The first show of Danforth Comedy Festival introduced me to a very funny lady – Mary Kennedy. And yes, she is one of those Kennedys. The headlining comic has performed all over the States (once a dyed in the wool Bostonian, now LA is her home) and appears regularly at Flappers Comedy Club, The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles/Long Beach as well as at the Comedy Store LA/La Jolla, Comedy Chateau, The Ice House and The Improv. From the minute she took the stage at Socap Comedy Theatre, Mary had me in stiches. Not only is the 23yr veteran of stand-up comedy hilarious, she’s a multi-talented actor who’s worked on stage, tv and big screen. I reached out to Mary for this interview and I learnt she’s even more than all that….Mary, congrats on your appearance at the Danforth Comedy Festival. You had only just arrived from L.A. when you took the stage that first Friday night – did you enjoy the welcome to Toronto from the audience and do you enjoy participating in festivals such as the Danforth Comedy Festival? I love Toronto! I felt so welcome, it was like being home! I love doing festivals – as a comic, it is a great way to socialize and work in front of different audiences. I do a podcast called Order Up, with Kelly, Cari, Mary and Matt. It’s a foodie podcast with me and three Canadians. It was the first time I recorded with them in person…they are my Toronto family now. My Order Up family and the Danforth Comedy Festival really rolled out the red carpet for me.
You’re also an accomplished TV actor, producer and director – with the current SAG-AFTRA & Writers’ strike in the States, was this a good respite for you, enabling you to get in front of an audience as a writer as well as performer? Yes, an amazing respite. It was good to be on stage in front of a live audience, connecting with them through laughter. The strike will run its course. I think it is empowering for the writers and actors to be unified, I hope it is resolved quickly, but now is the time for us to stand for what we want and truly need.
You’ve also been nominated for awards for stage acting (congrats) – which do you prefer as an artist: stage, screen or stand-up comedy and why? All of the above. Each one is different. There is nothing like having an audience with you during a comedy set. In a stage play, connecting with others on stage in front of a live audience is a joy. I’m doing my one woman show Mid Life Mood Swing and I’m on stage alone for 53 minutes. That is both like headlining a comedy set and working on a play – it’s absolute heaven. Screen is like grad school – watching production work, working with directors and other actors; it is the best training in the world. I always learn something new. Then I get to watch the finished work on screen, that always gives me goosebumps. It is so collaborative and I get to meet the most interesting people in the world in all these venues. Has all this showbiz experience contributed to your comedy writing or do you draw from your own life experience – dating, marriage, family? Yes definitely. But I come from a very Irish catholic family. I am also a Kennedy “third cousins, twice removed” so all of the tragedy, none of the money. I learned very early on, especially from my mother, to find humor in tragedy. This made me the comic I am today. My mom who started a wedding band after her divorce, consisting of 40 year old divorcees, singing Hot Stuff and Locomotion, called the MOOD SWINGS. She taught me how to be a kick ass business woman and how to get paid for my art.
Have you been inspired by other female comics who fought hard to get their 15mins in the spotlight and recognition from male counterparts? Yes, when I came up in comedy in NYC, I was in a group of the most talented comics who happen to be female. Every single one of us is experiencing a great career and we still support each other along the way. We are all happy for each other’s successes. There is room for everyone!Any advice for aspiring funny ladies out there? Figure out who you are and be proud of that! Don’t be the comic that you think people want you to be. Have a clear point of view and work your set all the time. Find a community that will be supportive of you!
And what’s your next big gig? I’m touring with my one person show Mid Life Mood Swing: Starring Mary Kennedy, directed by Charlene Ward. First stop is the Boston area. Then Off Cabot through John Tobin Presents, in Beverly, MA. August 25 &26 at 8pm. Tickets are available through: www.offcabot.org
Thanks for chatting with me, Mary. You can enjoy Mary’s work on YouTube and can follow her on Instagram: @mkennedycomedy
A few years ago when my sister, Jenny, visited Toronto from Australia, she introduced me to Marianne Sawchuk and her actor husband, Bruno Verdoni. Marianne is a twin to one of Jen’s besties back in Oz so it was a fun meet-up for Jenny at an art gallery opening to which I invited them all, and I made 2 new friends here in Toronto. Since then, I’ve watched as Bruno’s film and tv work has gained buzz on social media and more recently, he launched a film production company with wife Marianne – their first cinematic joint venture has resulted in increased awareness in the industry and much online attention from fans and movie lovers. I recently chatted with Bruno about his current success and exciting new production venture with Marianne, as well as asking a little about his past experiences with well-known Hollywood actors and what’s ahead for him, regardless of the current Covid situation.
Bruno, you’ve enjoyed quite the stellar career to date and have worked with the likes of award-winning actors Jessica Chastain, John Malkovich, Lawrence Fishburne, James Cromwell and Viola Davis: how have they inspired you or shared their own acting experiences with you? Most of the well-known actors I have worked with were very gracious. Robert Patrick was doing a very emotional scene and was nailing it take after take, and he openly shared with me how he did it. Back then I wasn’t sure if I understood what he meant, but now with all my experience I absolutely do. Barbara Hershey openly shared with me some of her life’s events and Scott Wilson and Shoreh Aghdashloo were genuine and quite generous on and off set. Jessica Chastain impressed me with her work ethics. Speaking of Jessica, I had quite the audition experience with Aaron Sorkin who directed Molly’s Game. I went in, we tried the scenes a few different ways, he said I was perfect for the part – something I had heard before but no candy. 90 minutes later my agent got the call that I was going to shoot both in TO and NY. A man of his word. Loved that!
You’re able to act in French language productions as well as English; how has this increased your working opportunities in Canada? A lot more opportunities as I can access casting for film, TV, Voiceover, Commercial and some Video games x 2 J. Often enough I am asked to do accents, both in QC and ON and that helps a lot too. For some reason I get offered roles more often in Montreal. I am from there but haven’t been living in that city for many years. So even while living in LA I was so chuffed to be offered substantial roles on French-Canadian series.
What motivated you and your wife Marianne Sawchuk to create your own film production company, Valiant Heart Films? My career came to a point where the roles and stories I had been dying to tell and had been training hard for, were not presenting themselves enough, so I thought I should be carrying the load, and be more the in control of my destiny. I had written a story that moved us both a lot and a friend of ours (a screenwriter in L.A.) said “not only do you have to do this project but you have to direct it too”. And I did. From then on, Marianne (pictured below) became the main motivating factor both as a producer and a partner. She has those organizing and unifying qualities that she used so well while producing her theatre projects/festivals, skills that are so important – if not more – when producing film projects.After that kickstart, I spent a considerable amount of time studying the craft; from screenwriting to cinematography. Even as a young actor, with a recurring role on Stargate, I kept bugging the DP with my many technical questions. That DP – Robert McLachlan –ended up winning many awards for his work on Game Of Thrones.
Your first short film, Heaven and Earth: A Ritual has been well-received on the film fest circuit – what inspired the 1880’s-based story and the characters? I was living in Vancouver then and was really curious about issues of racism towards First Nations people and the Chinese community. So I started looking into the Chinese migration in an around Seattle and BC during the 1800’s. And I thought it’s hard enough today, but how horribly hard it would have been for a bi-racial woman (Chinese and Indigenous Canadian) back then.Around that time, I had moved to Los Angeles and decided it would be a better fit, story-wise, to make the character MAY, a strong and combative First Nation character. Mostly because we were going to shoot it in and around L.A. and it felt more appropriate to focus on the U.S.’s Indigenous reality. We ended up moving back to Canada around that time and so Heaven & Earth was shot in and around Toronto.Heaven and Earth is currently showcasing at the American Indian Film Festival (Nov.6-14) and the Huntingdon Beach Cultural Cinema Showcase (Nov.13-15); it’s just been accepted at the NatiVisions Film Festival in Parker, AZ, December 3 to 5, with more festivals in the pipeline – what are you doing to prepare for the wider int’l exposure and audience kudos and media reviews? For as far as I can remember, my sights as an artist have always been on festivals. I’ve always been very inspired by the international community coming together during those times. It’s always been one of my dearest goals to collaborate, co-write, co-produce projects with different countries around the world. And, I also need to make sure I have many strong ideas up my sleeve and ready to be pitched. (see official trailer, below)
During the Covid lock-downs and country-wide industry shut-down, how have you remained busy? Have you been studying scripts for future projects, writing, doing voice-overs remotely? Well I did take the time to write and direct a COVID short for a Toronto COVID short film festival, called Molly’s World. There again it was Marianne who jolted me into action as we had less than 48 hrs to write-shoot-edit this project. It was a lot of fun to play a bad guy in this family fare, opposite Marianne and our daughter Francesca.
Out of the stories I have been working on over the last few years, I am spending some time fine-tuning the ones that move me the most in terms of films and series. I recently recorded a voice-over gig for New York out of my own voice-over studio. 2 weeks ago I finished shooting a French series where my character had been recurring for the last 5 years and on a different artistic plane, since Heaven And Earth: A Ritual gave me the opportunity to compose music again, I decided to keep pushing in that direction, too, and play/compose more music, as I need to elevate my musicianship skills since one of my upcoming projects involves 70‘s rock music. You can listen to Bruno’s music score for Heaven and Earth: A Ritual here:
What’s next for Valiant Heart Films – do you and Marianne have any projects in the works? Well, that 70’s rock music project is actually a coming-of age story and has been brewing in the back of my mind for many years now. I strongly feel that it will be in a finished pdf format real soon. I have to say I find myself amidst many stories/concepts/ideas the run the gamut in terms of genres, from fable to musical drama, sci-fi to documentary, family comedy to thriller. I’m impressed that my intuition/inspiration is sending me in all these different directions but in the end the purpose remains the same; to tell a solid, compelling story that feels authentic and reverberates with people, that moves them.
Any advice for other actors or filmmakers struggling to establish themselves in a very tough business? For me it’s always been about “what moves me” to the point where it makes me relentless. You have to find that “thing” which moves you enough to be unstoppable in your journey. That is the only way. And as you grow you will need to gather as many skills as possible on your journey – people, technical and artistic skills. And ALWAYS surround yourself well. Find people who are talented, kind and who thrive in a communal environment.How can people follow your work and Valiant Heart Films on social media? https://www.facebook.com/valiantheartfilms https://www.facebook.com/bruno.verdoni
www.instagram.com/brunoverdoni/
Good luck with all your upcoming projects, Bruno (and Marianne) and I hope we see Heaven and Earth: A Ritual at even more film festivals over the coming months. Good to see you living your best life!LATEST UPDATE:
Currently Bruno is starring in another short film called Bloodshed directed by Paolo Mancini and Daniel Watchorn. It has been officially selected and playing at the following festivals…so far:
World premiere at Fantasia Festival in Montreal
Night Visions Festival in Helsinki
NOLA Horror Film Festival in New Orleans
Oregon Scream Week Horror Film Festival where Bruno was a finalist for Best Actor Award
LUSCA Fantastic Film Festival in Puerto Rico
Hellifax Horror Festival in Halifax
Requiem Fear Fest in Montreal where Bloodshedwon Best Short Film
Frightening Ass Film Festival in Tennessee
Bogota Horror Film Festival in Columbia
Panic Fest in Kansas City
Monster Fest in Australia
Tacoma Film Festival
Festival El Grito in Venezuela Dec 3-5
Mostra Crash International Fantastic Film Festival in Brazil Dec 9-13
Another Hole in the Head Film Festival in San Francisco Dec 11-27
Chandler International Film Festival in Arizona Jan 21-24, 2021
Mary, congrats on your appearance at the Danforth Comedy Festival. You had only just arrived from L.A. when you took the stage that first Friday night – did you enjoy the welcome to Toronto from the audience and do you enjoy participating in festivals such as the Danforth Comedy Festival? I love Toronto! I felt so welcome, it was like being home! I love doing festivals – as a comic, it is a great way to socialize and work in front of different audiences. I do a podcast called Order Up, with Kelly, Cari, Mary and Matt. It’s a foodie podcast with me and three Canadians. It was the first time I recorded with them in person…they are my Toronto family now. My Order Up family and the Danforth Comedy Festival really rolled out the red carpet for me.
Has all this showbiz experience contributed to your comedy writing or do you draw from your own life experience – dating, marriage, family? Yes definitely. But I come from a very Irish catholic family. I am also a Kennedy “third cousins, twice removed” so all of the tragedy, none of the money. I learned very early on, especially from my mother, to find humor in tragedy. This made me the comic I am today. My mom who started a wedding band after her divorce, consisting of 40 year old divorcees, singing Hot Stuff and Locomotion, called the MOOD SWINGS. She taught me how to be a kick ass business woman and how to get paid for my art.
Any advice for aspiring funny ladies out there? Figure out who you are and be proud of that! Don’t be the comic that you think people want you to be. Have a clear point of view and work your set all the time. Find a community that will be supportive of you!
