Whatever Happened To Tom Green?
The Canadian-American comedian Tom Green became a sensation in the late 1990s thanks to his public-access comedy and prank-focused "The Tom Green Show." It was picked up by the Comedy Network in 1997 and MTV in 1999, catapulting him into the spotlight as a new and exciting face in edgy, youth-oriented comedy. Having begun his career as a stand-up in his mid-teens at his local Yuk Yuk's comedy club in Ottawa, Green — who became famous in his mid-20s — found himself in big demand in Hollywood. He starred in numerous blockbusters, including "Charlie's Angels," which was released in 2000.
Green's career was derailed for a time due to testicular cancer, and the treatment became central to his 2000 "Tom Green Cancer Special" on MTV. The following year, "Freddie Got Fingered" — which he wrote and directed — hit theaters, and despite attracting some of the worst reviews imaginable, it's considered a cult classic. He even appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone, one of a select number of comedians to do so. Throughout the 2000s, his film and TV work continued, and he also penned his memoir, "Hollywood Causes Cancer: The Tom Green Story." He still makes regular TV appearances, but in recent years the comedian has turned his attention toward podcasting and other online content and has moved back to live an idyllic life in Ontario, Canada.
Tom Green Live! and podcast
Though "The Tom Green Show" was the central achievement of the comedian's early career, it was canceled in 2003, meaning the program only graced the mainstream for a few years. Green continued to take on film and TV roles, such as the 2005 movie "Bob the Butler," which was released on the Disney Channel. However, the comedian retained his cult following from his early years, as evidenced by his successful pivot back toward the type of content that first put him on the map.
After attempting a standard TV talk show named "The New Tom Green Show" for MTV in 2003 (it was axed soon afterward), Green got his first taste of internet success in 2006 with a similar, more low-key talk show. "Tom Green Live!" aka "Tom Green's House Tonight" was filmed and broadcast live from Green's own home. The show was a success, leading to syndication and becoming the basis for Green's podcast, which launched in 2013.
He returned to Canada
One of the biggest changes in Tom Green's life in recent years was his decision to leave the U.S., where he relocated to after "The Tom Green Show" first took off. In 2021, he returned to Canada, specifically his home province of Ontario, where he now lives a bucolic life on a working farm — to the surprise of fans more familiar with his fratboy life in Hollywood.
Having spent the majority of his career in Los Angeles, California, the move was seen as a major change of pace for Green. But he has seemingly taken to his rural surroundings, making his farm and the animals central to much of his online content. As he told The Observer, he now cares for a mule, donkey, and some chickens on the farm he recently bought to be closer to his parents and his brother and to reconnect with his Canadian roots. He now records "The Tom Green Podcast" in his barn.
Recent and future projects
Tom Green still amassed many credits to his name in the 2020s, most notably on "LOL: Laugh Out Loud Canada," a comedic spin on "Big Brother" in which 10 comedians compete to see who can go the longest without laughing at each other's silliness. Green was a big hit on the show, and he admits to The Observer that one of his utterances from the show — "delicious cheese sandwiches" — has now become the catchphrase that Canadians shout at him in the street. The show was reminiscent of his 2019 appearance on "Celebrity Big Brother 2," which, surprisingly for the man who made "Freddy Got Fingered," he described as the "most surreal and strangest things that I've ever done" in an interview with Global News.
Green still performs stand-up regularly, doing shows predominantly in the U.S. and Canada, and is a regular at his local comedy club, Yuk Yuk's, the place where he first started out. As he revealed in an interview with The Observer, he typically turns up for the comedy club's amateur nights. In the same interview, Green confirmed that he has big plans for the future and shows no sign of slowing down yet. In the pipeline for 2024 is a new TV show (with Green directing and producing), and he's also working on a new stand-up special to be released at some point. While fans are left to speculate as to whether either of these will be set on his farm, it is almost certain that his experiences of getting back to nature will inform his latest musical project — a country album.