Kids in the Hall's Scott Thompson will perform in Beauty and the Beast: the Savagely Silly Family Musical
Scott Thompson
Profession: Actor/comedian
Age: 51
Hometown: born in North Bay, Ont.; raised in Brampton, Ont.
Notable achievements: Kids in the Hall, the television series, ran on HBO/CBC from 1989-1995 in both Canada and the United States; starred in CBC's Death Comes to Town and feature films such as Mickey Blue Eyes and Prom Queen.
Currently: plays The Dame in Beauty and the Beast: the Savagely Silly Family Musical at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto from Nov. 25 to Jan. 2 - opening night is Thursday, Dec. 2; his first graphic novel, Danny Husk: the Hollow Planet, came out Nov. 24
Scott Thompson is an actor and comedian best known for his role in the Canadian comedy troupe, Kids in the Hall. He is daring and bold in his roles - he's cross-dressing to play The Dame in the play, Beauty and The Beast: The Savagely Silly Family Musical - but not in choosing his car.
He drives a 2007 Toyota Corolla.
Why did you buy a Corolla?
Cheap. Safe. That's it.
I know nothing about cars. I really went for the colour. It was blue and it was the nicest colour in the lot. Nobody else had that colour.
I talked to a few friends and they said it was a good car. I'm a very simple person with cars. I tried to get it without electric windows.
I have this terror of going off the road and going under ice. I think if you go in the river with your car the windows won't be able to come up so I like to have a hand crank. But you can't do that any more - they're hard to find."
I was going to get a Prius hybrid , but I couldn't stand the way the windows were at the back - it's hard to see out of them.
What was you first car?
A 1997 Saturn four-door. I can't remember what it was called. I loved it.
I didn't like the whole rigmarole with Saturn. They sing you a song, surround you, put your picture on the board and then they give you a card every year on your birthday. It's a little crazy. I bought a car - we're not getting married!
But I did like the car a lot. I took it for the same reason - I liked the colour. It was orange like a sick orange.
I did a whole routine about me and Saturn which was good. Eventually it got to a point where the only people who remembered my birthday were my parents and my Saturn dealer. One time on Conan O'Brien I actually called my Saturn dealer. I found out my dealer's birthday and I called her to wish her a happy birthday, which threw her.
It was fun! I know it's your birthday. I just want to give you a Happy Birthday! Conan wants to send you some happy birthday wishes, too."
What's your best driving memory?"
Ten years ago in 2001, just two days after Sept. 11, my brother and I were in New York City with my dad's car.
We were at 14th Street where the barricades began and we couldn't go any further, but we got behind this car that looked very official with blacked-out windows and cherries on top - maybe Giuliani? They opened the gates for him and they assumed we were together and let us in. We drove literally down to Ground Zero in a car with Canadian plates and nobody bothered us.
It was terrifying and a freaky site. Then we went, this is crazy we're going to get shot! So we drove back up on and this is the funny part, they pulled the barriers back and there were hundreds of people cheering on the heroes - the firemen and rescue workers and they assumed we were one of them. We were mobbed and cheered - we kept waving to people like we were heroic firefighters.
What's your worst driving memory?
I was in a car accident in a cab.
People have this weird belief - this magical feeling that I don't need to do my seatbelt up in a taxi. Taxis don't get into accidents.
I was in an accident in Los Angeles in a cab on the 101 highway. We were sandwiched in between two cars. The car was crumpled, but I walked away. I didn't have a seatbelt on - I ended up on the floor, but I wasn't hurt and neither was the driver. That was pretty scary.
Any memorable road trips?
My friends and I were on a road trip a very long time ago in high school and we had nowhere to stay. So, we just parked on the beach and drank in the car.
I fell asleep in the back seat. My bottle broke open and poured onto my seat. I was wearing blue canvas running shoes and when I took them off my feet were blue and they stayed blue the entire trip and they smelled like whisky. Now my feet just smell like whisky, but they're not blue. "
What's your next car?
Probably a Segway.
If I get another car, I'd probably get a hybrid or electric car.
I'd like a red car. A really nice red car - the police always stop red cars, but I don't care what car it is as long as it's red.
What does a Corolla say about you?
It says I don't know much about cars and I just want the best, cheapest car that gets me from one place to another.
And that I drive like an old lady, which is true.
I'm that little old lady from Pasadena. I don't like to drive fast. I'm a very cautious, defensive driver. I'm not a speeder - my tickets are all from parking.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Petrina Gentile