Scott Thompson (actor)
A razor-sharp comedic mind who brought a uniquely queer and subversive energy to sketch comedy and television.
Born 1959 (age 67)·Canadian comedian and actor·Birthday: June 12·Baby Boomers
Biography
Scott Thompson emerged from the vibrant Toronto comedy scene as a founding member of The Kids in the Hall, a troupe that would define alternative comedy in the late 80s and early 90s. His persona, Buddy Cole—a flamboyant, acerbic barfly—became a signature, allowing Thompson to deliver cutting social commentary wrapped in velvet. This success translated to American television, where he stole scenes as the hilariously sycophantic and insecure talent agent Brian on HBO's groundbreaking 'The Larry Sanders Show.' Thompson's work, often drawing from his life as a gay man, consistently pushed boundaries, blending absurdity with poignant honesty and influencing a generation of performers who valued character-driven, idiosyncratic humor.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Scott was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Scott Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Scott's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-created and performed in the influential sketch comedy series 'The Kids in the Hall,' which ran for five seasons and spawned film projects.
- Portrayed the iconic recurring character Buddy Cole, a sharp-tongued raconteur, across multiple Kids in the Hall projects.
- Earned critical acclaim for his role as the anxious talent agent Brian on HBO's pioneering sitcom 'The Larry Sanders Show.'
- Authored the book 'Buddy Babylon: The Autobiography of Buddy Cole,' expanding the lore of his most famous character.
Did You Know?
He worked as a research assistant for author Robertson Davies at the University of Toronto's Massey College.
He publicly came out as gay in a 1994 interview with The Advocate, a significant act for a mainstream comedian at the time.
He is a passionate hockey fan and a devoted supporter of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He survived a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, diagnosed in 2001.
“I'm not an actor who happens to be gay. I'm a gay man who happens to be an actor.”
