You can’t accuse Finesse Mitchell of being modest.

“Everyone loves Massey Hall, it’s where some greats have been, like Robin Williams, Chris Rock. The way I see it, mark my words, in three years, my name will be just as big.”

This visionary has every reason to be excited, as he’s no rookie to the comedic game, and possesses a triple threat package, including experience, smarts and – above all – a gut-busting sense of humor.

Canada will soon be on the radar for this comical marvel, as Mitchell – the Saturday Night Live alum – prepares to host the “United in Laughter” Just For Laughs tour across the country (he’ll host from Hamilton to Victoria, Oct. 29 to Nov. 15).

“I’m psyched, I mean, I’m the anchor for this ship, man!” joked Mitchell, who will be joined on the tour by Danny Bhoy, Pete Zedlacher, David O’Doherty and Hal Cruttenden. “I’m the one that says ‘anchor up,’ and passes the torch to someone else on the stage, and you know, if they drop it, I go and pick it up, and come back out, hit the crowd a couple more times.

“But seriously,” Mitchell told andPOP in an interview last week, “I love being able to work with other comics from different countries. Also, I just love rocking the mic, being on stage. I mean Canada’s always great, and now being on tour, I get to hit up so many different cities for the first time.”

And as the host, Mitchell has definitely earned his veteran stripes, after having been around the block while part of Saturday Night Live from 2003-2006. “It definitely let me know the importance of writing. The crazy thing about that show is that we started writing on Tuesday, and put something together by Saturday. It had to be camera ready. So if you sneezed on SNL, all of America saw you sneeze, you know?

“But I learned so much being around those people. I felt like those were the best people standup and improv had to offer at the time. Gaining that work ethic, and being able to say I’m an SNL alum, and you know, everyone still uses that thing before their name, even years after they’re on it. It’s like putting the ‘Dr.’ before your name if you’re a doctor. It’s great.”

A few other mementos that Mitchell picked up while on SNL go a bit beyond the tricks of the trade.

Try his fair share of hilarious stories.

“Meeting and kissing Halle Berry.”

Lucky bastard.

“She was part of the skit, and there was something going on, and so we had to kiss,” he gladly recalled. “So I’m like, you know, ‘maybe we should kiss,’ and she’s like ‘okay.’ So I’m freaking out, and as soon as we said our lines, and she leaned in and started closing her eyes…you talk about somebody nervous! And when it was time for the real show to come on, and the head guy was making his notes, he was like, you know, ‘lets lose the kiss.’ And I was like, ‘c’mooooon, I’ll do better!’ And he’s like ‘umm…no, you looked like a paraplegic.’ But yeah that was a great moment, meeting Halle for the first time.”

Mitchell’s smarts and wisdom come into play, when discussing the comedian’s alter ego, a relationship guru. Not only has Mitchell been a regular women’s dating columnist for Essence Magazine since 2006, but also recently he became a first time author as he released his first book, “Your Girlfriends Only Know So Much.”

“During my last year of SNL, 2006, they asked me if I wanted to contribute to Essence magazine, and it went over so well that eventually they asked me to do a column, and that led to the book,” explains Mitchell. “It’s crazy, I mean, man I’m telling jokes, I’m doing comedy, I’m in NYC, I’m on SNL, and next thing I know, I have this relationship thing brewing on the side. Then, I’m on the Today Show, Fox, Tyra Banks and I’m like the relationship guy now, going from columns to books.”

However, keep in mind, his advice on relationships definitely goes hand in hand with his sense of humor.

“Women love to hear romantic stuff, mainly because women all live through the eyes of other women. Attach a ‘man you look gooood!’ to anything you say to them, and they’ll love that,” Mitchell said. “As for guys, we just like to hear three things: the bacon sizzling, girls moaning and ‘Da na na, Da na na’, you know, Sports Center. I’m serious.”

So now that the time is right, Mitchell can get back to where it all started for him: standup. He got the fuel he needed while at SNL, and now, it’s all about putting the career in drive.

“I haven’t been able to do standup, only because I stopped it to focus on SNL, and then the book, but now that I’m free. I’m gonna do it, and I’m about to start the Just For Laughs tour. But you know, standup is my first love. So it’s almost like I have two loves, my wife and standup. So it’s like I’m excited to be cheating on one with the other. I cheat on my wife with my comedy and vice versa.”

Dates for the tour with Mitchell as host:
Oct. 29 Hamilton
Oct. 30 Toronto (2 shows)
Nov. 1 Ottawa (2 shows)
Nov. 2 London
Nov. 5 Winnipeg
Nov. 6 Saskastoon
Nov. 7 Regina
Nov. 8 Calgary (2 shows)
Nov. 9 Edmonton
Nov. 11 Red Deer
Nov. 12 Red Deer
Nov. 13 Kelowna
Nov. 14 Vancouver
Nov. 15 Victoria






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