Comedian Dave Merheje is putting Windsor on the map in the comedy world.
Born and raised in Windsor, Dave Merheje is a stand-up comedian who's now in the worldwide spotlight thanks to a new Netflix special.
'Comedians of the World' debuted on New Year's Day. It features 47 comics from 13 regions, each with their own half-hour special. Merheje is one of four English speaking Canadian comics that was selected for the special, an accomplishment that he calls an honour.
Merheje’s parents are both Lebanese immigrants. Making light of his family and his Middle Eastern upbringing is a staple in his stand-up and in the Netflix special he even pokes fun at what it was like growing up Lebanese in Windsor.
"My family always comes to my shows and they've been seeing me for years," said Merheje. "But this was very exciting, to see me get to that level. My sister was super proud, she told me she cried. Since a lot of the comedy in the special is about my mom and my dad, I think they were excited for that, to get that shine."
Merheje, now 38, moved to Toronto when he was in his mid-20s to further pursue his standup career. Although Windsor isn't necessarily known as a hot spot for standup comedy, Merheje's persistence and passion led him to create his own path and wind up where he is now.
"There was a Yuk Yuks [Comedy Club] but they would just give you guest spots on Thursday if you were lucky. There wasn't really a comedy scene at the time in Windsor," Merheje said. "Detroit had open mic nights so I would go over there, do the open mics for free and not get paid. It was just a place to practice and grow."
One of his first big breaks came in 2011 when he made it to the national stage, winning the Just For Laugh's Homegrown Comic Competition.
As an accomplished entertainer who has performed across the globe, Merheje has some advice for people out there with big dreams of their own- never stop having fun.
"It's very cliche but it helps out so much. I think sometimes you forget to have fun," said Merheje. "When you're up there having fun, it will encourage the audience and they'll see you obviously love being up there."
Merheje now spends most of his time living in New York City. Next up for him is involvement in a Hulu television show coming out later this year.
Although he's performed all over the world and is a well-known face in the comedy scene, he isn't forgetting his Windsor roots. The Catholic Central alumni will be back in town on February 1 to take part in the Stigma Enigma Maryvale Comedy Show fundraiser at the Capitol Theatre, a cause he said is very important to him.