Kenny Hotz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kenny Hotz
Born	Kenneth Joel Hotz (1967-05-03) May 3, 1967 (age 58) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Education	Ryerson Polytechnical Institute
Occupation	Entertainer screenwriter producer director
Years active	1994–present
Spouse(s)	Audrey Gair (2007–present)
Children	3
Relatives	Joni Mitchell (godmother)
Awards	Gemini Award Canadian Comedy Award
YouTube information
Years active	2006–present
Genre	Comedy
Subscribers	250 thousand
Total views	151.5 million
Subscriber and view counts updated as of May 3, 2023.

Kenneth Joel Hotz (born May 3, 1967) is a Canadian comedy writer, filmmaker, and TV star. He is most famous for starring in the reality comedy show Kenny vs. Spenny. In this show, he competed against his friend Spencer Rice. Kenny Hotz also created other TV series like Testees and Kenny Hotz's Triumph of the Will.

From 2004 to 2006, he worked as a writer for the popular cartoon show South Park. Hotz has directed several films, including Pitch and The Papal Chase. He also helped direct a music video for the song "Monophobia" by Deadmau5. Before his comedy career, Kenny Hotz was a photojournalist and reported from war zones like the Gulf War.

Early Life and School

Kenny Hotz was born into a Jewish family. He went to Forest Hill Collegiate Institute for high school. Later, in 1992, he finished the Media Arts program at Ryerson University. It was in high school that he first met Spencer Rice. They later worked together on films and created their famous show, Kenny vs. Spenny.

His Career

Being a Photo-Journalist

Kenny Hotz started his career as a documentary filmmaker and news photographer. He created photo stories about many important events. These included the Auschwitz and Dachau camps. He also covered the Gulf War. Kenny Hotz was the only Canadian photo-journalist officially covering that war.

His other photo stories included places like Needle Park in Zürich, Switzerland. He also photographed David Koresh and Mount Carmel. He captured images from Romanian orphanages after Nicolae Ceauşescu and New Year's Eve 2000 in Times Square. His work has been bought by national and provincial archives for their collections.

"Mannequins in wedding dresses", taken during the 1991 Gulf War by Kenny Hotz

Early Films

Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice made an 18-minute short film. It was called It Don't Cost Nothin' to Say Good Morning.

In 1996, Hotz created and starred in the documentary Pitch. Spencer Rice also starred in it. The film was shown for the first time at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1997. Famous actors like Al Pacino appeared in the film.

In 1997, he helped write an episode of Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation. The episode was called Truce or Consequences. He wrote it with Spencer Rice.

In 1999, Hotz and Rice moved to Los Angeles. There, they started developing their show Kenny vs. Spenny.

The Papal Chase

Hotz starred in his second feature film, The Papal Chase. This was a documentary about his journey to meet Pope John Paul II. The film came out in 2004. It won several awards. These included the Phillip Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature Film. It also won the People's Choice Award at the Canadian Filmmakers Festival.

Kenny vs. Spenny

Comedy Central's Kenny vs. Spenny – Volume One DVD cover

Kenny vs. Spenny first aired on CBC Television in 2003. It was nominated for eight Gemini awards. The show was about Hotz and Spencer Rice competing in funny challenges. The loser of each challenge had to do a "humiliation."

The show moved from CBC to Showcase television in Canada. This happened after CBC refused to air two episodes. In 2004, Hotz also created a video game idea for the show. It was called Versusville.

Hotz in 2006

In 2009, Maclean's magazine called Kenny vs. Spenny one of the top Canadian TV shows. They said Kenny often tricked or cheated his friend. The show was shown in over 25 countries. It also had remakes in places like Germany, Turkey, and the Netherlands. This made it the most successful comedy show format from Canada.

The last episode, a Christmas special, aired in 2010. The series made 89 episodes over six seasons. In 2014, fans wanted the show to return on Netflix. Hotz and Rice also planned a live comedy tour. In 2020, Hotz and Rice made a special called Kenny & Spenny: Paldemic. It looked at their friendship after Kenny vs. Spenny ended.

South Park and Comedy Central

Hotz (second from right) with Spencer Rice and Kenny vs. Spenny executive producers Trey Parker and Matt Stone backstage at the Game Show Network

Kenny Hotz worked as a writer for South Park. He helped with episodes like "Follow That Egg!" and "Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow". From 2004 to 2006, Hotz was a writer for 42 episodes. He returned in 2012 to write for "Cartman Finds Love".

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who created South Park, became executive producers for Kenny vs. Spenny. They said they discovered the show while working late. They watched the episode "Who Can Stay Awake the Longest?". The Writers Guild of America named the South Park writing team, including Hotz, as one of the best in TV history.

Testees

In 2008, Hotz created a sitcom called Testees for FX Networks. The show had 13 episodes. It was about two roommates who worked as test subjects for a company. Hotz said he was inspired by a character in the movie Bananas. The show received good reviews. A critic from The Washington Post called it "wall-to-wall uproarious."

Kenny Hotz's Triumph of the Will

In 2011, Hotz starred in and produced a new series. It was called Kenny Hotz's Triumph of the Will. The show started on Canada's Action network on July 22, 2011. The series had six episodes. In it, Hotz tried to complete big challenges. These challenges often made people think about social ideas. The show was filmed in Canada, the US, and France.

Vice

Hotz is a producer, host, and writer for Vice. In 2006, he won an award for the publication's best fiction article. In 2015, he directed and starred in a Vice talk show called Me on You. In 2016, Vice Media aired a TV special starring Hotz. It was called Getting an Election. This special was nominated for an award. Hotz has also been a spokesperson for Vice Media events.

Other Work

In 2013, Hotz started a weekly radio show on Sirius Radio in the U.S. It airs in both Canada and the United States. In 2015, he had a role in the film The Chickening. This film was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. He also produced the film. In 2018, Hotz helped direct a music video. It was for the song "Monophobia" by Deadmau5. The video was later nominated for the Prism Prize.

Business Ventures

Kenny Hotz used to own The Hoxton. It was a bar and music venue in Toronto. In 2013, famous musicians Kanye West and Drake performed there.

Hotz also owns the Dog & Bear restaurant and bar in Toronto. In 2018, he was a judge for a competition called Canada's Top 100 Restaurants.

Personal Life

Hotz is an atheist. He can speak Hebrew.

Kenny Hotz's godmother is the famous folk singer Joni Mitchell.

In 2007, Hotz married Audrey Gair. They have three children together.

Filmography (selected)

Appearances in Other Media

Awards and Nominations

Film and Television

Writing

Honours and Special Mentions

In November 2013, Kenny Hotz was nominated for "Digital Personality of the Year." This was at the Canadian Digi Awards.

In 2013, he received the "Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers." This medal is given by the Governor General of Canada.