Movers & Shakers: Dave Merheje on Fedoras, Friendship and Finding Home

From Windsor to Toronto to Los Angeles, Canadian comedian and actor Dave Merheje has built a career that's taken him across North America. Best known for his award-winning stand-up, his starring role in Ramy, and appearances in films like Sometimes I Think About Dying and The F Word, Merheje has spent much of his adult life living out of suitcases, apartments, and temporary homes.

For this edition of Movers & Shakers, we spoke with Dave about the moves that shaped him, the fashion decision he'd rather forget, and why home has become less about a place and more about a feeling.

TSM: Where did you grow up?

Dave Merheje: I grew up in Windsor, Ontario, which is on the border of Detroit, so it's like a border town.

TSM: When did you first move away from home?

Dave Merheje: I moved to Toronto in my mid-20s. I graduated from St. Clair College, worked for a year in a factory, and then made the move.

TSM: Was comedy already part of your life by then?

Dave Merheje: Yeah, I started doing stand-up when I was about 19. I thought you had to be old enough to perform in bars. I wasn't doing it every day—I was still in college—but I entered Yuk Yuk's Funniest Comic competition back then.

TSM: What was your first place like?

Dave Merheje: It was an apartment in Toronto with two roommates. That was my first real experience living away from my family.

TSM: Every roommate has a story. Did you have a memorable one?

Dave Merheje: Nothing too crazy. I don't want to throw anyone under the bus.

TSM: Was there anything you owned back then that makes you cringe today?

Dave Merheje: The fedora.

TSM: Really?

Dave Merheje: Yeah... maybe for about a year. I don't even want to go down that road.

TSM: Is there something you've carried with you through your moves?

Dave Merheje: More recently, it's been drawings and gifts from my nieces. Those are the things I always keep.

TSM: You moved to the United States in 2016. What was that process like?

Dave Merheje: The immigration part probably took longer than the actual move. I was lucky that a friend connected me with a place to stay, but getting everything sorted out took time.

TSM: Has every move gone smoothly?

Dave Merheje: Definitely not. One time a friend and I had to share one room—and basically share a bed—while we waited for a third roommate to move into the apartment. It wasn't ideal.

TSM: When you've moved, have you usually done it yourself or hired movers?

Dave Merheje: Both. I've moved myself plenty of times, and I even worked for a moving company for a while.

TSM: Really?

Dave Merheje: Yeah... it was in the U.S. Let's just leave it at that.

TSM: Of all the places you've lived, which has felt most like home?

Dave Merheje: In terms of my comedy and acting career, Toronto.

TSM: If you had ten minutes to pack one box that represented your life, what would go inside?

Dave Merheje: Definitely the drawings and gifts from my nieces. Those are the things that matter most.

TSM: Is there a city you feel like you ran away from?

Dave Merheje: No, not really. I still go back to Windsor. There isn't anywhere I feel like I escaped from.

TSM: What about a place you couldn't wait to leave?

Dave Merheje: There have been comedy gigs like that. Cranbrook, B.C., comes to mind. I remember thinking, "What am I doing here?"

TSM: What does "home" mean to you now compared to when you were 20?

Dave Merheje: It's different now. I can go back to Toronto and think, "This is what I love," but also, "This is what annoys me." Right now I'm happy living in L.A., but I don't know if that's where I'll stay forever.

Final Thoughts

Like many comedians, Dave Merheje has spent much of his life in transit—chasing opportunities from Windsor to Toronto to Los Angeles while spending countless nights on the road. Along the way, he's learned that the things worth carrying aren't the trendy hats or the furniture, but the personal mementos that remind him of family. Whether it's a box of drawings from his nieces or memories of the city that launched his career, home has become something he carries with him rather than somewhere he simply lives.

To keep up with Dave Merheje's upcoming tour dates and projects, follow him on Instagram or visit davemerheje.com for the latest announcements.