My whole show is revenge on my family."
Comedian Darrin Rose tells true, humiliating stories in public about those closest to him – and makes people squirm with laughter.
"It's a great outlet for me and I think people see truth in their own experiences of life, or they go 'Wow, I'm really glad my family isn't that bad.' One way or another you feel good about it," Rose says on the phone from his home in Los Angeles.
The name of his show, My Dad's Other Son, zeros in on the main target — his older brother.
"He was awful to me, even though I adore him. We have a great relationship, but when I was three-years-old he put me in the dryer. And he pushed me out of a moving car, and it's not like we were children and he didn't know the consequences. I was 17. He thought it would be hilarious and you're angry at the time, but an hour later you're like 'ha, ha, that was funny. I love you!' And you're picking gravel out of your hands," Rose says.
"He's an ironworker, which has fulfilled his tough guy destiny. He's a big strong guy and literally today he is hanging off the 50th storey of a skyscraper in Toronto. He always sends me pictures with his toes hanging over the edge... Meanwhile, I read comic books and am afraid of dogs."
Rose moved to L.A. last year but clocks a lot of Air Miles back to Canada. In fact, he is fresh from the 2014 Canadian Comedy Awards, where he brought home the award for Best Taped Live Performance.
As well, he has just completed the fourth season of the CBC sitcom Mr. D, which comes out in January.
"It's great, lots of fun for me. I get to hang around with my friends in Halifax for the summer, right. It's a lovely place," he says. "You're messing around with other funny people and we try to figure out what we can do here. You get a funny script and you just try to put your own stuff on it."
Did he try to get into the mind of his character, the womanizing Bill?
"Nah, I just try to say something funny and usually something insulting to Gerry (Dee, the star), which is fun because in real life he's my boss!" Rose says. "As soon as they say 'cut!' I can say, 'that was just the show, Gerry!'"
Another show close to Rose's heart is Match Game on The Comedy Network, where guests match answers to the game's panelists for fill-in-the-blank questions.
"It's a silly show that's barely a game and much more like me and six of my drunk friends. There is not a more simple concept in existence than fill in the blanks," Rose says. "We shoot five in a day, so by the end of the day people are yelling and running around. We have to try and edit around it and create a program. Fun to do."
Sounds like such a fun existence. Where did you go wrong in life, I ask Rose.
"It sounds like I am being interviewed by my father! In his opinion, it's when I quite my real job to tell jokes for a living."
Oh. What was your real job?
"I was a brand manager at Heinz Ketchup. I was staring at a computer all day, the most common thing we do as people now," Rose laughs.
"I decided to tell jokes for sandwiches and beer tickets and my dad wasn't big on that decision. But he's finally stopped asking me to get my real estate license."
Rose is avoiding a gig in Vancouver this time and just coming to Whistler, with fond memories from his last show here.
"It was great and I thought I'd come back. For me, it's all about my own narcissism. People seemed to enjoy the show and it was well attended, so I thought 'Oh, I like that!' I got into this business to feed my narcissism and Whistler has served me well," Rose says.
Rose performs at Millennium Place on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $26 and available at whistlerartscouncil.com or at the Millennium Place box office.
