Bio

“You learn by failing” is the philosophy taught to Andrew at a young age. Born and raised in the Northeast of Calgary, Andrew is a unique character with a full tank of energy. While attending Bishop McNally High School, Andrew became a volunteer at the Loose Moose Theatre Company (LMTC). Taken under the wing by many of his improv heroes, Andrew developed a love for the stage. To him the theatre was the one place where he fit in and could be himself. It is at the Loose Moose Theatre where Andrew learned to fail and to get back up again. Through failing, Andrew learned and has adopted this philosophy in everything he does.

Over a decade later, Andrew continues to perform at the Loose Moose Theatre Company as a Senior Ensemble Performer and Instructor. He’s taken the opportunity to mentor young improvisers and be a positive influence in their lives. Improvisation is a form of theatre that is limitless. He believes that by teaching young people how to improvise, you teach them to think outside of the box.

Andrew consistently teaches at various high schools and junior high schools around Calgary. Since 2010, Andrew has been a resident artist at Central Memorial High School where he teaches improvisation to their PVA Performing Arts Program. This long-term residency has allowed Andrew to develop a unique and engaging style of teaching. His approach to teaching improvisation to youth is to draw upon what interests or matters to them. “When you connect the art to the student, you bring the teachings to life,” says Andrew.

Andrew is a graduate of the University of Calgary (BA Econ) and is currently the Director of Special Projects at Youth Central. His job allows him the opportunity to speak to and work with young people. From 2008-2015 Andrew has spoken/presented to over 22,000 students. Andrew speaks on the topics of volunteerism, community engagement, and youth voice. Each time Andrew presents, he looks to develop a connection with the students through honesty and humor. In 2011, Andrew presented a Ted Talk titled “The Obvious Secret to Engage Youth”. In 2012, Andrew won the inaugural SVP Fast Pitch Calgary event. He pitched a youth friendly project, which won the top price of $25,000 for Youth Central.

In 2009/2010 Andrew was a featured host on the television series “Drafted” presented by the Score Television Network. From 2009-2012, Andrew was a member of the comedy sketch group Sciencebear. They produced numerous comedic viral videos and content for The Calgary Flames, The High Performance Rodeo, and Village Brewery.

Since 2012 Andrew has hosted large stages at the Calgary Stampede. This includes the Bell Adrenaline Ranch and Enmax Coral Show. Each summer, Andrew entertains over 150,000 visitors to the grounds. “As a Calgary kid, there is no greater honor than to perform in front of your home town on the biggest stage possible”, says Phung. Andrew is one of Calgary’s most sought after emcees throughout the year having hosted events for numerous non-profits, The City of Calgary, Telus Spark, ATB Financial, and more. He brings an off-the-cuff comedic charm to every event he emcees.

Andrew is a fixture on the local improv scene playing alongside Renee Amber. Their duo, Past your Bedtime, runs a weekly show on Fridays at 10:30pm at the LMTC. Andrew can also be seen playing alongside numerous other improvisation groups including the Kinkonauts, Mixtape, Bad Dog Theatre (Toronto) and Chico. As always, you can see Andrew perform at the LMTC on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year.

In 2009, Andrew was named one of Avenue Magazines “Top 40 under 40”. Also, Andrew has been voted “Best Local Actor” (2013 and 2014) and “Best Local Comedian” (2014) by FFWD Weekly. Recently, Andrew was named “Best Comedian” and “Best Actor” by Best of Calgary (2017 and 2018).

Andrew’s recent television and film credits include
“Let’s Talk English” (Spotlight Productions) airing on OMNI, The Beaverton (Comedy Network), the feature film Little Italy, as well as Cowtown (Nur Films) which he co-wrote on starred in, and is available on Telus Optik.

Currently, Andrew splits his time between Calgary and Toronto, and is one of the stars of Kim’s Convenience on CBC. The television series is currently CBC’s highest rated comedy series and season 3 is currently airing. Andrew is also the winner of back-to-back (2017 and 2018) Canadian Screen Awards  for “Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series” for his portrayal of “Kimchee” on the show.

Other Sources and Pages:
IMDB