Darcy Michael describes himself as a gay stoner wrapped up in a fat man’s body, but he can be accurately described as a rising star in the Canadian comedy scene.

He’s performed at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, and has had his own national comedy set for CTV and The Comedy Network.

Michael will host the Student Night at the Lo Pub on Thursday, April 7, marking his second time appearing at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival.

The Uniter recently sat down to ask Darcy a few questions about himself.

Q: When did you know you wanted to be a comedian? Was there a specific moment?

A: Not really, just an accumulation of a lifetime I was told to be a wimpy asshole. It was a catalyst for my wedding, when I stood up to do a speech. I didn’t have anything prepared, but afterwards everybody told me I was really funny. I guess that counts.

Q: Is there a difference in humour from the west coast to here?

A: Well, I’d definitely say the audiences in Vancouver are more prudish than here in Winnipeg. Winnipeg’s a good training ground for comedians because Winnipeggers go out to be entertaining, while Vancouver audiences want to be entertained. In Winnipeg it’s like, “Woo! Party! Hey are you doing comedy? Cool! You’re not funny? Hell, then we’ll tell some jokes!” But in Vancouver it’s more like, “Well, we’re here, so entertain us now. Prove your worth!” I’m not saying that both aren’t good in their own way, but Winnipeg’s an easier place to start.

Q: So, what are the challenges of being a gay comedian?

A: I don’t think there are any great challenges to being a gay comedian. It’s the same as anybody with a niche market. I did a show in Vernon, B.C., last night, and there’s always that fear I have that there’s some hick in the audience who’ll run up and stab you in the eye. But there aren’t any big problems; we’re pretty liberal here in Canada. We’re in a time where people are very honest about their sexuality.

Q: Well, are there any perks?

A: The sex.

Q: Really?

A: (Laughs) No, I wish. There are no real perks; at the end of the day we’re performing across Canada, and the perk is that we get to bring joy to somebody’s life.

Q: Is being gay a large part of your act? Why so?

A: Being gay isn’t a large part of my act; usually halfway through my set I start the gay jokes. It’s mostly just about my life, and that is just a part of it. It’s not even a conscious decision; I’m just as much of a stoner comic as I am a gay comic.

Q: You’re going to be hosting the student night at the Lo Pub. Do you think that’ll be harder than your regular set?

A: Not really. I think it’ll be a fun night. I like hosting, it’s a pretty laid back way of interacting with the crowd. I can just play off their reactions and help keep the laughs going.

Q: Do you think there will be more great comedians coming out of Winnipeg soon? Or are we a little farther off from that?

A: When you’re a comedian, it doesn’t really matter where you hail from. One of my good friends is Trevor Boris, he’s a brilliant comedian who’s from Winnipeg, and it hasn’t slowed him down any. I definitely think there’s potential for funny people coming out of Winnipeg than any other place. The people I know here are pretty damn funny. The location doesn’t matter - you can be funny in one city, and not funny in another, and the magic is to find out what’s funny across the entire country.