Latest news with #Nolke
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
YouTube star Julie Nolke brings one-woman live sketch comedy show to Hollywood Theatre
A decade ago, Julie Nolke started doing YouTube videos as a way to promote herself as an actor. The initial hope was that the platform would be a live-action portfolio of sorts that could help Nolke land some acting gigs. But, as it turns out, the videos, which she made with her director husband Sam Larson, blossomed into a full-fledged YouTube channel career that today boasts well over a million subscribers. Her online work has earned her three Webby Awards and an Excellence in Writing Award at Toronto's Buffer Festival, an international digital video fest. 'Originally, it was just to practise and keep our skills sharp, so that when the right job came around, we were ready,' said Nolke, who lives in Toronto. 'But before we knew it, the whole model changed. And it became its own career, which has been really, really cool.' While YouTube content creator is a prominent title for Nolke, her acting career is still in play. Just recently, she was nominated for two Canadian Screen Awards, for Best Supporting Performer, Comedy, and Best Ensemble Performance, Comedy, for her work as Sam on the CBC series Run the Burbs. Acting for TV/film and content creating aside, Nolke is also busy focusing on her one-woman show, Dying on the Outside, which makes a stop at Vancouver's Hollywood Theatre on May 8 for two shows. 'Dying on the Outside is a one-woman sketch comedy show that takes inspiration from what I do on YouTube and brings it to live theatre,' said Nolke. Nolke's YouTube success, she says, started gradually and was 'a bit of a frog-and-boiling water' situation. 'It started out with let's just practise. We have all this creative pent-up energy,' said Nolke. 'Let's just make stuff without the intention of ever being famous on YouTube, which I'm an avid believer that you should never try to be famous on YouTube. That's not the purpose of that platform.' Things began to 'click' and, in 2016, the couple were able to quit their day jobs to focus on the Nolkes' YouTube channel. They were also busy creating YouTube content for others. The videos are hilarious. A recent one, titled Every Canadian Right Now, nails our current and collective freakout brought on by Trump's 51st state pronouncements and the continuing tariff madness. 'This is a Jann Arden household now. Who am I kidding? This has always been a Jann Arden household,' says a frantic Nolke as she culls her record collection of anything not — Dolly Parton aside, because, well Dolly Parton — Canadian. Nolke said a big bonus on the YouTube creation front is the immediacy of the platform. You make it, you put it out there, and people respond. 'I think people love it. I think that there's something beautiful about being in comedy on YouTube, because you can get direct feedback from your audience as to what they want. And you can turn around and create something the following week,' said Nolke, who also has half-a-million followers on TikTok and another 200,00 on Instagram. 'Unlike traditional broadcast and television, which takes months' worth of production, I can see what my audience is into, how they're feeling, what they're yearning for, and I can create that content with a very, very quick turnaround … It allows you to be very topical.' That instant feedback acts as inspiration for Nolke. A great example of that being her eight-part Explaining the Pandemic to My Past Self series, which has pulled in close to 50 million views. 'I was seeing in the comments that it seemed like a no-brainer to make the second, then the third, and then it kind of just became this series that people wanted,' said Nolke about the series that was produced in 2020-22. Whether she is talking about quitting drinking and having to 'raw-dog social interactions' or explaining that her toddler is 'unhinged,' Nolke's videos are timely, funny and completely relatable. 'When it comes to the content of my videos and what I'm going to make something on, it's usually my daily lived experience,' said Nolke, who is the mother of a two-year-old son. 'The hope is that if I keep it as authentic as possible, then other people will relate to it.' When Nolke and her husband began their online journey 10 years ago, they found themselves having to explain to people what it is they did. There were always plenty of questions. 'I think most people understand what that is now. It was, 'I'm a YouTube creator,' and they'd go, 'Wait, what is that? How do you make money? What is that like?,' ' said Nolke. 'Whereas now, it's so much more in the zeitgeist.' In those early days, the YouTuber creators were often thought of people who were unable to make it in the traditional entertainment business. Nolke happily reports that view is very outdated. 'Now, I think people are understanding. 'Oh, the people who turn to YouTube are the ones that had the get-up-and-go drive. They had that innovation. They were creative, and they just wanted to make stuff well.' And you also bring an audience with you,' said Nolke. 'They didn't want us before, and now they do. The last word is always good.' After a decade of creating content, Nolke encourages actors to embrace the platform as well as other social-media sources. 'I would say, if anybody is trying to get into the acting industry, you should be making stuff for online platforms,' said Nolke. 'You should be making TikToks and Instagrams or YouTubes. The barrier for entry is so low, and it's just such good practice for your craft.' While the comments sections on her videos are alive with feedback and questions, Nolke noticed she began to see followers as numbers and realized she still very much needed live artistic interaction in her life. That's what prompted her to write her comedy show. 'There's still a disconnect between you and the (online) audience,' said Nolke. 'I had a bit of reality check with myself and realized I've clearly had some disconnect. So, I thought I'd love to go back to my roots, go back to theatre, actually meet the real people who are behind these numbers. And that's what kind of prompted the writing of the live show … It's so fulfilling.' 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Vancouver Sun
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
YouTube star Julie Nolke brings one-woman live sketch comedy show to Hollywood Theatre
Article content 'I was seeing in the comments that it seemed like a no-brainer to make the second, then the third, and then it kind of just became this series that people wanted,' said Nolke about the series that was produced in 2020-22. Article content Whether she is talking about quitting drinking and having to 'raw-dog social interactions' or explaining that her toddler is 'unhinged,' Nolke's videos are timely, funny and completely relatable. Article content 'When it comes to the content of my videos and what I'm going to make something on, it's usually my daily lived experience,' said Nolke, who is the mother of a two-year-old son. 'The hope is that if I keep it as authentic as possible, then other people will relate to it.' Article content When Nolke and her husband began their online journey 10 years ago, they found themselves having to explain to people what it is they did. There were always plenty of questions. Article content Article content 'I think most people understand what that is now. It was, 'I'm a YouTube creator,' and they'd go, 'Wait, what is that? How do you make money? What is that like?,' ' said Nolke. 'Whereas now, it's so much more in the zeitgeist.' Article content In those early days, the YouTuber creators were often thought of people who were unable to make it in the traditional entertainment business. Nolke happily reports that view is very outdated. Article content 'Now, I think people are understanding. 'Oh, the people who turn to YouTube are the ones that had the get-up-and-go drive. They had that innovation. They were creative, and they just wanted to make stuff well.' And you also bring an audience with you,' said Nolke. 'They didn't want us before, and now they do. The last word is always good.' Article content Article content After a decade of creating content, Nolke encourages actors to embrace the platform as well as other social-media sources. Article content 'I would say, if anybody is trying to get into the acting industry, you should be making stuff for online platforms,' said Nolke. 'You should be making TikToks and Instagrams or YouTubes. The barrier for entry is so low, and it's just such good practice for your craft.' Article content While the comments sections on her videos are alive with feedback and questions, Nolke noticed she began to see followers as numbers and realized she still very much needed live artistic interaction in her life. That's what prompted her to write her comedy show. Article content 'There's still a disconnect between you and the (online) audience,' said Nolke. 'I had a bit of reality check with myself and realized I've clearly had some disconnect. So, I thought I'd love to go back to my roots, go back to theatre, actually meet the real people who are behind these numbers. And that's what kind of prompted the writing of the live show … It's so fulfilling.'
National Post
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- National Post
YouTube star Julie Nolke brings one-woman live sketch comedy show to Hollywood Theatre
Article content 'I was seeing in the comments that it seemed like a no-brainer to make the second, then the third, and then it kind of just became this series that people wanted,' said Nolke about the series that was produced in 2020-22. Article content Whether she is talking about quitting drinking and having to 'raw-dog social interactions' or explaining that her toddler is 'unhinged,' Nolke's videos are timely, funny and completely relatable. Article content 'When it comes to the content of my videos and what I'm going to make something on, it's usually my daily lived experience,' said Nolke, who is the mother of a two-year-old son. 'The hope is that if I keep it as authentic as possible, then other people will relate to it.' Article content When Nolke and her husband began their online journey 10 years ago, they found themselves having to explain to people what it is they did. There were always plenty of questions. Article content Article content 'I think most people understand what that is now. It was, 'I'm a YouTube creator,' and they'd go, 'Wait, what is that? How do you make money? What is that like?,' ' said Nolke. 'Whereas now, it's so much more in the zeitgeist.' Article content In those early days, the YouTuber creators were often thought of people who were unable to make it in the traditional entertainment business. Nolke happily reports that view is very outdated. Article content 'Now, I think people are understanding. 'Oh, the people who turn to YouTube are the ones that had the get-up-and-go drive. They had that innovation. They were creative, and they just wanted to make stuff well.' And you also bring an audience with you,' said Nolke. 'They didn't want us before, and now they do. The last word is always good.' Article content Article content After a decade of creating content, Nolke encourages actors to embrace the platform as well as other social-media sources. Article content Article content 'I would say, if anybody is trying to get into the acting industry, you should be making stuff for online platforms,' said Nolke. 'You should be making TikToks and Instagrams or YouTubes. The barrier for entry is so low, and it's just such good practice for your craft.' Article content While the comments sections on her videos are alive with feedback and questions, Nolke noticed she began to see followers as numbers and realized she still very much needed live artistic interaction in her life. That's what prompted her to write her comedy show. Article content 'There's still a disconnect between you and the (online) audience,' said Nolke. 'I had a bit of reality check with myself and realized I've clearly had some disconnect. So, I thought I'd love to go back to my roots, go back to theatre, actually meet the real people who are behind these numbers. And that's what kind of prompted the writing of the live show … It's so fulfilling.' Article content Article content
Winnipeg Free Press
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Inside out
In April 2020, Julie Nolke caught her big break. The Canadian comedian/actor/writer debuted a new series on the sketch comedy channel she runs with her husband on YouTube: Explaining the Pandemic to My Past Self, wherein a pandemic-present Julie tells a pre-pandemic Julie what's in store for her. The first video has 21 million views and counting. Five years on, Nolke has firmly established herself as one of Canada's brightest comedic voices for her ability to tap into the zeitgeist — and now, she's doing something new: Dying on the Outside, a live, one-hour, one-woman sketch-comedy show she's bringing to the Park Theatre on Wednesday. 'It's a departure from what I've done for the last, I don't know, 10 years,' Nolke says over the phone from Toronto. Last year, Nolke was feeling disconnected from her audience — which, when you're creating comedy online, is mostly measured in anonymous numbers. 'I really just wanted to see and meet the people behind those views,' she says. After three months of writing, Nolke tapped fellow comedian/actor/writer Gwynne Phillips to direct the show, which had a sold-out run in Toronto in March. Nolke's not the only viral Canadian comedian who has recently brought her work from screen to stage. Fellow Toronto comedian Laura Ramoso, who was in Winnipeg in November on her Sit Up Straight tour, has also followed a similar career trajectory. 'You know what's funny — Laura was the first person I called when I realized I wanted to do a live show,' Nolke says with a laugh. 'I called her and I said, 'We have to meet for coffee because I want to do this thing, and you are an expert in it.' 'We had a really nice, long chat, and she gave me a lot of guidance, and has been giving me guidance through this whole thing. She's an incredible community member and wonderful friend.' Without revealing too much, Dying on the Outside deals with, among other topics, death and processing death as the title suggests. The north star of all of Nolke's comedy is relatability. 'The hope is that if I've gone through something and I create a piece of content, as long as I keep it authentic, the hope is that it's going to be relatable,' she says. Nolke grew up in Calgary, where she did a ton of improv and theatre and, after high school, moved to Toronto to complete an acting degree at York University. Dying on the Outside is a welcome return to live performance. 'Of course, it's been 10 years since I've been back (onstage), so I was a little bit rusty, and I definitely had some imposter syndrome, but once I started performing, it felt very natural. And to be honest, that surge of adrenaline you get from the audience is exactly what I was looking for. It feels like a very special, once-in-a-lifetime experience that only live theatre can offer,' she says. It also allows her to exercise different creative muscles. Julie Nolke brings Dying on the Outside, her new sketch comedy show, to the Park Theatre on Wednesday. 'There's something really brave about doing something in person, live. There's that opportunity for failure that I think I need. I need that fire under my butt so I keep changing my content and making sure the audience is relating to it.' Nolke's success has not been overnight. She started her YouTube channel with her husband Samuel Larson in 2014 after years of struggling as an actor. It steadily grew enough they were able to quit their day jobs in 2016 before Explaining the Pandemic to My Past Self took it to a whole new level. 'I think we just had an excellent temperature check on where people were at in the world. Our comedy just seemed to hit in exactly the way that people needed, and so those videos took off, but I am an avid believer that if it wasn't going to be those, it was going to be some other video, just because we had worked so hard and we'd gotten really good at YouTube,' Nolke says. There was a cultural shift taking place at that time, too. YouTubers and online creators were finally being recognized as legitimate artists. 'I have felt that shift in a huge way. I mean, I was on a show called Run the Burbs — we had three seasons on CBC — and the reason I was invited into that original development writers room before the show was ever greenlit is because the production company knew me from YouTube. That would not have been the case five years previous,' Nolke says. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. Now, Nolke has multiple screen credits to her name, including Murdoch Mysteries, What We Do in the Shadows, Coroner, Odd Squad and Workin' Moms. In 2023, she also had a starring role in the W Network movie The Wedding Rule. After years of grinding it out and putting in the work, Nolke has been nominated for two 2025 Canadian Screen Awards for her work on Run the Burbs. The winners will be fêted in Toronto at the end of May. The performer calls the nominations,'really surreal. Like, very, very out-of-body experience. I think there's a part of me that still feels a little bit impostery in film and TV — like, when are people going to realize I'm just a YouTuber? I try to mute that voice as much as possible but the reality is, it exists.' 'And so, the awards bring me a huge sense of validity. Like my peers, my own peers, the people that I deeply respect in the industry, recognize that I'm more than just an online creator who couldn't book a job the regular way. It doesn't go by me mildly.' Jen ZorattiColumnist Jen Zoratti is a columnist and feature writer working in the Arts & Life department, as well as the author of the weekly newsletter NEXT. A National Newspaper Award finalist for arts and entertainment writing, Jen is a graduate of the Creative Communications program at RRC Polytech and was a music writer before joining the Free Press in 2013. Read more about Jen. Every piece of reporting Jen produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
