Jackie Pirico is a fast-rising and highly coveted stand-up comedian originally from Guelph, Ontario, and currently based in Toronto, Canada. Originally a Linguistics major at Concordia University with plans to go into speech pathology, Jackie instead discovered her love for comedy while working at a comedy bar in Montreal, Quebec.
In 2013, she made the decision to follow her passion and pursue stand-up comedy as a career. In 2014, after moving to Toronto, Jackie landed her first professional opportunity in her hometown at the Guelph Comedy Festival. Her first big break came in 2016 when she was called to do a network television taping for the largest International Comedy Festival in the world, Montreal’s Just For Laughs. We had the enormous pleasure to catch up with this rising star of comedy!
Thank you for agreeing to catch up with Occhi Magazine. You’re a linguistics graduate and originally had ambitions to work in speech pathology. What drew you to a career in comedy?
The funny thing is, if I hadn’t moved to Montreal to pursue that linguistics degree, I may never have fallen into comedy! I needed a part-time job during school, but my French wasn’t good enough for most bars and restaurants – except for one – an English-speaking stand-up comedy club called The Comedy Nest. I worked there every weekend for many years, serving cocktails and absorbing thousands of hours of comedy! Eventually, I thought, ‘Hell, I’m gonna give this a shot myself.’ So basically, I went from working the tables to working the stage!
Who were your early influences and how did they impact your career?
I was very amazed and influenced by stand-up comedians starting from a very early age; jokes and laughter were major elements in my family and upbringing. As a kid, I was glued to those Just For Laughs gala reruns from the ‘80s and ‘90s, and Seinfeld was also a huge staple in our household. And watching prominent stand-up comedians such as Robin Williams and Jim Carrey star in some of my favourite childhood movies certainly ignited an interest for me as well. Even more specific to my style would be George Carlin, especially his bit on cats and dogs; that really grabbed me as a kid. His exaggerated, cartoonish act-outs significantly catalysed my own comedic mind and style to this day.
You’ve had multiple TV tapings and your stand-up performances can be seen on Crave’s JFL All Access, CTV’s Stand Up Show and Roast Battles Canada, to name a few. Have you had a standout memorable experience that has significantly shaped your approach to comedy?
One experience that really helped me turn a corner was the very special time I got to perform on a live recording of CBC’s Q at the River Run Centre, a beautiful theatre in Guelph, where I’m from. Aside from playing a giant sold-out theatre in my hometown with tons of family and friends present, I also got to share the bill with legendary children’s performer Fred Penner. My brother and I were massive Fred Penner fans as kids; so much so that my aunt Donnalee Stewart, who is an artist in Guelph, made us a paper-mache tree trunk “tunnel” just like the one Fred crawled through in the opening sequence of his show. Not only did I share the bill with Fred, but I also got to sit right beside him and chat with him on the panel of Tom Power’s hit segment Jam or Not A Jam. It was a tremendously surreal and joyful moment in my career, and it gave me a new-found level of confidence to know that my hard work and talent landed me on the same stage as someone who inspired me so deeply from such an early age. It was a real level-up for me!
Congratulations on receiving a 2023 JUNO Award nomination for your album Splash Pad. We wish you the very best for the award. Run us through how you felt when you received the news and how you’re feeling now.
Thank you so much! It has been such a fabulous whirlwind since the nominations were announced; I still haven’t come down! Stand-up comedy in my opinion is one of the most vulnerable forms of performance art, and at times it can really shake your confidence and test your mettle. But to now have my art validated by this nomination, from an entity as prestigious as CARAS, feels so fortifying, not only for my professional career as a whole, but for my creative confidence as well. I’m finding a stronger belief in myself on stage; allowing me to come even more into my own artistic voice. I’m so grateful! And to see someone as talented as my friend Jon Dore win the Juno award was also fantastic! I have been a massive fan of his for so long, and he has been such a kind and supportive colleague to me over the years that it was a joyous moment to hear his name in that moment!
Please tell us about your latest project ‘How Can We Help You’ and what audiences can expect
Absolutely! How Can We Help is an advice podcast where listeners can submit anonymous questions about anything; relationships, career, love-life, family, etc. Me and my co-host, the hilarious and beloved Mark Little, do our best as completely untrained and non-accredited counsellors to steer people down the right path; or maybe just a path. We often have other comedians as guests and it’s just a really fun and silly listen. Stay tuned!
What other projects are in the pipeline?
I’ll be performing at a big live-taped gala for the Winnipeg Comedy Festival! I’m so excited; it’s one of the country’s most prestigious comedy festivals, and my set will air next year on CBC. I can’t wait!
Where can our readers find out more about you?
Please follow me on Instagram at @jackiepirico! There you can find all my comedy clips and show promo, and all kinds of other good stuff!
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