet.” He has been nominated for several Canadian Screen Awards, including two in 2024 for his involvement in Sort Of and Run the Burbs, and a nomination in 2021 alongside Peter Keleghan for co-hosting the National Canadian Film Day livestream. He is also a Canadian Comedy Award nominee.