Where in the world am I today?: North Vancouver, BC, Canada
Prologue: The year was 2002, the city was Osaka, Japan. I’d been in touch with Jonathon Tardif aka Jonny Flash prior to this, but this was the first time we met face to face. We decided to hook up at Yodobashi Camera in Umeda and grabbed a drink at a shop in front of the electronics super store and yacked away for an hour or so… He also indulged me as I had a few things to pick up in the electronics department and helped encourage my lust for technical gadgets as we walked the aisles of Japanese Tech Heaven… Funny that we should hook up in Osaka as I knew that Jonny had been in Vancouver for quite a while, but circumstances just sometimes work in the strangest of ways… Often there’s some sort of meaning behind it all, sometimes it’s just chance, but it was good to finally put a face to the name.
STATS
Name: Jonathon Tardif aka Jonny Flash.
Birthday: July 26, 1976.
Place of Birth: Cranbrook, BC, Canada.
Started Performing/Working in the Industry: 1998.
Discipline: Juggler/unicyclist/comedian.
Website: http://www.jonflash.com
Video Link: http://www.jonflash.com/en/video-street.htm
Venues/Cities Worked: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Seattle, Portland, San Salvador, Osaka, Chiba, Okayama, Fukuoka, Kobe, Edinburgh, Victoria.
Hot 10 Questions:
- What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream and why? • Turtle Trails cuz of the toffee in it.
- Name one movie that would make it to your Top 10 all-time great films. • Ravenous with Robert Carlyle.
- What was your favorite toy from childhood? • My Incredible Hulk doll.
- Who were your biggest inspirations when you got started? • Byron Bertram, Tom Comet.
- From the world of animation what one character do you most identify with or see yourself in? • Robin Hood.
- Name something that scares you. • Canadian complicity with US torture protocols.
- Apart from the entertainment industry, name one other job you’ve had. • Doorman.
- What’s something you haven’t done yet that you’d like to try? • Have a radio show.
- What’s your least favourite thing about being a performer? • Some other performers who fall into the trap of letting positive audience reactions to their character overfeed their egos.
- If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? • “Granpa has been waiting for you to get here.”
The Nugget:
Pick one nugget of wisdom you’ve picked up from your career in Show Business to share with the World.
“Over-emphasis on competition wrecks peer solidarity and holds performers back as a group.”
–Jonathon Tardif
