Steven Joel Kerzner
Born (1970-08-25) August 25, 1970
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
NationalityCanadian
Other namesEd the Sock
Occupation(s)Actor, producer, television personality
Years active1987–present
Known forEd the Sock
Spouse
Liana Kerzner
(m. 1999)
[1]

Steven Joel Kerzner is a Canadian actor, producer and television personality best known for his portrayal of Ed the Sock, originally appearing on CityTV and MuchMusic (until its decline in 2013). Kernzer has continued to portray the character through his own media initiatives FU Network and NewMusicNation.[2]

Career

As a teenager in 1984 Kerzner began volunteering through a student co-op program at Newton Cable, a small local station in Downsview, Ontario. It was at the station that Kernzer developed the Ed the Sock character. Requiring a co-host on short notice, so Kerzner took a sock and other supplies from the station's craft closet and made a sock puppet with glue caps for eyes. He named the puppet Ed after Ed Asner and co-hosted the segment himself. [3] By 1987 Kerzner became a producer and director of programming.[4]

Kerzner later moved the character to CityTV[5] and MuchMusic.[6]

Following the decline of MuchMusic in 2013, due to an acquisition by Bell Media, Kerzner has made a number of attempts to bring the character back through the use of online media. In 2016, he announced the FU Network and in 2021 created the NewMusicNation brand, raising funds for creating an online version of what MuchMusic used to be like.[6]

Filmography

TV

Year Title Role Notes
1988-2013 Fromage Ed the Sock
1995-2008 Ed & Red's Night Party Ed the Sock
1996 The Best of Ed's Night Party Ed the Sock
1998 First Time Out As director
2000 Ed's Big Wham Bam Ed the Sock
2000 Royal Canadian Air Farce Ed the Sock
2001 Spacebar Ed the Sock
2005-2008 Ed's Nite In Ed the Sock
2006 The Morgan Waters Show Ed the Sock
2010 This Movie Sucks! Ed the Sock
2012-2013 George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight Ed the Sock as Panelist
2012 I Hate Hollywood Ed the Sock
2013 Video on Trial Ed the Sock

Film

Kerzner appeared as Ed the Sock in the 2018 film The Joke Thief.

Politics

Kerzner ran in the 1990 Ontario general election in the riding of Wilson Heights for Mike Harris' Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, but finished third to the Liberal and NDP candidates.

Results of 1990 Ontario provincial election for the riding of Wilson Heights:[7]

1990 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes%
LiberalMonte Kwinter12,27244.4
New DemocraticJohn Fagan9,61834.8
Progressive ConservativeSteven Joel Kerzner4,91317.7
Other9223.3
Total votes 27,725100.0

A fiscal and foreign-policy conservative, Kerzner's political heroes were Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Harris and Brian Mulroney. Since the mid-2000s he has offered more left-of center views, stating in a 2009 interview that he is "no longer a conservative".[8] In recent years, he has vigorously defended Liberal Justin Trudeau, particularly in the wake of the SNC-Lavalin scandal.[9]

In a 2012 interview in which he spoke in favor of the legalization of marijuana, Kerzner stated that the war on drugs was an impossible mistake and said vices such as liquor, gambling and smoking are only taxed because "they make us feel good".[10]

Personal life

Kerzner married Liana Kerzner in 1999.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Zekas, Rita (April 4, 2009). "Sock it to me! At home with Ed The Sock's creator". The Toronto Star.
  2. "Ed the Sock (A.k.a. Steven Kerzner) wants to bring MuchMusic back with NewMusicNation - National | Globalnews.ca".
  3. "How North York are you?". North York Post. March 1, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  4. The rough life of Ed the Sock Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine TV GUIDE, 2010-06-03 (Article by Janine Oliveira)
  5. The Lonely Geek. "Ed the Sock - Episode Guide (for reruns in New Zealand)". lonely.geek.nz. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Ed the Sock (a.k.a. Steven Kerzner) wants to bring MuchMusic back with NewMusicNation". Global News.
  7. "1990 Ontario Election Results: Wilson Heights Riding". Canadian Elections Database. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  8. Sock it to me! At home with Ed The Sock's creator The Toronto Star, April 4, 2009 (Article by Rita Zekas)
  9. "Ed the Sock Weighs in on the SNC-Lavalin Scandal".
  10. Jenkins, Anthony (December 21, 2012). "Radio host Ed the Sock on decriminalizing marijuana". Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
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