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Paul Bellini
Paul Bellini (born September 12, 1959) is a Canadian comedy writer and television actor best known for his work on the comedy series The Kids in the Hall and This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
Paul Bellini attended York University in 1978, where he received an Honours B.A. in Film. It was there, at the Vanier College residence, that he met Scott Thompson, an acting student who later became a member of The Kids in the Hall. For the troupe's eponymous TV series, which ran from 1989 to 1995, Bellini served primarily as Thompson's writing partner.
Their principal creation during this period was monologist Buddy Cole. Thompson preferred the character to be sexual and sassy, whereas Bellini emphasized the 'magical whimsy' of the character. The character and his monologues appeared frequently on both the television show and in live appearances, and is still active in Thompson's touring repertoire.
During the same era, Bellini and Thompson also collaborated with various musicians in an experimental rock band called Mouth Congress. Their early songs were silly, often about things like cigarettes or wigs, but later they delved into deeper topics like manhood and sexuality. They performed frequently at The Rivoli in Toronto, until the demands of making a television show took over Thompson's free time. Bellini carried on, releasing two solo albums - The Northland's Own (1995) and Put Paul First (2000), both available on Bandcamp.
Bellini's on-screen presence in The Kids in the Hall began when the producers suggested the troupe conduct a contest to determine the demographics of the show's fan base. Turning down such conventional ideas as meeting the Kids or a cash prize, the members of KITH decided the 'prize' would be Paul Bellini wearing only a towel.
Thus the 'Touch Paul Bellini' contest was born, wherein the winner was granted the chance to gently poke Bellini with a stick. This contest took Bellini to Florida, New Brunswick, Ohio and Ottawa to meet the winners. To win, a viewer had to draw a picture of Bellini emerging from a giant box of condoms. During these and other appearances on the show, Bellini would often wander into a sketch silently, thus becoming the show's absurd mascot. At the end of the final episode, after the cast is buried alive during the end credits, the usually silent Bellini approaches the grave, turns to the camera, and for the first time ever, he speaks, saying, "Thank God that's finally over." He then picks up a flower and proceeds to dance on the grave.
Bellini was subsequently a writer and show runner for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, winning three Gemini Awards and a Writers Guild of Canada award as part of that show's writing team. He was also one of the writers of two independent films made with Josh Levy, the 1998 film Hayseed and 2003's doUlike2watch. Levy and Bellini also collaborated on the television series Locker Room (2003-2004) for PrideVision in Canada.
In 1998, Bellini was the subject of an autobiographical documentary, Bellini's Drive, which among other things explained his thoughts on being the second-most famous person from Timmins - the first being Shania Twain. In the same year, he and Thompson co-authored Buddy Babylon, the comedic autobiography of renowned Kids in the Hall character Buddy Cole. It was published by Dell Trade Paperbacks in 1998, and in 2022 was re-released as an Audible audiobook, with Thompson reading the text as Buddy Cole.
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Paul Bellini
Paul Bellini (born September 12, 1959) is a Canadian comedy writer and television actor best known for his work on the comedy series The Kids in the Hall and This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
Paul Bellini attended York University in 1978, where he received an Honours B.A. in Film. It was there, at the Vanier College residence, that he met Scott Thompson, an acting student who later became a member of The Kids in the Hall. For the troupe's eponymous TV series, which ran from 1989 to 1995, Bellini served primarily as Thompson's writing partner.
Their principal creation during this period was monologist Buddy Cole. Thompson preferred the character to be sexual and sassy, whereas Bellini emphasized the 'magical whimsy' of the character. The character and his monologues appeared frequently on both the television show and in live appearances, and is still active in Thompson's touring repertoire.
During the same era, Bellini and Thompson also collaborated with various musicians in an experimental rock band called Mouth Congress. Their early songs were silly, often about things like cigarettes or wigs, but later they delved into deeper topics like manhood and sexuality. They performed frequently at The Rivoli in Toronto, until the demands of making a television show took over Thompson's free time. Bellini carried on, releasing two solo albums - The Northland's Own (1995) and Put Paul First (2000), both available on Bandcamp.
Bellini's on-screen presence in The Kids in the Hall began when the producers suggested the troupe conduct a contest to determine the demographics of the show's fan base. Turning down such conventional ideas as meeting the Kids or a cash prize, the members of KITH decided the 'prize' would be Paul Bellini wearing only a towel.
Thus the 'Touch Paul Bellini' contest was born, wherein the winner was granted the chance to gently poke Bellini with a stick. This contest took Bellini to Florida, New Brunswick, Ohio and Ottawa to meet the winners. To win, a viewer had to draw a picture of Bellini emerging from a giant box of condoms. During these and other appearances on the show, Bellini would often wander into a sketch silently, thus becoming the show's absurd mascot. At the end of the final episode, after the cast is buried alive during the end credits, the usually silent Bellini approaches the grave, turns to the camera, and for the first time ever, he speaks, saying, "Thank God that's finally over." He then picks up a flower and proceeds to dance on the grave.
Bellini was subsequently a writer and show runner for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, winning three Gemini Awards and a Writers Guild of Canada award as part of that show's writing team. He was also one of the writers of two independent films made with Josh Levy, the 1998 film Hayseed and 2003's doUlike2watch. Levy and Bellini also collaborated on the television series Locker Room (2003-2004) for PrideVision in Canada.
In 1998, Bellini was the subject of an autobiographical documentary, Bellini's Drive, which among other things explained his thoughts on being the second-most famous person from Timmins - the first being Shania Twain. In the same year, he and Thompson co-authored Buddy Babylon, the comedic autobiography of renowned Kids in the Hall character Buddy Cole. It was published by Dell Trade Paperbacks in 1998, and in 2022 was re-released as an Audible audiobook, with Thompson reading the text as Buddy Cole.