Pardis Parker

Pardis Parker is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian award-winning director, writer, actor, and comedian, the creator and star of Comedy Central's Mideast Minute,^[1] and the co-creator of NBC's Uncivil.^[2]

His filmmaking work has screened at over 150 film festivals worldwide and received over 80 awards and nominations, his writing has been published by the New Yorker, the New York Times, the New York Review of Books, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Chicago Sun-Times, Lit Hub, and McSweeney's, he's appeared on TV and in films in the United States and Canada, and he's a regular performer at the Hollywood Improv, Hollywood Laugh Factory, and World Famous Comedy Store.

Mideast Minute[]

Created by and starring Parker, Mideast Minute is a satirical news show distributed worldwide on Comedy Central's digital platform.

The series satirizes U.S. propaganda efforts, particularly the Congress-funded Alhurra network, by trying to convince Middle Easterners that everything's OK in the Middle East.^[1]

In writing about the show, the Jerusalem Post said Parker had a "sharp, smart tone,"^[3] Uproxx said Parker's "timing is impeccable,"^[4] and Tubefilter said Parker was "both timely and funny — a combination that works."^[5]

Uncivil[]

Co-created by Parker, Uncivil is a TV comedy about a pair of friends – a city prosecutor and public defender – who find that their personal squabbles spill into the courtroom and their professional disputes follow them home.

Parker executive produces with Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, Bradley Gardner, and co-creator Rell Battle. Universal Television is the studio.^[2]

Stand-up Comedy[]

A six-time Canadian Comedy Award nominee^[6][7] and a finalist for Canada's Next Top Comic^[8] and Bite TV's Stand Up and Bite Me,^[9] Parker won British star David Baddiel's international stand-up competition^[10] and previously became the first Canadian ever to book the CBS Comedy Showcase.^[11]

In reviews of his live show, the Kingston Herald said that "the skill with which Pardis Parker weaved the audience through his set was impressive," that Parker was "really relaxed on stage," and that "it felt as though you were just hanging out with a really funny friend,"^[12] while Ottawa Life Magazine said that "his self-deprecating manner and friendly stage presence make him highly likeable."^[13] The Daily Star listed Parker as one of their "Stand-up Comedians That Need Your Attention," and said they "highly recommend"^[14] his act. Vulture, in selecting his stand-up clips as one of their "Best Comedy Videos of the Month" in March 2021^[15] and December 2021,^[16] said that "it's amazing to see a funny comedian become a great comedian," and that Parker's "a performer who's found his comfort zone."

Parker has had multiple stand-up comedy performances broadcast on TV and radio, and he is a frequent performer at the Hollywood Improv, Hollywood Laugh Factory, and World Famous Comedy Store.

TED Talk[]

Parker performed at the global TED Conference in Monterey, California, in August 2021.^[17] His TED Talk, "I'm Tired of People Telling Me to Grind", was released in January 2022.

In March 2022, it was announced that Parker would be performing again at TED2022 in Vancouver, Canada.^[18]

Acting[]

Parker has received multiple Best Actor nominations for his work in The Dance and Afghan, and has appeared on television and in film on both sides of the border, including Life in Pieces on CBS, Combat Hospital on ABC, Little Mosque on the Prairie on CBC, Single White Spenny and Moderation Town on Showcase, Really Me on The Family Channel, and indie drama Snow.

His acting work has received acclaim from the National Screen Institute of Canada, which remarked that his "timing and body language in The Dance was exceptional,"^[19] from Indiewire, which complimented his "light comedic touch,"^[20] and from Radio Canada, which said that "he's a kind of Seth MacFarlane, someone extremely multi-talented who can write, direct, and act, and who's very convincing in his roles."^[21]

Writing[]

Parker's writing and cartoons have been published by The New Yorker,^[22] The New York Times,^[23] The New York Review of Books,^[24] The Los Angeles Review of Books,^[25] the Chicago Sun-Times,^[26] Literary Hub,^[27] and McSweeney's.^[28]

Bibliography[]

Filmmaking[]

Parker's films and music videos, including The Dance, Afghan, and Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns, have screened at over 150 film festivals worldwide and received over 80 awards and nominations.

The Playlist called him an "up and coming talent on the Canadian film scene,"^[30] Film School Rejects said his work was "riotously funny, with a narrative flair that makes one hope he has a feature coming soon,"^[31] and CinemaSinema lauded his ability to "squeeze more heart from an 11 minute short film than many Hollywood directors can muster from feature length pictures."^[32]

Filmography[]

Accolades[]

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• Pardis Parker's channel on YouTube
• Pardis Parker on Twitter
• Pardis Parker on Facebook
• Pardis Parker on Instagram

News articles and interviews[]