Dee, born Gerard Francis-John Donoghue, is of Irish and Scottish descent. He was a university varsity hockey player and golfer. He attended St. Gabriel's and De La Salle College, Oaklands, where he later worked as a physical education teacher and hockey coach. He studied kinesiology and athletic therapy at York University and education at St. Francis Xavier University. His father was a bus driver for the TTC in Toronto for over 20 years.
Career
Dee was relatively successful long before being on Last Comic Standing. He had already had his own comedy special on The Comedy Network in Canada, appeared on the Comedy Network special "The Nubian Disciples", and performed at the world-famous Montreal Just for Laughs International Comedy Festival, having his segment aired on Just For Laughs. He has appeared in television commercials and has performed at many comedy clubs, including Just For Laughs and Yuk Yuks. Dee also had a role in the 2006 film , where he played the role of Donny. That same year, Dee played former Boston Bruins player Wayne Cashman in the CBC miniseries Canada Russia '72. Dee placed third on the fifth season of Last Comic Standing. He had tried out for Last Comic Standing during the second and fourth seasons, but never advanced to the finals. He missed the birth of his daughter while appearing on the show. Since late 2007, Dee has had his own segment on Canadian cable channel The Score. These segments, entitled Gerry Dee: Sports Reporter, have Dee conducting humorous interviews and segments. The interviews have included such sports personalities as Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Cito Gaston, Randy Couture, and Chris Bosh. Dee appeared in television commercials for Rogers, Wisers, KFC and Nissan, and is currently making guest appearances on CBC's The Hour. He won a 2008 Canadian Comedy Award in the Best Male Stand-Up comic category. In January 2012, his sitcom Mr. D premiered on CBC Television. Created, written by and starring Dee, the show is based on his experience as a high-school teacher. Dee’s children, Alyce, Faith, and Breton Donoghue, are also a part of the cast. Alyce played "Amanda-Susan" as well as some background characters, Faith played "Faith" as well as some background characters, and Breton played "John". On July 8, 2019, it was announced that Dee would be the host of Family Feud Canada.
Publishing career
In October 2012, Doubleday Canada published Dee's Teaching: It's Harder Than It Looks. Like Dee's sitcom Mr. D, Teaching is based on his ten years as a teacher. A national bestseller, the book came out in paperback in May 2013.
Personal life
Dee is the son of Scottish immigrant parents. He was born in Scarborough and raised in Toronto. He is a former high school physical education teacher. He was the first Canadian ever to win the prestigious San Francisco Comedy Competition. He played Varsity hockey at St Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Dee and his wife Heather have two daughters Alyce and Faith, as well as one son, Breton. His daughters played recurring roles on his comedy show Mr. D as Amanda-Susan and Faith, while his son appeared in the series finale as John.
