To say I am excited to release this interview with Colin Mochrie would be an understatement! Like so many people, I grew up watching Colin on Whose Line is it Anyway? I, however, took a particular liking to the show and rarely missed an episode. Watching the UK version with host Clive Anderson was my first introduction to the world of improv and I was hooked the first time I happened upon the show at age thirteen. I particularly admired the comedy duo of Colin and Ryan and loved to watch how they worked together. It seemed they knew each other inside out and knew they could go anywhere with a scene because the other person would know how to get them out of a jam when needed. I now know watching them was a great lesson on how to trust your fellow actor in a scene. I studied them to see how they worked together and would sometimes try to come up with a response before the other would respond. I could rarely do it but it was the beginning of me trying to figure this whole improv thing out. This made it not so fun for anyone who would watch the show with me. I watched the show alone, a lot. So, needless to say, it was a really neat experience for me to sit down with Colin and hear about his experience on the show and talk to him about his artist’s journey and the things he continues to work on.
In this episode, some of things we cover are what advice he would give to actors who are just starting out, how having to navigate censorship during his time on the American version of Whose Line made it tricky at times to feel free in his improvisation and how his biggest challenge he has had along his artist’s journey has been learning to say no.
Colin Mochrie: Overcoming Shyness, Learning To Say "No", And Whose Line Is It Anyway?
A little about Colin:
‘Colin Mochrie is an alumnus of Toronto’s famous Second City comedy troupe. After nine years as a regular on the British improvisation series ”Whose Line Is It Anyway?’‘, he became a regular on the American version hosted by Drew Carey, which ran six years and is now being rebooted by the CW network.
Colin was a cast member of CBC’s ”This Hour Has 22 Minutes’‘ 2001- 2003.
With his wife, Debra McGrath, he produced,wrote and starred in the CBC show ”Getting Along Famously”
Currently, he is part of a very successful tour with “Whose Line” cast mate Brad Sherwood, performing a live improv show across North America.
Follow Colin!
Facebook: Colin Mochrie
Twitter: @colinmochrie
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Thank you for bringing it with Colin Mochrie! Truly insightful and inspirational. As Colin says, “it’s eary in the game!”