Paul Bellini (born September 12, 1959 in Timmins, Ontario) is a Canadian comedy writer and television actor. Bellini is a well-known figure in the Canadian television comedy industry due to his work on The Kids in the Hall and This Hour Has 22 Minutes. He has worked on several projects with Josh Levy and PJ DeBoy. He has appeared in small parts on television shows and films.
The Kids in the Hall
Bellini’s on-screen presence in The Kids in the Hall began when CBC Television suggested that the troupe conduct some form of sweepstakes in order to determine the makeup of the show’s fanbase. Turning down such conventional ideas as a free show taping or a cash prize, the members of KITH decided that the “prize” would be Paul Bellini in a towel. Thus the “Touch Paul Bellini” contest was born, wherein the winner was granted the chance to gently poke the betoweled Bellini with a stick. During the fourth season, Mike Szabo won a breakfast with him at the Ottawa airport. During these and other appearances on the show, Bellini wore nothing but a towel and never spoke, thus himself becoming an absurd character in the show. At the end of the final episode, however, after the cast is buried alive during the end credits, Bellini approaches their grave, turns to the camera, and intones, “Thank God that’s finally over.” He then picks up a flower and proceeds to dance on their grave.
Founded in 1989, the Paul Bellini Fan Club quickly outgrew the Kids in the Hall fan club. The Paul Bellini Fan Club was based in Montreal, with smaller chapters in Winnipeg, Kitchener, Toronto, Abbotsford, Halifax, New York, Utah and parts of Europe. His fans travelled to Toronto to attend tapings of the Kids in the Hall with homemade “We Love Paul Bellini” signs. When the Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet (the band who recorded the shows theme song) came to play in cities where the Bellini fans lived, they brought gifts or home baking for the band members to deliver back to him in Toronto. The club also recorded more than 20 covers of popular songs with modified lyrics that were distributed among members and sung at the Paul Bellini music festival in 1993. The group hosted a Bellini Bratwurst Bar-be-que, produced regular newsletters, and a video depicting a fanciful re-enactment of Bellini’s early life. At one event, Bellini brought a bag full of Timmins souvenirs as thank you gifts for his loyal fan club.
In 1998, Bellini made an autobiographical documentary, Bellini’s Drive, which among other things explained his thoughts on being the second-most famous person from Timmins — the first being Shania Twain.
Bellini, who is gay, is currently a columnist for fab, a gay magazine in Toronto.
Writing credits
- The Kids in the Hall, writer for four seasons; also featured on several episodes (clad in a towel)
- Out There in Hollywood on Comedy Central
- Writer for This Hour Has 22 Minutes 1994-1997
- Buddy Babylon, The Autobiography of Buddy Cole, a 1998 humor novel written with Scott Thompson, ISBN 0-440-50828-2
- LockerRoom on PrideVision, a gay sketch comedy series: co-producer and writer, and host of the segment Coach’s Corner.
- Writer for television specials Jest in Time for Halloween and Out There in TV
- Yvon of the Yukon, 2000, staff writer
- Made in Canada, 1998, writer
- Hayseed, writer
- DoUlike2watch.com, 2003, writer
Film and television appearances
- Candles, Snow, Mistletoe – by Sharon, Lois and Bram
- Behind the Scenes – The Comedy Network
- Brain Candy (1996)
- Hayseed (1997)– independent film
- Bellini’s Drive (1998)
- Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town (2010)
- Tosh.O (2012) “Bad Artist Sketch”
Awards
- Won Gemini Award in 1996, 1997 – writer for This Hour Has 22 Minutes
- Won Writer’s Guide of Canada for Excellence in Writing in 1997 for This Hour Has 22 Minutes
- Nominated Emmy Award 1994 – writer for The Kids in the Hall
- Nominated Cable ACE award 1992 – writer for The Kids in the Hall
THE PAUL BELLINI SITE 