Shawn Thompson

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Shawn Thompson
Born
Shawn Alex Thompson

(1958-01-13) January 13, 1958 (age 67)
Berwick, Nova Scotia
Occupations
  • Actor
  • Screenwriter
  • Producer
  • Director
Years active1985–present

Shawn Alex Thompson (born January 13, 1958)[1] is a Canadian actor, screenwriter, television producer, and television director, as well as a professional magician. Notably, he is one of the producers of Puppets Who Kill, which aired on Canada's The Comedy Network.

Thompson was born in Berwick, Nova Scotia. Thompson's first foray into showbiz came as a magician and circus performer, dangling by his ankles from a burning rope while struggling to escape from a straight jacket. Thompson migrated into stand-up comedy, first taking a stance at Yuk Yuks, alongside prominent actor Jim Carrey. During this time, Thompson guest hosted eleven times on The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers for Fox Television. Also on Fox, Thompson became a series regular on the sketch comedy series The Newz, where he also wrote and directed several short films. From December 1985 to April 1987, Thompson was cast as Simon Hall, a fictional character on the CBS series Guiding Light, his first daytime role.[2]

Simultaneously during this period, Thompson also hosted the Toronto regional edition of the CBC Television teen-oriented weekend talk/variety show Switchback, as well as appearing alongside Howard Busgang in the short-run comedy series We Don't Knock, in which Busgang and Thompson performed improvised pranks on real people.[3] In 1985 Thompson was arrested in the United States for illegal dumping after throwing a doll over Niagara Falls as part of a Switchback stunt.[4]

In 1988, he played dance television host Corny Collins in John Waters' film Hairspray.[5] He has directed episodes of the series Puppets Who Kill, winning a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Director in 2003, and a Gemini Award for Best Direction in 2004. Furthermore, in 1995, Thompson wrote episodes for MGM's The Outer Limits, one of which episodes included a young Josh Brolin.

Recently, he directed shows such as The Next Step and Murdoch Mysteries, and played the recurring role of Gus McIlroy on the BBC Kids show My Perfect Landing (2020).

Filmography

[edit]
Shawn Thompson film and television acting credits
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1985 Workin' for Peanuts Rick Television film [6]
1985 Head Office Trevor Koback Theatrical film [7]
1985–1987 Guiding Light Simon Hall 22 episodes [2]
1988 Hairspray Corny Collins Theatrical film [6]
1990 Hunter Matson 1 episode [8]
1991 Guilty as Charged Gary Theatrical film [7]
1993 Counterstrike Charles Renfrew Episode: "Free to Kill"
1994 Sleeping with Strangers Mark Theatrical film [6]
1994 Heads Clay Cox Television film [6]
1994 The Newz (various) [7]
1997 Borrowed Hearts Dave Hebert Television film [6]
1998 Shadow Builder Sheriff Sam Logan Theatrical film [8]
2002, 2005 Puppets Who Kill Mr. Skittle 2 episodes
2020 My Perfect Landing Gus McIlroy 15 episodes

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Shawn Thompson Video | Celebrity Interview and Paparazzi", OV Guide.
  2. ^ a b Zekas, Rita (April 10, 1996). "It's Shawn Thompson time again Actor-director back in Canada to pilot TV comedy show". Toronto Star. p. D1.
  3. ^ "Clowning around down east". The Globe and Mail, October 15, 1986.
  4. ^ "'Guiding Light' Actor Arrested". Chicago Tribune. December 1, 1985. p. 4.
  5. ^ Onstad, Katrina (April 7, 1999). "That guy from, you know: With his first film set for release, Canadian director Shawn Thompson hopes to make a name for himself -- to go with that familiar face". National Post. p. B8.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Shawn Thompson: Filmography". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  7. ^ a b c "Shawn Thompson". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Shawn Thompson". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media / NBCUniversal. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
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