Before her breakout role on ”Hacks,” a critically acclaimed Netflix special and getting dubbed the most interesting person in the world by John Mulaney, standup comedian Robby Hoffman was just a Parkdale resident searching for a place to fix her bike for free.
Hoffman grew up in Brooklyn as the seventh of 10 siblings before her parents’ divorce forced all of them to pack up and move to Montreal when she was a kid. After exploring the standup scene in Quebec, the comedian became a staple in Toronto clubs and is coming back Saturday for a sold-out show at the Danforth Music Hall.
I caught up with Hoffman by phone recently to talk about her upcoming trip home.
You became a regular at the Comedy Bar on Ossington when you lived here. What were some of the weirdest gigs you played in the city?
Bro, the last time I was there, I was doing “Canada’s Drag Race,” and I popped into a bar show. I don’t know where it was, but I mean, I’m not done doing weird shows in Toronto, it seems. I would think that I would be done by now, but I’m still liable to be dragged into something. I’ve done so many.
I’ve done apartment shows. Naming one sh—-y venue in Toronto cannot be done. There’s millions.
I was surprised to find that you worked at KPMG in Montreal for many years. Did anyone at the company know you did standup on the side?
I got caught. The thing is, you grow up without money, you get into university, I wanted a good job. When I got into accounting, that’s when I started having a good, steady job. I started thinking about me as a person and what am I doing. I discovered standup, but I really wanted to keep my good job because they paid me every two weeks. That is the best thing ever to happen to me. All I had to do was boring work for two weeks. I don’t know. It seemed like the best deal I had heard of.
But one of your peers outed me. Some reporter came to the show and wrote about this fresh-faced comedian on the scene. It was on the front page. It was a very small picture at the bottom of the front page on the Gazette, all the partners at this company got the paper still. I got called into one of the partners’ offices. I did think my accounting career was over. Then he was like, “I want you to do the holiday party.”
What do you remember about moving to Montreal from Brooklyn as a kid? Did you know much about Canada?
My father always had a negative connotation of Canada. He was one of those Americans, like, “Canada’s soft.” He always was putting down Canada and it was freezing and the snow was no joke. Now I grow up, and I go, “Oh, it’s lame to have hospitals?” It’s just so funny, the insecurity, moving back to the U.S. as a grown-up, and you realize, “Oh, is it lame to not bankrupt families who fall ill or something?”
I imagine you got a bit of that when you told people you were moving to Toronto as well.
Montreal always insulted Toronto. For no reason, I hated Toronto, and obviously, I’m still Go Habs Go, and we’re doing very well, but I got to Toronto and Toronto completely embraced me. I think it’s the best city to live in, period, in the world for my four years there. Then you get to Toronto, they don’t hate Montreal. They’re like, “Montreal’s so fun.” It’s the weirdest thing. It’s like Montreal thinks that Toronto was thinking about them. They are not. They’re literally not thinking of you, bro. They enjoy you. Montreal’s just like walking around cold and angry and fringe, hating on Toronto. It makes no sense.
A few reviews of your latest special described you as a controversial comic or someone who likes to offend. Do those labels resonate with you at all?
Oh God. I guess everything is subjective. It’s very hard when someone even asks me to describe my comedy. Self-describing my work is very difficult to do.
Where do two of your brothers reaching the semifinal of “Canada’s Worst Driver” place on the family accomplishment ranking?
Incredible. Up there. It’s no easy feat. They almost won “Canada’s Worst Driver” Season 11, and it’s unbelievable. I’m surprised they didn’t win it. They’re horrible drivers. And my brother, if I ever land in Calgary, though, he’s the first one in line for pickup. He’s going to be there. I don’t even worry about it. Yes, the windshield is cracked and you know, the seat is coming out of itself, but he’s there.
How are you as a driver? Does it run in the family?
I get the critique from Gabby (Windey), my wife, that I’m tough on the brakes. I hear a honk once a day. I assume it’s for me. I apologize. We’re all trying our best out there.
You’ve never seemed afraid to get personal with your audience, so I was surprised to hear you were initially hesitant to go public with your relationship with Gabby. Do you remember why?
I didn’t want her to get nailed for being gay. It’s such a heteronormative culture. But I said, well, who cares anymore? I don’t think anyone cares, but we’re not going to make a deal of it either. But people were starting to spot her and make comments and stuff. So I think she definitely made the right decision to come out on her own terms.
How will you spend your weekend in Toronto?
VSP is my favourite vintage shop. There’s so much good food in Toronto — it’s tough to say, but I would always say probably like a Pharaoh’s (Kitchen) or Nazareth and Ethiopian spots. It’s very difficult for me to find that type of food where I am.
This interview has edited and condensed for clarity.
