Comic, actor, children's author, and podcaster Seán Cullen at JFL42

Seán Cullen is one of those rare Canadian performers who has fans across any age group. People were excited to shake his hand and give him a hug as he sauntered to the stage at one of his recent JFL42 shows. For followers of the comedian's long career, the show at Toronto's Comedy Bar was a decidedly deeper and more intimate evening. As a comedian who is well known for pure silly, he was refreshingly open about... himself, for the first time. Cullen bared his soul, speaking to struggles with loneliness, depression, and weight. But it's still Seán Cullen, so it took the form of a song called "Shit-storm", wearing ghost pants, and reflections on dating a raccoon. The crowd was safe in his silly;he even stopped to have a conversation with a criminal defense lawyer about the pros and cons of depression vs. homicide. It was honest, and present, and felt just for those in the room that night. Much like the conversation he and Andrew Lizotte had last week in advance of his JFL42 appearances. (Andrew wrote this intro, and is clearly the King of Segues...)