As soon as he enters the offices of Roy Turner, the firm that handles his press relations, Phil Roy is bombarded with questions about Billie, his daughter, born on December 24th. “When she smiles at me,” he says, “there is nothing else that exists.” “The comedian spontaneously expresses all the admiration he feels for his girlfriend, he praises her strength, her patience, her know-how… To tell the truth, the “Christmas baby” fascinates so much that we almost forget the reason for our meeting with Phil Roy: the imminent return to Montreal of his second solo show, Philou.
The new show was naturally embroidered around the theme of family. “But let’s be clear: it’s not about the delivery of my girlfriend, my recent and exhausting life as a father, or even my struggle with diapers and vomit. I use the term broadly. »
The people that the comedian considers as members of his family, it is rather those that he lets into his home. “These are the people I trust, that includes my biological family, but also my chosen family, which is to say my friends. By accessing someone’s home, we learn a lot about him. With this show, I kind of let people into my house. Leaving the room, they will be able to call me by my nickname, the one that all my relatives use: Philou. »
Evolution
With his first solo, Sir, of which he gave 250 performances across Quebec, Phil Roy, then in his late twenties, revisited with a great sense of observation, an undeniable talent for storytelling and an unusual energy his childhood and adolescence in suburbs, fertile ground for hilarious first times. “My goal in the first show was to make people laugh all the time,” he admits. In the second, there are several moments that aren’t so funny, but are defining nonetheless. For example, there is a number on the way I look at my parents, on the importance I now attach to their love. Taking the time to tell episodes like this, which are close to my heart, even if they are not hilarious, is worth all the gold in the world. »
“I write about what I live, says the humorist. I express what I feel, it is first and foremost what feeds my writing. Of course, since my graduation from the National School of Humor in 2011, my status in the industry has changed, but I have also grown as an artist and as a human being. I can’t help translating all that on stage. Above all, I wouldn’t want to define myself once and for all, to freeze myself in what is in reality only a stage in my journey. I understand that people need benchmarks, that it’s reassuring to attach a label to a comedian, but you also have to allow others to evolve. »
Serious matters
In his first show, the comedian only touched on serious subjects, such as bullying or grossophobia. This time, he promises that he goes more frankly. “It’s good that more men dare to talk about their mental health. A man cries, and crying brings relief. I have had anxiety attacks and have been testifying to them since 2019. I take Citalopram and, if necessary, Ativans. I’m not talking about anxiety in general, I’m talking about my own experience. Trivializing things like this helps me, personally. So much the better if it does good to others, but I do it first to free myself. »
Another delicate subject that the comedian dares to address in his show: fertility disorders. “It’s a sad, painful subject, but I need to come back to it, need to talk about it, need to reclaim it. Humor has long been a defense mechanism for me. Right now, I need humor to be a rebuilding mechanism, to allow me to rebuild parts of myself. »
The adult on a longboard
For the 34-year-old, who became known to young people through shows like ALT to VRAK TV and SNL Quebec at Télé-Québec, there is no question of remaining the “eternal adolescent in longboard “. “I feel like I’m maturing, and that’s what I want to talk about. I believe that most of my audience has aged at the same time as me and that their concerns are necessarily different. If someone asked me today to host a show for teenagers, I would take the time to think about it seriously. On the other hand, what I would accept right away is to host a children’s show, because just the idea of entertaining my daughter through television pleases me the most. »
At the helm of the popular show Who can sing? at Noovo, Phil Roy continues to hone his skills as a facilitator, a role that requires some restraint. “Hosting a variety show is a real job, he explains. Initially, I was not at all convinced that I had what it took. At the end of the day, I have a lot of fun playing this role where I don’t always have to be the funny guy. I can’t imagine the regrets I would feel today if I had missed that. Truth be told, I feel like I’m developing skills that make me a better comedian on stage. »
Pieces chosen for the comedy season