Page 142 - Katherine Ryan press pack 2015-20

Did you do comedy growing up?

I always just did the sketches with my sisters. We made little videos and wrote funny things. Everything

that I’ve always done, whether it was received positively or negatively, I didn’t see the point if it wasn’t
funny. Comics are never supposed to make things worse. They’re supposed to make things better and
relieve tensions off scary things. Even when I was small, I didn’t want to do a school report unless I was
trying to make it funny.

You studied urban planning at Ryerson University in Toronto. What did you take from your studies,
that then transferred to who you are today?

I was thinking pragmatically. I didn’t want to be an actress, but I loved being close to that multicultural,
busy, fast environment. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I took urban planning. I worked at Hooters
while I was at university, another big city thing that wasn’t available to me in my small town. That’s where

I learned the most transferable skills that I use today. You would think that Hooters is this place where
women are completely oppressed. And it is, in a way. We are for decoration there, but the inner workings
of it, it is very much a matriarchy. And I met really interesting young women.

They wanted to be noticed in some way, but it was the wrong way because back then I was still 18,
learning about feminism, and my place in this world. I really thought that the best thing you could be was
pretty. I thought that people would be nice to you and that you’d have a better life.

credits