Pardis Parker is the creator and star of Comedy Central's Mideast Minute, the creator of Free, a new half hour comedic drama in development at Amazon Prime with Plan B Entertainment, and the co-creator of Uncivil, a new single-cam comedy in development at NBC with Universal Television and Hazy Mills Productions.

As a writer, his work 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, Weekly Humorist, Lit Hub, and McSweeney's.

As a performer, he's a six-time Canadian Comedy Award nominee, a frequent guest on Comedy Central's @midnight, a contributing correspondent and writer for CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes, an actor who's appeared on shows for ABC, CBS, CBC, Showcase, Family Channel, Comedy Central, and others, and a stand-up comedian whose first TED Talk, I'm Tired of People Telling Me to "Grind," was recorded at TED2021, whose second TED Talk, I'm Terrified of Wanting to be a Billionaire, was recorded at TED2022, and whose third time on stage at TED was as a specially-invited guest host at TED2023. Repeatedly lauded for his "big, expressive eyes," Vulture called him a "great comedian," GQ Spain anointed him a "brown Steve Carell," Radio Canada dubbed him a "modern Mr. Bean," the Toronto Sun hailed him as Canada's next great comedy talent - the "next in line" after Mike Myers and Jim Carrey, Ottawa Life Magazine said that "his self-deprecating manner and friendly stage presence make him highly likeable," and the Kingston Herald described him as a "veteran performer who's at ease as he hilariously interacts with the audience, making it feel as though you're hanging out with a really funny friend."

As a filmmaker, his short films and music videos have received over 80 awards and distinctions from the likes of Disney-ABC, NBC Universal, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Athens International Film Festival, Montreal's Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, the Boston Comedy Festival, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Comedy Awards, and the National Screen Institute of Canada. The Playlist called him an "up and coming talent on the Canadian film scene," Film School Rejects said his work was "riotously funny, with a narrative flair that makes one hope he has a feature coming soon," CinemaSinema lauded his ability to "squeeze more heart from an 11 minute short film than many Hollywood directors can muster from feature length pictures," and Radio Canada gushed that he was "a kind of Seth MacFarlane - someone extremely multi-talented who can write, direct, and act."

Mailing List

Selected Press

"NBC has put in development Uncivil, a comedy from Roast Battle creator Rell Battle; Mideast Minute creator and star Pardis Parker; Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner's Hazy Mills; and Universal TV, where Hazy Mills is based. Written by Battle and Parker, Uncivil revolves around 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. Battle and Parker executive produce."

"And the 2022 global TED conference will feature some big name headliners: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, former U.S. vice-president Al Gore and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin. Also speaking at the conference will be filmmaker and actress Bryce Dallas-Howard, comedian Pardis Parker and singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright."

"Netflix chief marketing officer Bozoma Saint John, along with Grammy-winning singer Lizzo and filmmaker-comedian Pardis Parker will explore "The Case For Optimism" — the theme of the Global TED Conference, which is returning to Monterey, CA, and back in-person in August."

"Comedy Central is adding another news satire series to its roster, greenlighting Mideast Minute for worldwide distribution via the network’s digital platform. Created by writer, director and comedian Pardis Parker, who also stars, Mideast Minute is envisioned as "a news show that tries to convince Middle Easterners that everything's OK in the Middle East." The series will satirize U.S. propaganda efforts in the Middle East, particularly the Congress-funded Alhurra network."

"It's amazing to see a funny comedian become a great comedian...a performer who's found his comfort zone."

"SCTV, in the 1970s, helped create John Candy, Eugene Levy, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Rick Moranis and Lorne Michaels. Then came Dan Aykroyd, Dave Thomas, Mike Myers, all the guys from the Kids in the Hall, Howie Mandel, Russell Peters - and Jim Carrey. Now there is another, brand new guy. His name is Pardis Parker."

"Pardis Parker is poised to join the ranks of Canadian comics who made it big south of the border."

"The veteran performer was at ease as he hilariously interacted with the audience, making it feel as though you were hanging out with a really funny friend."

"His self-deprecating manner and friendly stage presence make him highly likeable and are what allow him to effortlessly bring up difficult issues like racism and point out its absurdities. ... He is different from other comedians who just tell funny stories. He is more of a modern-day court Jester (in medieval times Jesters were usually the smartest guy in the room) who observes the contradictions, stupidity, and weird paradoxes of society today and uses humor to illuminate it so we can all laugh."

"A scroll through your Instagram feeds will present you with many opportunities to buy prints, sweatshirts, and hats that all share a similar credo: Never stop working. In this stand-up set, comedian Pardis Parker dissects just how flawed that reasoning is."

"Halifax comedian Pardis Parker's bio reads like an adventure novel. He was born in Sri Lanka, moved to Nova Scotia as a child, caught malaria while volunteering in the Solomon Islands and had to be airlifted out of heavy ethnic fighting. The last few years, he's been honing that breadth of experience into filmmaking and standup comedy, to steadily growing acclaim."

"I grew up in the 80s watching a lot of television, so the first movies that made an impact on me were the live action Sunday Night Disney Movies on ABC. I loved those films. They instilled in me the belief that anything was possible."

"One time he even managed to convince his grade six teacher to show a tape of Jeremy Hotz and Harland Williams JFL performances to the entire class."

"Parker has a sharp, smart tone."

"Sri Lankan-born comedian Pardis Parker sees his family's history as asylum seekers to Canada as key in shaping his worldview and informing his political satire."

"I look at what's happening and my only reaction is being filled with encouragement and hope. Look at the decision and the immediate and overwhelming response from everyone in the country — not just people who have my skin color, not just people who have my cultural background. The immediate reaction from the country was one of support and defiance. It was coming together to raise their voices on our behalf. This thing that was meant to divide actually had the opposite effect. It led to an outpouring of love."

"Things went quickly for me early on, but the move to Los Angeles brought with it a shocking string of almost-but-not-quites, and of flat-out rejections and failures. So it just took perseverance, and the willingness to keep getting back up off the mat. In many ways it was a game of attrition, of outlasting others who more readily gave up."

"Pardis Parker wrote, directed and produced this short silent movie, and it's being shown Thursday at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood."

"...well worth your time for a glimpse of this up and coming talent on the Canadian film scene."

"There are three unassailably awesome things in this world...this video has all three."

"Comedians are always getting in trouble for going too far, but don't mistake filmmaker Pardis Parker for being cavalier. This isn't about trying to be shocking; it's about connecting."

"The dialogue-free love story has won several awards, and signals the continuing trend of silent films following The Artist's Oscar win in 2012 and Paperman's Oscar win for Best Animated Short in 2013."

"Parker's timing and body language in The Dance was exceptional."

"So adorable. It's won a whole slew of film awards, and it will make you smile without saying a word."

"A very adorable short film about sweet, sweet love and it'll make your heart sing."

"The award-winning short tells the story of a hate crime victim forced to look for humor where none should be found."

"...que no solo fue el corto mas corto de la noche con su duracion de 10 minutos, es que ademas fue EL MEJOR, con su protagonista una especie de Steve Carell moreno..."

"The Dance has only been screening at festivals for two weeks but it has already received a handful of awards and distinctions and attracted big crowds at the Atlantic Film Festival."

"The Carmel Film Festival in California has added the film to its Best of Shorts program, from which Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood selects the festival's best film each year."

"a number of quality shorts made in Nova Scotia will be programmed at the Toronto International Film Festival this year...a spotlight Screening of Nova Scotia emerging talent."

"Pardis Parker (of acting, writing and directing fame) advanced to the finals of Bite TV's Stand Up & Bite Me competition."

"His award-magnet short Afghan is still garnering attention on the US film festival circuit, and a video he shot for Halifax band MIR took home the jury award for Best Music Video at the recent Rincon International Film Festival in Puerto Rico."

"Parker's two previous short films have picked up awards at festivals in Canada and the United States over the last couple of years."

"Buoyed by effective perfs from a largely non-pro cast."

"Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns is one of nine semi-finalists in NBC Universal's Short Film Festival."

"Halifax comedian Pardis Parker has been named as a finalist for Canada's Next Top Comic."

"Good news is coming fast and furious for Halifax comic Pardis Parker."

"The six-minute comedy Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns won best film, best comedy and an audience award."

"Pardis Parker received four Canadian Comedy Award nominations Tuesday."

"Parker's work displays a wide range of emotion, and occasionally he addresses darker issues."

"Everything's coming up sunshine for Halifax filmmaker-actor-comedian Pardis Parker. He's down in Los Angeles for CBS's annual industry showcase. Over 3,000 performers were considered, but only 13 made the cut."

"Pardis Parker, an award-winning filmmaker, standup comedian and actor, has become the first Canadian ever selected to participate in CBS's prestigious comedy showcase. More than 3,000 performers were considered for the 13 available spots."

Selected Awards & Distinctions

Just For Laughs Film Festival

Best of Just For Laughs
Afghan

Athens International Film Festival

Jury Prize
Afghan

Toronto International Film Festival

Emerging Filmmakers Spotlight Screening
Afghan

National Screen Institute of Canada

Best Comedy
The Dance

Boston Comedy Festival

Audience Award
The Dance

Vulture

Best Comedy Video of March 2021
I'm Tired of People Telling Me to Grind

Best Comedy Video of December 2021
Failed Applause Break