Canadian comedian Steve Smith conceived his goofball handyman persona, Red Green, to poke fun at dull public television show hosts.
He also wanted to razz a certain brand of die-hard do-it-yourselfer — that guy who charges ahead with hands-on projects without actually knowing what to do.
As “The Red Green Show” picked up more fans over the years, thanks in part to its placement on PBS, Smith’s character has developed more humanity, the comedian explained earlier this week during a phone call from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He stopped there to promote Red Green’s new book, “How to Do Everything” (Doubleday).
Smith, who appears in the Denver area today, shared other insights into Red Green, his “always wrong but never in doubt” do-it-yourselfer.
Q:Does Red Green play better in Canada than the U.S.?
A:I don’t think so. In the last six months, I’ve done 22 meet-and-greets in America and another half-dozen in Canada. And I just keep meeting the same guy. He looks like Red Green. He has that attitude. If he sees something he wants to do, he just goes ahead and tries it. It’s not an offensive caricature. It’s a bit naive, but there’s something endearing about it.
Q:Where does Red Green character come from?
A:Initially, I was making fun of a guy in Canada named “Red” Fisher, who had his own fishing show. It seemed to me that he thought nothing would bore you. That’s why I picked the name Red. Then, the craziest last name to me was Green. And now, every stop light in a promo!
What happened over the years as people got to like the character, they forced him to not be a caricature but more of a real person. It also became clear that the audience enjoys when Red gives his opinion on relationships and marriage and parenthood and friendships and getting older. So I had to bring in more reality- based behavior and attitude.
Q:Would you characterize the new book as being for do-it-yourselfers?
A:That’s the core of it — guys who go out on a Saturday morning to fix the lawnmower on their own or do repairs on the car or finally get that roof not to leak. The core of it is men who feel they are self-sufficient. They don’t need to call a repairman and write a check.
Q:What one project does Red Green think every homeowner should undertake?
A:It permeates the books and the show. It’s not a specific project, it’s this: It doesn’t hurt to cut everybody a little bit of slack. Red demands it.
Comedian Steve Smith — appearing as Red Green — will greet fans today at 2 p.m. at Green Mountain Ace Hardware, 12035 W. Alameda Parkway. That’s also the place to pick up $40 tickets for today’s 8 p.m. Red Green show, “Wit and Wisdom,” at the Theatre at Colorado Heights University, 3001 S. Federal Blvd. Proceeds benefit Rocky Mountain PBS. Visit for details.
