My Favourite Personalities

One of my favorite personalities in any form of entertainment is Conan O'Brien. Conan worked on several different comedy/late-night shows after his graduation from Harvard University including The Simpsons, The Tonight Show, and most recently his self-titled show Conan. His quick witted style of humour and his distinctive appearance have made him one of the most recognizable figures on television, and his show has been rated as one of the most popular talk shows. His show Conan opens with a monologue, frequently studded with his reaction to the audience's reaction to his jokes and short discussions with co-host Andy Richter. The show then hosts two special guests, with whom Conan trades anecdotes, experiences and witty banter. The show then closes with a live performance by either a band/artist or a guest stand-up comic. All things considered, the way his show is structured is very much like any other talk show, but it is Conan's unique treatment of this formula that has boosted his show into the limelight.



You can catch the most recent episodes of Conan on the CTV website, updating daily.

As for female personalities, I really enjoy Jodie Foster, who I've only seen in two movies, but enjoyed very much in both. In Taxi Driver she played a 12-year child prostitute who the protagonist was obsessed with saving. In Silence of the Lambs she put out an amazing performance as Clarice Starling, a junior agent with the FBI who is assigned to catch a serial killer and must collaborate with another captured serial killer (Dr. Hannibal Lecter) in order to catch the killer. Her performance in Silence of the Lambs impressed me greatly because she played a very complex character, and had to feign an accent that resulted from her character's desire to hide her country-style West Virginian accent. Her psychological interactions with Hannibal Lecter were intense and disturbing, and without her, the movie would have suffered very much. I respect Foster's talents as an actor very much.

A trailer from Silence of the Lambs

Hugh Dillon: decent Canadian, fine actor, extremely bald

Hugh Dillon, born in Kingston, Ontario has proved something of a jack of all trades throughout his entertainment career. Starting off in 1987 with his hard rock band Headstone, he and the band successfully toured and produced albums until their break up in 2003. After the band broke up, he formed another band in 2004 called Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir, which has released one album, and Dillon released another solo album called Works Well With Others.

Although Dillon may be fairly well known to Canadians over 25, with teens he's recognized by his acting career, especially from two shows in the last 5 years, Durham County and Flashpoint. In both shows, Dillon plays the role of a Canadian police officer. In Durham County, a serial thriller that lasted for three seasons, he plays a Toronto detective who returns back to his home town of Durham after his partner is killed and his wife is diagnosed with breast cancer, eventually discovering that the town may be harboring secrets he never would have suspected in his youth. In Flashpoint Dillon portrays a sniper for the SRU (Strategic Response Unit, a fictional Canadian branch of SWAT) who faces deadly situations day to day while dealing with the guilt of being forced to shoot a crazed man in front of his son to save a hostage. He also had a role in the first Trailer Park Boys movie. While Dillon has played many non-Canadian characters in his film career, his last two major roles have indicated a return to his Canadian roots.

Flashpoint