About Jess
Celebrated Comedian,
Author &
Mental Health Advocate
Beloved comedian Jessica Holmes has brought the house down opening for giants like Ellen DeGeneres, Russell Peters, Jerry Seinfeld, and Oprah Winfrey. She has also performed at Just For Laughs and The Second City, and starred in the hit comedy series, Royal Canadian Air Farce and The Holmes Show. Her hilarious take on life’s challenges as well as her unique knack for impersonating celebrities always leaves audiences in stitches.
About Jess
Celebrated Comedian,
Author &
Mental Health Advocate
Beloved comedian Jessica Holmes has brought the house down opening for giants like Ellen DeGeneres, Russell Peters, Jerry Seinfeld, and Oprah Winfrey. She has also performed at Just For Laughs and The Second City, and starred in the hit comedy series, Royal Canadian Air Farce and The Holmes Show. Her hilarious take on life’s challenges as well as her unique knack for impersonating celebrities always leaves audiences in stitches.
Holmes, like millions of Canadians, has struggled both with post-partum depression and, as she puts it, “regular, run-of-the-mill, garden-variety depression”. Striving to help end the stigma around mental health issues, she openly shares her personal stories with the humour she’s known for, bringing light to what can often be a dark topic. Her funny and inspiring book, Depression The Comedy: A Tale of Perseverance, takes readers deep into her mental health journey with validation and warmth. Holmes was part of the Mormon church in her youth and spent a year and a half doing missionary work in Venezuela. Though she’s no longer part of that faith and became Unitarian in 2006, she credits her time on the mission for getting over her shyness and embracing her comedic side. She is grateful to help end the stigma around mental illness and in 2018 was honoured to join the Bell Let’s Talk team as a celebrity ambassador.
Holmes, like millions of Canadians, has struggled both with post-partum depression and, as she puts it, “regular, run-of-the-mill, garden-variety depression”. Striving to help end the stigma around mental health issues, she openly shares her personal stories with the humour she’s known for, bringing light to what can often be a dark topic. Her funny and inspiring book, Depression The Comedy: A Tale of Perseverance, takes readers deep into her mental health journey with validation and warmth. Holmes was part of the Mormon church in her youth and spent a year and a half doing missionary work in Venezuela. Though she’s no longer part of that faith and became Unitarian in 2006, she credits her time on the mission for getting over her shyness and embracing her comedic side. She is grateful to help end the stigma around mental illness and in 2018 was honoured to join the Bell Let’s Talk team as a celebrity ambassador.
As a performer, Holmes’ productions have garnered her a Platinum Award at The Worldfest International Film Festival and nominations for Gemini Awards. In addition to her television work, she has starred in in the films Welcome to Mooseport, Citizen Duane, and Moonpoint, as well as the CBC Gem series The Communist’s Daughter. Today, her greatest joy is working as an advocate for mental health and helping people take simple, sustainable steps towards fulfillment and well-being, one laugh at a time.