A first-time stand-up comedy stint as host of a New College talent night has led to a successful career as a comedian and entertainer for alumnus Adam Growe.
“Everything I'm doing now is very much a reflection of the opportunities that came with choosing to be active in campus life,” he says. “Students deserve to have creative, intellectual or social outlets that are going to make their time as a student more enjoyable. It's four years of your life. You can get a lot out of it.”
Growe wears many creative hats, but you might know him as the host of the television series Cash Cab. In the show, which ran for eight seasons, Growe was a taxi driver, giving surprised passengers the chance to win money by answering trivia questions en route to their destination.
As a member of New College, Growe graduated from U of T in 1989 with an honours bachelor of arts degree, majoring in sociology and criminology. Since then, he’s been performing on radio, television, stage and as a host and keynote speaker at conferences, gala events, corporate functions and awards ceremonies. All joking aside, he shudders at the thought of how different his life might have been had he just studied.
“I grew up in Vancouver and really wanted to go away and live the campus life,” he says. “But I didn't have any idea what I wanted to do.”
However, he’s a big believer in the value of finding a reputable academic institution and taking courses that interest you. You’ll figure it out from there, he says.
“People feel so much pressure to carry on their pathway,” he says. “A: there's a no rush, and B: you can change things.”
That’s what he did after realizing his first-year psychology and biology courses weren’t striking a chord. He switched to sociology in his second year, wanting his courses to be a little more people-focused and less science-focused. “I got into a lot of gender relations,” he says. “Many of the courses I took in third and fourth year would have been credits for women and gender studies.”
About a month into living at residence, Growe was approached by an older student who was organizing a New College coffee house talent night. He was looking for a charismatic host and thought Growe was perfect.
The coffee house featured college bands and comedy skits. Growe decided to try stand-up comedy for the first time in addition to hosting. .
“I was accustomed to being on stage but I had never done stand-up before and there were moments I was thinking, ‘What am I doing?’” he says. “You're not doing someone else's script, so you're really vulnerable.”
Thankfully, his material about being a young man away at university and humour specific to living in residence at New College generated plenty of laughs. The reaction was so positive, he took his act outside campus.
“I did some amateur nights at comedy clubs in the city and I was only 18 at the time,” he says. He’s since had an accomplished stand-up career, having performed in Just for Laughs, Comedy NOW!, CBS’s Star Search and Comedy Central’s Premium Blend.
By his second year, Growe was helping organize frosh week, was elected to New College’s student council and had joined intramural sports. He hosted more coffee house events, casino nights and fundraisers, and helped bring bands to campus throughout the year. And every year he took part in an annual New College theatre production.
Today, Growe’s brain is firing as he explores options for future television shows. He’s also busy supporting other comedians and artists, having helped formed two non-profit organizations. The Canadian Association of Stand-up Comedians advocates and lobbies on behalf of independent comedy artists across the country. The Foundation for Canadian Comedy focuses on streaming economic investment into independent comedians.
Looking back, he believes all his student activities gave him clarity in terms of what he really wanted to pursue as a career, even though he understands trying new things can be scary.
“There are going to be moments where you go, ‘Am I out of my mind?’ Part of that is self-doubt, the natural instinct to protect yourself.
“At the same time, there are chemicals like endorphins and adrenalin, so somehow you’ve got to find a way to plow through that self-doubt because you never know what's going to happen.
“I understand students have a lot of pressure to get decent grades. But those positive chemicals that fire in your brain when you do something creative, or anything that’s new for you, fuel your studies and make you a better student.”