Steven Joel Kerzner is a Canadian actor, producer and television personality best known for his portrayal of Ed the Sock, originally appearing on CityTV and MuchMusic (until its decline in 2013). Kernzer has continued to portray the character through his own media initiatives FU Network and NewMusicNation.[2]
Steven Joel Kerzner | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 25, 1970 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Other names | Ed the Sock |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, producer, television personality |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Known for | Ed the Sock |
| Spouse |
Liana Kerzner (m. 1999) |
Career
editAs a teenager in 1984 Kerzner began volunteering through a student co-op program at Newton Cable, a small local station in Downsview, Ontario. It was at the station that Kernzer developed the Ed the Sock character. Requiring a co-host on short notice, so Kerzner took a sock and other supplies from the station's craft closet and made a sock puppet with glue caps for eyes. He named the puppet Ed after Ed Asner and co-hosted the segment himself. [3] By 1987 Kerzner became a producer and director of programming.[4]
Kerzner later moved the character to CityTV[5] and MuchMusic.[6]
Following the decline of MuchMusic in 2013, due to an acquisition by Bell Media, Kerzner has made a number of attempts to bring the character back through the use of online media. In 2016, he announced the FU Network and in 2021 created the NewMusicNation brand, raising funds for creating an online version of what MuchMusic used to be like.[6]
Filmography
editTV
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-2013 | Fromage | Ed the Sock | |
| 1995-2008 | Ed & Red's Night Party | Ed the Sock | |
| 1996 | The Best of Ed's Night Party | Ed the Sock | |
| 1998 | First Time Out | As director | |
| 2000 | Ed's Big Wham Bam | Ed the Sock | |
| 2000 | Royal Canadian Air Farce | Ed the Sock | |
| 2001 | Spacebar | Ed the Sock | |
| 2005-2008 | Ed's Nite In | Ed the Sock | |
| 2006 | The Morgan Waters Show | Ed the Sock | |
| 2010 | This Movie Sucks! | Ed the Sock | |
| 2012-2013 | George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight | Ed the Sock | as Panelist |
| 2012 | I Hate Hollywood | Ed the Sock | |
| 2013 | Video on Trial | Ed the Sock |
Film
editKerzner appeared as Ed the Sock in the 2018 film The Joke Thief.
Politics
editKerzner ran in the 1990 Ontario general election in the riding of Wilson Heights for Mike Harris' Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, but finished third to the Liberal and NDP candidates.
Results of 1990 Ontario provincial election for the riding of Wilson Heights:[7]
| 1990 Ontario general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||||
| Liberal | Monte Kwinter | 12,272 | 44.4 | |||||
| New Democratic | John Fagan | 9,618 | 34.8 | |||||
| Progressive Conservative | Steven Joel Kerzner | 4,913 | 17.7 | |||||
| Other | 922 | 3.3 | ||||||
| Total votes | 27,725 | 100.0 | ||||||
A fiscal and foreign-policy conservative, Kerzner's political heroes were Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Harris and Brian Mulroney. Since the mid-2000s he has offered more left-of center views, stating in a 2009 interview that he is "no longer a conservative".[8] In recent years, he has vigorously defended Liberal Justin Trudeau, particularly in the wake of the SNC-Lavalin scandal.[9]
In a 2012 interview in which he spoke in favor of the legalization of marijuana, Kerzner stated that the war on drugs was an impossible mistake and said vices such as liquor, gambling and smoking are only taxed because "they make us feel good".[10]
Personal life
editKerzner married Liana Kerzner in 1999.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Zekas, Rita (April 4, 2009). "Sock it to me! At home with Ed The Sock's creator". The Toronto Star.
- ^ "Ed the Sock (A.k.a. Steven Kerzner) wants to bring MuchMusic back with NewMusicNation - National | Globalnews.ca".
- ^ "How North York are you?". North York Post. March 1, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- ^ The rough life of Ed the Sock Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine TV GUIDE, 2010-06-03 (Article by Janine Oliveira)
- ^ The Lonely Geek. "Ed the Sock - Episode Guide (for reruns in New Zealand)". lonely.geek.nz. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ a b "Ed the Sock (a.k.a. Steven Kerzner) wants to bring MuchMusic back with NewMusicNation". Global News.
- ^ "1990 Ontario Election Results: Wilson Heights Riding". Canadian Elections Database. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- ^ Sock it to me! At home with Ed The Sock's creator The Toronto Star, April 4, 2009 (Article by Rita Zekas)
- ^ "Ed the Sock Weighs in on the SNC-Lavalin Scandal".
- ^ Jenkins, Anthony (December 21, 2012). "Radio host Ed the Sock on decriminalizing marijuana". Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 11, 2019.