Toronto has produced a fair share of comedic talent over the years. Among the new crop of Toronto comedians is Scarborough native and 2025 #BlackTikTok Voices To Watch honoree, Hassan Phills.
Going back to the 1970’s, Toronto has produced some of the most talented comedians in the world. The first wave started with the launch of the Toronto branch of the Chicago-based Second City. Their Toronto theatre and training centre would be a launch pad for big names like John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Dave Thomas, and future Saturday Night Live stars Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner. Then another wave would come in the 90’s with box office stars like Jim Carrey and Mike Meyers. But while African American comedians south of the border have been no stranger to the limelight, in Canada, Black comedians, including in Toronto, have historically found it hard to make a name for themselves. Fortunately, that’s changing.
“When I was younger, I just liked to laugh. I liked laughing. I liked stories.”
There are a growing number of Black comedians popping up in Toronto who are slowly gaining recognition at home, across Canada, and even into the United States. One of those names is Hassan Phills, a standup comedian, who is quickly gaining steam, both for his onstage material and a co-sign from Toronto biggest cultural ambassador, Drake. After an online exchange, Drake appeared at Phills’ show at The Comedy Bar, staying for the entire show. Phills then made an appearance on Drake and Partynextdoor’s joint album $exy $ongs 4 U which dropped on Valentine’s Day. Yesterday’s price is, indeed, not today’s price.
Adding to his already groundbreaking year was him being named to the 2025 #BlackTikTok Voices To Watch List. For Phills, it was a pleasant surprise that he hopes will inspire his community.
“It came out of nowhere”, he told SHIFTER in a recent interview. “I was just happy to be on the list, to be thought of as a creative. It’s significantly impactful to people who look like me, or come from where I come from. I hope Black people, and Black youth especially, find it something they can coincide with.”
Although Phills’s star is rising right now, his introduction to comedy came at an early age.
“When I was younger, I just liked to laugh”, he recalled. “I liked laughing. I liked stories. I had a cousin who was funny and I’d laugh. I get more of a kick from laughing and then I was like, ‘Let me see if I can make people laugh’, and I guess it ended up happening.”
Although his success can be attributed to his talent, personality, or the influences of his family and friends, it may also be his unique perspective on the world. Phills exists at a number of intersections. First, Scarborough and East York, hailing from the Danforth and Victoria Park area York. Also, Africa and the Caribbean with his Jamaican and Djiboutian roots.
“I want to do things like more TV shows, more movies, more standup comedy. I want to make a special one day. But it’ll just take time. I’m not in a rush to blow up.”
With his Comedy Bar show, TikTok nod, and Drake co-sign now in the rearview mirror, Phills sees nothing but big things ahead. Phills is set to go on his 36 city This Tour Is Jokes tour that will take him across Canada, the United States, and Europe. And as a guest star on season one of the Crave series Office Movers, created by Jae and Trey Richards, more acting roles may be in the cards.
“I want to do things like more TV shows, more movies, more standup comedy. I want to make a special one day. But it’ll just take time…I’m not in a rush to blow up. At this moment, I’m grateful. I’m taking the risks. I have a great team around me. I have great friends. And I think where it’ll go is as far as I nurture what I have going for me right now.”
Well, whatever he decides to do, it’s clear that ‘Hassan Phills’ is definitely a name to remember.
Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s editor and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named one of 340 international voters for the 81st and 82nd Golden Globe Awards and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
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