Gavin Matts spends nights in New York comedy clubs and days auditioning for acting roles
Article content
Vancouver native Gavin Matts feels right at home in New York.
Article content
'I just like the walking and the city life. In terms of being a comedian, it kind of feels the same as it did when I was starting out in Vancouver, when I was going to the Comedy Mix every night and just trying to get up as much as possible,' said the 30-year-old who has called N.Y. home for seven years.
Article content
Now Matts, who was named to Vulture Magazine's list of ' Comedians You Should and Will Know' in 2024, frequents Big Apple comedy clubs like the Comedy Cellar and Standup NY.
Article content
'I'm out every night. So that's pretty much my life,' said Matts, who has been doing standup for 12 years.
Article content
Article content
Article content
When he isn't onstage in a club, Matts is busy auditioning for acting roles. He has been in a few short films and shown up in the TV series Ramy and the feature film Easter Sunday. His most notable turn as of late has been as Elliot, one of the writers in the writer's room for Deborah Vance's (Jean Smart) new late-night talk show on the popular HBO (Crave in Canada) series Hacks, which wraps its fourth season on May 29.
Article content
'A lot of comedians that I talked to had taped auditions for it,' said Matts about the Hacks' role. 'It's kind of nice to be on the receiving end of, 'Oh, you got that,' because it's happened to me so many times. I've done hundreds of auditions and this is definitely the longest I've been on a show. It's nice that it's a show about comedy on TV.'
Article content
Article content
A show about relationships, Hacks is focused on Vance, an iconic Las Vegas-based standup comedian who is looking to reinvent herself into a relevant voice of the times. To help her freshen her act, she hires Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), a Gen Z comedy writer. The two slowly bond and butt heads. This current season has the two at odds as Daniels runs the writing room for Vance's new show.
Article content
Article content
The show is a darling of the critics and has won multiple Golden Globes and Emmy Awards.
Article content
Article content
'The show is very funny. (It's) the only show that I'm actually straight-up laughing at that is a narrative TV comedy,' said Matts. 'Just being a part of something that is actually funny is rare … I don't have to lie and be like, 'I like the show,' because I genuinely do.'
Article content
Matts said while shooting the show and watching Smart, whose performance in the series has earned her a pair of Golden Globes and an Emmy, he had to remind himself he was an actor in the series not an audience member with a great seat.
Article content
'I was like, 'Oh yeah, I am having to listen to her as an actor,' ' said Matts. 'She's coming off an Emmy. She had just done SNL, like, two nights before, and she's delivering this monologue perfectly. I had to be like, 'OK, active listening. I'm acting right now, and I'm not just mouth agape,' because I caught myself with my mouth a little open, being like, 'Oh, damn, I get to be a part of this,' which is awesome.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Toronto Sun
Alf Clausen, Emmy-winning composer for 'The Simpsons,' dies at 84
Published Jun 02, 2025 • 2 minute read Animated character Homer Simpson is projected on screen at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, Sept. 22, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Photo by Chris Pizzello / Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. LOS ANGELES — Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music provided essential accompaniment for the animated antics of 'The Simpsons' for 27 years, has died. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account His daughter Kaarin Clausen told The Associated Press that Alf Clausen died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles after struggling with Parkinson's Disease for about a decade. He was 84. Clausen, who also scored TV series including 'Moonlighting' and 'Alf' ('no relation,' he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for 'The Simpsons,' winning twice. Al Jean, an early 'Simpsons' writer who was one of the key creative figures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X Friday that 'Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons.' While Danny Elfman wrote the show's theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, composing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. His colleagues said his music was a key component of the show's comedy, but Clausen believed the best way to back up the gags of Homer, Marge Bart and Lisa was by making the music as straight as possible. 'This is a dream job for a composer,' Clausen told Variety, which first reported his death, in 1998. 'Matt Groening said to me very early on, 'We're not a cartoon. We're a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama.' I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to specific action hits on the screen.' Groening, in a 1996 interview, called him 'one of the unacknowledged treasures of the show.' Clausen was born in Minneapolis and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In the 1970s he was a musical director on several TV variety shows including 'Donny & Marie.' Clausen worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s films including 'Splash' and 'The Beastmaster.' It was Holdridge who first got the composing job on 'Moonlighting,' the late-80s ABC rom-com detective series starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, but he handed the gig off to Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it. Clausen won his Emmys for 'The Simpsons' in 1997 and 1998 and also won five Annie Awards, which honor work in animation in film and television. He was fired from 'The Simpsons' in a cost-cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans. He sued over his dismissal. Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren. Olympics Toronto Maple Leafs News Sunshine Girls Celebrity
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Alf Clausen, Emmy-winning composer who wrote music for ‘The Simpsons' for 27 years, dies at 84
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music provided essential accompaniment for the animated antics of 'The Simpsons' for 27 years, has died. His daughter Kaarin Clausen told The Associated Press that Alf Clausen died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles after struggling with Parkinson's Disease for about a decade. He was 84. Clausen, who also scored TV series including 'Moonlighting' and 'Alf' ('no relation,' he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for 'The Simpsons,' winning twice. Al Jean, an early 'Simpsons' writer who was one of the key creative figures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X Friday that 'Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons.' While Danny Elfman wrote the show's theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, composing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio. His colleagues said his music was a key component of the show's comedy, but Clausen believed the best way to back up the gags of Homer, Marge Bart and Lisa was by making the music as straight as possible. 'This is a dream job for a composer,' Clausen told Variety, which first reported his death, in 1998. 'Matt Groening said to me very early on, 'We're not a cartoon. We're a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama.' I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to specific action hits on the screen.' Groening, in a 1996 interview, called him 'one of the unacknowledged treasures of the show.' Clausen was born in Minneapolis and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. In the 1970s he was a musical director on several TV variety shows including 'Donny & Marie.' Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Clausen worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s films including 'Splash' and 'The Beastmaster.' It was Holdridge who first got the composing job on 'Moonlighting,' the late-80s ABC rom-com detective series starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, but he handed the gig off to Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it. Clausen won his Emmys for 'The Simpsons' in 1997 and 1998 and also won five Annie Awards, which honor work in animation in film and television. He was fired from 'The Simpsons' in a cost-cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans. He sued over his dismissal. Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren.
The Province
24-05-2025
- The Province
Gavin Matts spends nights in New York comedy clubs and days auditioning for acting roles
Gavin Matts has gone from Vancouver open mics to a Bill Burr-produced special to a recurring role on the hit series Hacks. Comedian and actor Gavin Matts, who grew up in Langley but now calls New York home, spent a great deal of his early standup days honing his jokes on the stage of the now-defunct Comedy Mix in Vancouver. Photo by Andrew Thomas / Andrew Thomas Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Vancouver native Gavin Matts feels right at home in New York. 'I just like the walking and the city life. In terms of being a comedian, it kind of feels the same as it did when I was starting out in Vancouver, when I was going to the Comedy Mix every night and just trying to get up as much as possible,' said the 30-year-old who has called N.Y. home for seven years. Now Matts, who was named to Vulture Magazine's list of 'Comedians You Should and Will Know' in 2024, frequents Big Apple comedy clubs like the Comedy Cellar and Standup NY. 'I'm out every night. So that's pretty much my life,' said Matts, who has been doing standup for 12 years. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors When he isn't onstage in a club, Matts is busy auditioning for acting roles. He has been in a few short films and shown up in the TV series Ramy and the feature film Easter Sunday. His most notable turn as of late has been as Elliot, one of the writers in the writer's room for Deborah Vance's (Jean Smart) new late-night talk show on the popular HBO (Crave in Canada) series Hacks, which wraps its fourth season on May 29. 'A lot of comedians that I talked to had taped auditions for it,' said Matts about the Hacks' role. 'It's kind of nice to be on the receiving end of, 'Oh, you got that,' because it's happened to me so many times. I've done hundreds of auditions and this is definitely the longest I've been on a show. It's nice that it's a show about comedy on TV.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In the HBO sitcom Hacks, Gavin Matts, centre, sitting on the backwards chair, plays Elliot, one of the writers in the writing room for Deborah Vance's (Jean Smart) new late-night talkshow. Photo by Courtesy of Crave / Courtesy of Crave A show about relationships, Hacks is focused on Vance, an iconic Las Vegas-based standup comedian who is looking to reinvent herself into a relevant voice of the times. To help her freshen her act, she hires Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), a Gen Z comedy writer. The two slowly bond and butt heads. This current season has the two at odds as Daniels runs the writing room for Vance's new show. The show is a darling of the critics and has won multiple Golden Globes and Emmy Awards. 'The show is very funny. (It's) the only show that I'm actually straight-up laughing at that is a narrative TV comedy,' said Matts. 'Just being a part of something that is actually funny is rare … I don't have to lie and be like, 'I like the show,' because I genuinely do.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Matts said while shooting the show and watching Smart, whose performance in the series has earned her a pair of Golden Globes and an Emmy, he had to remind himself he was an actor in the series not an audience member with a great seat. 'I was like, 'Oh yeah, I am having to listen to her as an actor,' ' said Matts. 'She's coming off an Emmy. She had just done SNL, like, two nights before, and she's delivering this monologue perfectly. I had to be like, 'OK, active listening. I'm acting right now, and I'm not just mouth agape,' because I caught myself with my mouth a little open, being like, 'Oh, damn, I get to be a part of this,' which is awesome.' Matts had an early go at film school. But only a few months in, he discovered open mic nights at Goldies Pizza in downtown Vancouver, and he was hooked. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Not long after his first open mic, Matts won a radio station contest and got to perform at Pemberton Music Festival opening for the Trailer Park Boys. 'That was three months in, and so I was like, 'That's a sign,' ' said Matts. 'It did move fast. I started getting a lot of spots at the Comedy Mix. That place pretty much changed my life.' Matts went on to become the youngest winner of Canada's SiriusXM Top Comic Competition in 2017 at age 22. He used the prize money to get a visa to work in the U.S. Once south of the border, he was getting gigs, including a spot on Conan. He also landed on the radar of comedy heavyweight Bill Burr. 'I had done a set for Comedy Central when I first moved to the States in 2018, and he was doing a show with them (The Ringers),' said Matts. 'He picked me for that show, and then that's how I kind of started having a working relationship with him. I talk to him here and there. He's always very generous with his time and advice.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Burr and his company, All Things Comedy, produced Matts's debut special, Progression, released in October 2023 and available to watch on YouTube. Matts has also made his own films, including the short film Slice of Life, which is dedicated to the Vancouver gallery of the same name. He is in the 2024 Ethan Godel-directed short film Sleep Talking, which won the Best Short Film Award at the 2025 Canadian Film Festival. In April, Matts was a guest on WTF with Marc Maron, an OG podcaster and very successful standup and actor. Maron can be seen in the Vancouver-shot and Owen Wilson-starring Apple TV+ series Stick, which premiers June 4. 'I look up to him a lot,' said Matts. 'It's such a rare thing to get older and still be current and with it. I think he's one of the few that does a good job at that. I think it's because he's introspective and has empathy for others. I have a lot of respect for him.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Matts is currently busy working on a new hour of comedy, auditioning for more acting roles and pitching his own half-hour comedy show. When asked if he will be coming back to Vancouver to perform any time soon, he said an emphatic no and explained that the current U.S. immigration situation isn't something he wants to mess with. 'My green card has been processing, so I'm just not coming until that is done,' said Matts, who was last here a year-and-a-half ago. Matts, whose comedy leans into the darker corners of existence, says the often-bewildering state of the American reality is sometimes tough to crack wise about. 'I've been thinking about this a lot, and actually had a conversation about it this morning with a friend,' said Matts when asked if troubling times are good for comedy. 'I think that it's bad for me, personally, because I do carry a lot of anxiety around everything going on … It is funny to be like, experiencing what you feel like is a complete economic collapse and total collapse, and then have to be going out every night and being like, 'Haha.' 'I think everybody is kind of feeling the same way as me.' Dgee@ Read More Vancouver Canucks Local News Vancouver Canucks Local News Local News
