Photo: Neal Brennan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Oshawa, Ontario → New York · crowd-work comic
Phil Hanley
Stand-up comedian · Comedy Central half hour (2015) · Hour special Ooh La La (2022) · Author of Spellbound (2025)
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Who is Phil Hanley?
Phil Hanley is a Canadian-American stand-up comedian and actor raised in Oshawa, Ontario. He was diagnosed with dyslexia at ten and used comedy to cope with it. Before stand-up he worked as a model in New York and Europe for clients including Giorgio Armani, Levi’s, Fred Perry and British GQ, then tried improv in England, Vancouver and at the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York before switching to stand-up in Vancouver. He moved to New York in 2011, became a regular at the Comedy Cellar and made his U.S. network debut on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson that March. He had a Comedy Central half-hour special in 2015 and released his first hour, Ooh La La, on his YouTube channel in 2022. Time Out called him a “master of crowdwork.” His first book, Spellbound: My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith, came out in March 2025.
Sources: Wikipedia · Wikidata · Time Out · Punchup (official tickets) · Wikimedia Commons (photo)
Stand-up timeline
- Age 10Diagnosed with dyslexia while growing up in Oshawa, Ontario
- 2003Moves to Vancouver; improv, then stand-up
- 2006First screenwriting credit, Air Buddies
- 2011Moves to New York; Comedy Cellar regular; U.S. network debut on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
- 2013John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, season 4
- 2014–16Co-hosts the We Know Nothing podcast with Anya Marina and Sam Morril
- 2015Comedy Central half-hour special
- 2017Stars in the film Sundowners; starts Keeping Joe with Sam Morril and Joe Machi (to 2020)
- 2018Album Please Don’t Chit Chat While I’m Pursuing My Dream; I Feel Pretty
- 2022Hour special Ooh La La on YouTube
- 2025Book Spellbound: My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith (March)
Podcast & show guest appearances
No guest appearance passed our verification yet (official feed or channel, real date, named as a guest, full episode).
Phil Hanley stand-up and books
Ooh La La (2022)
His first hour-long special, released free on his YouTube channel.
Comedy Central half hour (2015)
His first stand-up special.
Please Don’t Chit Chat While I’m Pursuing My Dream (2018)
His comedy album.
Spellbound: My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith (2025)
His first book, published in March 2025.
Crowd work
His sets lean on talking with the audience; Time Out called him a “master of crowdwork.”
Not on this page
His film and TV roles (Sundowners, I Feel Pretty, Inside Amy Schumer) are listed on Wikipedia.
People
- Sam Morril, his co-host on We Know Nothing and Keeping Joe
- Joe Machi, his Keeping Joe co-host
- Anya Marina, his We Know Nothing co-host
- Amy Schumer, who cast him in Inside Amy Schumer and I Feel Pretty
Places
- Oshawa, Ontario (raised)
- Vancouver (from 2003; started stand-up)
- New York (from 2011)
- Comedy Cellar, New York (regular)
Specials, albums & books
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Search links open Amazon results for the title; availability varies. Specials that only stream (Netflix, Hulu and similar) have no store link.
- Phil Hanley: Spellbound: My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith (book, 2025) · source: Wikipedia · Amazon search link
- Phil Hanley: Please Don’t Chit Chat While I’m Pursuing My Dream (comedy album, 2018) · source: Wikipedia · Amazon search link
- Phil Hanley: Ooh La La (stand-up hour, 2022, free on YouTube) · source: Wikipedia · streaming only, so no store link
Phil Hanley tour dates
34 shows on his official ticket page (checked October 18, 2026), in 10 club runs and theater nights from Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, Michigan, on October 22, 2026, to Fort Lauderdale on May 1, 2027, with stops in Canada and Cancún. His website’s Shows link goes to punchup.live/philhanley.
- Nov 12–14, 2026 · Rochester, NY · Comedy @ the Carlson · 5 shows
- Nov 19–21, 2026 · Houston, TX · Houston Improv · 5 shows
- Fri, Dec 4, 2026 · Calgary, AB · Bella Concert Hall · 2 shows
- Sat, Dec 5, 2026 · Edmonton, AB · Myer Horowitz Theatre · 2 shows
- Jan 21–23, 2027 · Bridgeport, CT · Stress Factory Comedy Club · 5 shows
- Jan 27–30, 2027 · Cancún, Mexico · Moon Palace Cancún · 3 shows (Jan 27 is listed as part of a Phish festival)
- Feb 25–27, 2027 · Pittsburgh, PA · Pittsburgh Improv · 5 shows
- Fri, Apr 30, 2027 · Tampa, FL · Tampa Theatre · 1 show
- Sat, May 1, 2027 · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Wells Hall at The Parker · 1 show
Source: Phil Hanley on Punchup (linked from philhanley.com), checked October 18, 2026. Show times are on each listing.
Phil Hanley FAQ
Who is Phil Hanley?
A Canadian-American stand-up comedian from Oshawa, Ontario, based in New York since 2011, known for crowd work, his 2022 hour Ooh La La and his 2025 book Spellbound.
Is Phil Hanley on tour?
Yes. His official ticket page lists 34 shows from October 22, 2026, at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, Michigan, to May 1, 2027, at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale, including Calgary, Edmonton and Cancún. Full list above.
Where is Phil Hanley from?
He was raised in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, moved to Vancouver in 2003 and to New York in 2011.
Is Phil Hanley dyslexic?
Yes. He was diagnosed with dyslexia at age ten, wrote about it in Spellbound: My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith (2025), and is an ambassador for learning-disability groups including Eye to Eye and Dyslexia Canada.
What podcasts has Phil Hanley hosted?
We Know Nothing (2014–2016) with Anya Marina and Sam Morril, and Keeping Joe (2017–2020) with Sam Morril and Joe Machi.
How old is Phil Hanley?
His birth date is not published in the sources we use (Wikipedia and Wikidata), so we do not list an age.
Spot something missing?
Know a credit, guest spot, or tour date we missed? Tell us and we’ll check it.
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Official links
Disclaimer: Editorial content about comedians only. Facts are cited to the sources linked above; tour dates come from the comedian’s official site, checked on the date shown. We do not fabricate quotes. Support performers via official channels.
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Profiles and lists are not paid placements. Read our full disclosure.