Canada Is Up — And Veronika Slowikowska Is Proof

Canada is up! 

If you’ve been even remotely tapped into pop culture lately, you know Canada is having a serious moment right now. (Heated Rivalry, anyone?)

Actually, scratch that — Canada’s been having a moment.

This American Belieber was raised on Degrassi: The Next Generation, discovered Justin Bieber during his YouTube era, and has spent years locked into Canadian talent — from Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, and Sandra Oh to Alessia Cara, PARTYNEXTDOOR, and Justin Nozuka.

But lately, it feels like the rest of the world — especially Americans — are finally catching up to just how stacked our neighbors to the north really are.

One of the latest names breaking through? Veronika Slowikowska. Known for her hilariously awkward, hyper-specific short-form sketches filmed inside her Brooklyn apartment with friends and fellow comics, Slowikowska has quietly built one of the internet’s most devoted fanbases, a following that’s propelled her into a breakout first season on Saturday Night Live.

While speaking with the comedian, creator, and SNL rookie about her latest collaboration with SONIC alongside fellow internet favorite Mary Beth Barone, I asked why she thinks Canada consistently produces so many standout entertainers.

“My theory is, because it’s so cold here, I feel like we have to entertain ourselves,” Slowikowska said. “Not that it’s boring here, but it’s pretty lax. So then we just make ourselves laugh. There’s something about the cold weather that I think creates crazy people in the best way.”

As someone who’s spent years fanning out over Canadian talent, I’m grateful for whatever’s happening up north that keeps producing entertainers this good. 

Slowikowska’s humor — chaotic, fun, and strangely comforting — makes being online feel fun again. So pairing her with Barone, whose dry wit has made her one of the funniest people on the internet right now, feels less like a marketing decision and more like comedy chemistry doing what it does best. 

Honestly, this may be the strongest Canadian-American alliance we’ve seen in a while.

Keep scrolling to read my Q&A with one of Canada’s funniest, Veronika Slowikowska.

Let’s talk about this SONIC campaign. You’re paired with Mary Beth Barone, and y’all just seem to be having so much fun. Can you tell me about working together?

So Mary Beth and I had met a few times. Every time we'd see each other at an event or party, we would always kind of gravitate towards each other. And I was definitely like, 'Okay, I would love to be friends with her.' And then we followed each other on social media. And then [working together on] this solidified our friendship, spending an entire day together, filming spots for SONIC Refreshers. It was like the best day ever. It was so fun.

It was our first time working together in this capacity, and when we posted one of the videos, the fans kind of went crazy for it. I think it was a pair meant to be from heaven.

Yeah. I saw the comment section for the posts and was like, ‘This is so positive.’ I feel like both yours and Mary’s comment sections are actually happy places on social media.

Genuinely. Genuinely.

Now let’s get into the commercials. How was the experience filming these two spots?

We were just sipping on Refreshers, and it was such a fun summer day. It was awesome. [...] And then we just riffed together. We definitely improvised a little bit on our end for some of these spots, which was fun. And our director, Iris, is amazing.

Switching gears a little bit, I have to say, Canadians are on such a generational run right now. Who are some Canadian entertainers and creatives you love or feel inspired by?

Well, I have to say Matthew Johnson and the team behind Nirvanna: The Band - the Show - the Movie. Catherine O’Hara, rest in peace. And all the Eugene Levy and SCTV people as well. I met Mike Myers recently, and that was incredible. Of course, Jim Carrey. There’s so many of us. And even the music scene, obviously — Shawn Mendes, Justin Bieber, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Mississauga and that whole area. The Weeknd, Drake, obviously.

As someone who grew up on Degrassi, I have to ask: What Canadian shows, movies, or creatives do you think Americans need to know about?

Definitely Nirvanna: The Band - the Show - the Movie. Honestly, anything Matt Johnson’s made. His movies are so amazing. Every season of Degrassi. I was just talking about how, watching MTV as a Canadian in 2013, all the Degrassi kids were our celebrities in this massive way. It was everything. And MuchMusic. Oh, Schitt’s Creek. And Norm Macdonald has also been one of my favorite Canadian comics. Rest in peace. But yeah, honestly, Nirvanna: The Band - the Show - the Movie — that’s the one.

I want to talk a little bit more about you. So you’ve built this massive audience online. Do you feel like the way people engage with your comedy has changed as your world’s gotten bigger?

I feel like a lot of people protect me, which is really sweet. I mean, walking down the street... I’m in Canada right now, and sometimes, specifically being in Toronto, where I started doing comedy, people are really proud of me right now. The fact that I’m representing Toronto and our country, honestly, it just makes me emotional. I think, if anything, people have this sort of parasocial thing with me, and I’m totally okay with it. They’re like, “I feel like I’m your friend.” I’m like, “We are friends. Like, totally.”

Your fans seem to have such a strong connection to you. What do you think people are connecting to in your humor?

Specifically, something about my apartment, I think, just looks like a New York apartment because it is. And it’s sort of this new Friends or New Girl or something, where you have a familiar place that looks like something that maybe, whether you’re in... A lot of people are like, “I didn’t know you’re in New York.” They thought I was in Toronto. It just looks like a young person’s apartment and what kind of will-they-won’t-they shenanigans go down, I guess.

And to me, my favorite thing about the Veronika persona or whatever character is that she’s always trying but failing. And what happens when the failure happens, and how is she scraping together to not embarrass herself or get back on track? I think it’s such a human thing, and I’ve been embarrassed a million and four times. So what happens if we sit in the embarrassment? I think that’s the relatable thing about it.

How do you keep the two worlds separate, you being Veronika online versus Veronika offline? Or do you feel like it’s just who you are constantly?

It’s definitely a version of me. When I’ve had a SONIC Refresher, but very little caffeine, or a little bit of green tea, it’s the version where I’m just feeling good and energized and silly. And of course, there’s another side to me, which is just chill, watching TV, and a normal person, but that is me entertaining my friends.

This article has been edited for clarity and length.