Andrew Younghusband

Career

Younghusband began his career at 15 as a stage actor in St. John's, Newfoundland. He then branched out into different media and different formats, including radio and television, filling roles in both writing positions and as an on-air personality. He has worked in serious and comedic roles, as well as documentary, reality, and news productions.

One of his comedic appearances was an on-stage and television appearance at the Halifax Comedy Festival. His early television writing duties were in comedic environments, but recently he has written for the two Canada's Worst reality series.

Toiling in limited roles through the 1990s, Younghusband made several guest appearances in television series as well as making modest film appearances, several of which placed him on the same sets "rubbing elbows" with notable Canadian (and fellow Newfoundland natives) personalities including Rick Mercer, Cathy Jones and Mary Walsh.

In 1999, he was co-creator, writer and actor in the short-lived Canadian series Dooley Gardens, playing the role of a homicidal ex-con Zamboni driver. Later that year, he began hosting and co-wrote a Salter Street production called Foodessence, which lasted 65 episodes. The Gemini award-winning Foodessence explored how, why, and what we eat through anthropology, social-science, history and science. The reality-based and historical aspects of the show seemed to signal the beginning of a change of direction for Younghusband's career.

In 2000, he earned critical acclaim for his role in the film Violet, as Carlos, the brilliant, gay son of the title character played by Mary Walsh. The film, set in Newfoundland, was first screened in August 2000 at the Montreal Film Festival.

Salter Street was purchased by Alliance Atlantis, and after the completion of his work on Foodessence, he signed up to participate in a new Life Network reality TV production called Tall Ship Chronicles.

Departing Lunenburg, Nova Scotia in December 2000 on a 19-month, around the world voyage, Younghusband became a crew member of the barque Picton Castle. On board were the captain and nine other professional crew members, along with 35 trainees including Younghusband. Although he was the narrator of the program, he also had to act as bona-fide member of the crew who was required to live under 19th-century conditions. During the voyage, the footage was aired (beginning in June 2001) as a 16-part documentary on Life Network, and later on other networks like the UK incarnation of the Travel Channel. Topsail Entertainment, which produced the series, later went on to produce the popular series Trailer Park Boys. Younghusband had made a guest appearance on the Topsail-produced series Black Harbour in 1998.

Younghusband appeared on CBC Newsworld regularly in a segment called Inside Media, in which he shows a talent for political satire. In 2004, he hosted a national radio show on CBC 1 & 2 called Crank It Up.

Following his experiences in the genre, Younghusband has since worked frequently in reality TV. He hosted and co-wrote the 2005 series Canada's Worst Driver, which has run for 12 seasons. He was also the host of Canada's Worst Handyman, seasons 1 through 6.

In June 2013 he began hosting Don't Drive Here, chronicling driving experiences in some of the worst places to drive in the world (Delhi, Bangkok, Mexico City, Manila, Lima and Ulaanbaatar). The show was not renewed due to poor ratings.

Personal

After living in a small fishing village near St. John's, Newfoundland, Andrew Younghusband now resides in Toronto, Ontario. Over the course of his life and career he has visited more than 40 countries.

On-screen roles

Writing credits

Awards and nominations

Nominated: Gemini (1998), Best Writing in an Information Program or Series for Undercurrents