Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer, born on October 17, 1969 in St. John's, Newfoundland, is a successful Canadian comedian, famous for his "straightman" act on the mock news-show This Hour Has 22 Minutes, shown on CBC Television.
He was a writer for 22 Minutes, and one skit in particular was so popular it was turned into a one-hour special as Talking to Americans, attracting 2.7 million viewers across Canada and making it the highest-rated comedy special in the country's history.
Mercer's other CBC show, Made in Canada appeared for five seasons and airs in the USA, France, Austrailia and Latin America.
In Christmas 2003, he made a Christmas special called Rick Mercer's Christmas in Kabul. His new show, Rick Mercer's Monday Report will premiere on CBC TV on January 12, 2004.