Dini Dimakos
Encyclopedia
Dini Dimakos is a Canadian
stand-up comedian
from Toronto, Ontario.
, an hour north of Toronto
. Her family ran a restaurant in the nearby town of Primrose, Ontario. She began working at the restaurant as a seating hostess, dishwasher and garlic bread cook at the age of 6, during the 1980s. Her family later sold the restaurant to relatives and opened another restaurant down the street in 1991.
Dimakos later attended Centre Dufferin District High School
and starred in productions of Guys and Dolls and Bye, Bye Birdie. She graduated with honours and continued on with a partial scholarship to York University
.
radio station called Hot 103.5 FM, which would later be known as Hits 103.5 FM, and currently Z 103.5 (CIDC), (Evanov Group LTD). The station specialized in dance music and Top 40 hits. Within a month of interning, Dimakos was hired on as a Promotions Assistant. While at a concert, Dini performed an impromptu live on-air cut in. This led to weekend stints as an on-air personality, broadcasting live on location. Eventually she was filling in on the morning show as a co-host while radio personality Elvira Caria was on maternity leave. Her experience as a morning show co-host was further enhanced by working along with the host of the show Darrin "Big D" Laidman.
, who co-starred in the television show Buzz and on the The Comedy Network
. Having a keen interest in Canadian television and how a comedy show was produced, Dimakos was soon hired as a Production Assistant on Buzz by MTR Entertainment. She worked on the show from seasons 3 to 6. She was later promoted to the Senior Production Coordinator on seasons 5 and 6.
in Toronto and began writing stand-up material. She partook in a week long stand-up comedy workshop at Humber College
in 2003 under the guidance of veteran comedians Larry Horowitz and Mike MacDonald. This was a life-altering time for Dini as she found a love for writing and performing stand-up comedy. She quickly signed up for amateur nights at the Yuk Yuk's
Comedy Club in Toronto, Ontario. She also began performing on the open mike
circuit in the Toronto area.
's hit, homegrown show, Video on Trial
. She has been featured on over 20 episodes along with the likes of Canadian comedians Russell Peters
, and Debra DiGiovanni
, Trevor Boris
and Boomer Phillips.
launched a new show in September 2007, Stars Gone Wild
. The show blasts current celebrities by a menagerie of colorful characters. Dini has appeared on several episodes respectively as Posy Perennial, Matthew the Emo Girl, Dr. Pat McGroin, Belinda Belissima, Chandelier W. Bush (girlfriend of Boomer Phillips' character Lance Sherbourne), Rhonda the Housewife and most popularly as the daring nun, Sister Siobhan O'Shepardspie. The series is currently one of the highest rated shows on the network.
and Matte Babel
. Dini wore a fitted red dress which garnered positive attention from both hosts. She was asked about her career in stand-up comedy as well as her character work on Stars Gone Wild. Dini noted her earliest influences as Mike Myers
, Adam Sandler
and Eddie Murphy
.
on the It's All Greek To Me Tour in Melbourne
and Sydney
, Australia
. The tour was spearheaded by Clayton Peters of Clayton Peters International Management. Clayton Peters is most widely known in the industry as manager and brother to Russell Peters.
Later that year Dini performed in Las Vegas, Nevada
at a local club. She then went to London, England in July 2007 to perform at Jongleurs
, a popular London Comedy chain. Dini has been well received by international audiences and continues to garner enthusiastic response on an international level thanks to her live performances and material on YouTube
.
In the summer of 2007, she was the first comedian ever to perform live on the famed, inaugural Toronto show Bitch Salad. Bitch Salad is helmed by fellow Canadian comedian Andrew Johnston. He hosts a popular blog of the same name.
Most recently Dimakos performed on the annual Accent on Toronto (6) - The Laughs Are On Us alongside Jean Paul and Frank Spadone. Accent on Toronto is nationally aired on CBC Radio
One, 99.1 FM.
twice in the same day. An article by Michele Henry focused on Dini's life as a Toronto comedian including where she performs, shops and resides in the city. The second feature was a humorous quip by the young comedian on the commercialism of Toronto and was used to promote CBC Radio One's production of Accent on Toronto 6 - The Laughs Are On Us.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
stand-up comedian
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
from Toronto, Ontario.
Early life
Dimakos was raised in the rural town of Shelburne, OntarioShelburne, Ontario
Shelburne, Ontario is a town in Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada, located at the intersection of Highway 10 and Highway 89...
, an hour north of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Her family ran a restaurant in the nearby town of Primrose, Ontario. She began working at the restaurant as a seating hostess, dishwasher and garlic bread cook at the age of 6, during the 1980s. Her family later sold the restaurant to relatives and opened another restaurant down the street in 1991.
Dimakos later attended Centre Dufferin District High School
Centre Dufferin District High School
Centre Dufferin District High School is the public high school for Shelburne, Ontario. It is part of the Upper Grand District School Board.-Departments:* Business* Fine Arts* Languages* Physical Education* Science* Social Science* Technical Arts...
and starred in productions of Guys and Dolls and Bye, Bye Birdie. She graduated with honours and continued on with a partial scholarship to York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
.
Radio
In the late 1990s Dimakos began interning at a Brampton, OntarioBrampton, Ontario
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada and the seat of Peel Region. As of the 2006 census, Brampton's population stood at 433,806, making it the 11th largest city in Canada. It is also one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, with an average...
radio station called Hot 103.5 FM, which would later be known as Hits 103.5 FM, and currently Z 103.5 (CIDC), (Evanov Group LTD). The station specialized in dance music and Top 40 hits. Within a month of interning, Dimakos was hired on as a Promotions Assistant. While at a concert, Dini performed an impromptu live on-air cut in. This led to weekend stints as an on-air personality, broadcasting live on location. Eventually she was filling in on the morning show as a co-host while radio personality Elvira Caria was on maternity leave. Her experience as a morning show co-host was further enhanced by working along with the host of the show Darrin "Big D" Laidman.
Television production
After her time in radio, Dimakos began to take interest in television broadcasting. She volunteered her time at 2001 Canadian Comedy Awards, which led to a chance meeting with television personality and comedian Mista MoMista Mo
Mista Mo is the star, writer, music producer, segment and co-executive producer of the Buzz, a sketch comedy television series featuring him and fellow comedian Daryn Jones of YTV & MTV fame. Mo is responsible for coming up with popular segments such as: Nuts 4 Bucks, Jesus Caught on Tape, Buzz...
, who co-starred in the television show Buzz and on the The Comedy Network
The Comedy Network
The Comedy Network a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media specializing in comedy programming.The channel operates two time shifted feeds, East and West ....
. Having a keen interest in Canadian television and how a comedy show was produced, Dimakos was soon hired as a Production Assistant on Buzz by MTR Entertainment. She worked on the show from seasons 3 to 6. She was later promoted to the Senior Production Coordinator on seasons 5 and 6.
Improvisation and stand-up beginnings
During this time Dini was attending improv classes at The Second CityThe Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
in Toronto and began writing stand-up material. She partook in a week long stand-up comedy workshop at Humber College
Humber College
Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning is a polytechnic college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Humber offers more than 150 programs including: bachelor’s degree, diploma, certificate, post-graduate certificate and apprenticeship programs, across 40 fields of study. Humber serves...
in 2003 under the guidance of veteran comedians Larry Horowitz and Mike MacDonald. This was a life-altering time for Dini as she found a love for writing and performing stand-up comedy. She quickly signed up for amateur nights at the Yuk Yuk's
Yuk Yuk's
Yuk Yuk's is a national comedy club chain in Canada, owned by former stand-up comedian Mark Breslin and established in 1977 by Breslin and Joel Axler...
Comedy Club in Toronto, Ontario. She also began performing on the open mike
Open mike
An open mike or open mic is a live show where audience members may perform at the microphone. Usually, the performers sign up in advance for a time slot with the host or master of ceremonies. These events can be focused on poetry and the spoken word, music, comedy, and the open format of open...
circuit in the Toronto area.
Video on Trial
Dimakos is currently most widely recognized as a series regular for MuchMusicMuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
's hit, homegrown show, Video on Trial
Video On Trial
Video on Trial is a Canadian comedy television program that airs on Canadian television network MuchMusic. The show consists of a panel of musicians, comedians, and entertainment columnists critiquing five different music videos in a courtroom-esque manner. The panel acts as the jurors, poking fun...
. She has been featured on over 20 episodes along with the likes of Canadian comedians Russell Peters
Russell Peters
Russell Dominic Peters is an Indo-Canadian comedian, actor and disc jockey. He began performing in Toronto in 1989 and has been nominated for four Gemini Awards.-Early life :...
, and Debra DiGiovanni
Debra DiGiovanni
Debra DiGiovanni is a Canadian stand-up comedian of Italian descent originally from Tillsonburg, Ontario.Her comedy career began with the help of Humber College's inaugural year of their Comedy Writing and Performance course, in 2000 and has since been nominated for the coveted Tim Sims Comedy...
, Trevor Boris
Trevor Boris
Trevor Boris is an Canadian comedian and writer from Winnipeg, Manitoba.-Television work:Boris is one of the stars of MuchMusic's Video on Trial, and is also a star of Stars Gone Wild...
and Boomer Phillips.
Stars Gone Wild
MuchMusicMuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
launched a new show in September 2007, Stars Gone Wild
Stars Gone Wild
Stars Gone Wild was a mockumentary series created by Adam Halpern on MuchMusic that critiques the lifestyle of modern celebrities. The title of the show is a parody of the Girls Gone Wild series. It is based on the special Overrated in 06. After one season and 28 episodes the show was cancelled due...
. The show blasts current celebrities by a menagerie of colorful characters. Dini has appeared on several episodes respectively as Posy Perennial, Matthew the Emo Girl, Dr. Pat McGroin, Belinda Belissima, Chandelier W. Bush (girlfriend of Boomer Phillips' character Lance Sherbourne), Rhonda the Housewife and most popularly as the daring nun, Sister Siobhan O'Shepardspie. The series is currently one of the highest rated shows on the network.
Much on Demand
In October 2007, Dini was interviewed live on Much on Demand by VJs Leah MillerLeah Miller
Leah Miller is a former MuchMusic VJ from Toronto, and current host for So You Think You Can Dance Canada. She is also a correspondent for the entertainment news show ETalk.-Early life:...
and Matte Babel
Matte Babel
Matte Babel is a Canadian television personality. Formerly a VJ for MuchMusic, where he co-hosted Much on Demand, The IT List and Much 911. He also served as a morning host on Toronto's all-news channel CablePulse 24. He has also made appearances in music videos such as Rich London's The Answer...
. Dini wore a fitted red dress which garnered positive attention from both hosts. She was asked about her career in stand-up comedy as well as her character work on Stars Gone Wild. Dini noted her earliest influences as Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
, Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
and Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
.
Stand-up
In February 2007, Dini was chosen as the opening act for veteran Comedian Angelo TsarouchasAngelo Tsarouchas
Angelo Tsarouchas is a Canadian comedian/actor, whose parents are originally from Greece. A large element of his stand-up comedy revolves around the parody of his Greek origins.- Life and career :...
on the It's All Greek To Me Tour in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The tour was spearheaded by Clayton Peters of Clayton Peters International Management. Clayton Peters is most widely known in the industry as manager and brother to Russell Peters.
Later that year Dini performed in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
at a local club. She then went to London, England in July 2007 to perform at Jongleurs
Jongleurs
Jongleurs is a chain of comedy clubs in the United Kingdom. Maria Kempinska MBE established and opened the first Jongleurs club in 1983 in Battersea, London. In 1985 Maria then met her business partner John Davy, and together they built the Jongleurs brand. The company evolved into a corporate...
, a popular London Comedy chain. Dini has been well received by international audiences and continues to garner enthusiastic response on an international level thanks to her live performances and material on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
In the summer of 2007, she was the first comedian ever to perform live on the famed, inaugural Toronto show Bitch Salad. Bitch Salad is helmed by fellow Canadian comedian Andrew Johnston. He hosts a popular blog of the same name.
Most recently Dimakos performed on the annual Accent on Toronto (6) - The Laughs Are On Us alongside Jean Paul and Frank Spadone. Accent on Toronto is nationally aired on CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
One, 99.1 FM.
Film
In October 2007, Dimakos won the role of Grace on the short film Speed Dating. Grace is a jilted, closeted lesbian who is secretly in love with her best girlfriend. The film is currently in post production.Press
In November 2007 Dimakos was featured in the Toronto StarToronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
twice in the same day. An article by Michele Henry focused on Dini's life as a Toronto comedian including where she performs, shops and resides in the city. The second feature was a humorous quip by the young comedian on the commercialism of Toronto and was used to promote CBC Radio One's production of Accent on Toronto 6 - The Laughs Are On Us.