Anthony Cools

Variety, Hypnotists, Comedy, Male

Anthony Cools has taken the art form of comedic hypnosis and soared into an entertainment dimension untouched by his peers.

As others cautiously test the outer limits of adult comedy, Calgary-born Cools has already taken the plunge into an outrageous vat of raw, boiling humor. The man operates on your sexual hang-ups and funny bone with the same instrument... a wry sense of humor sharpened to a side-splitting point.

His uncensored shows have brought sold-out audiences to their knees throughout Canada, and now he is about to export himself into the United States. Booking agents in New York, Nashville and Los Angeles loved what they saw in this unconventional performer, heralding him as the most refreshing find in comedy since burlesque.

Anthony has reinvented live entertainment. He places a stranglehold on his audience that few can escape, captivating them with his irreverent and often ribald dialogue. Using willing participants from his audience, Anthony sends them into a hypnotic world rife with the unexpected and free of all embarrassment.

He is energetic and capable of "almost anything". If you see him once, you must return the next night in fear of missing the one outrageous act no one said could or should be done.

Anthony has always been intrigued by the paranormal and as a young man spent every spare moment enriching his knowledge on subjects like hypnosis. Working as a DJ and Night Club manager in Calgary, he saw an opportunity and took to his own stage with a rough but still hilarious version of his present act. He was floored by the flood of positive response, and has never looked back.

As a hypnotherapist, Anthony also knows the serious side of the business, and the good that can come from it. He has, through both tapes and personal sessions, helped thousands in their bid to stop smoking, lose weight or attain other personal goals.

As his success continues to flourish, it is not surprising to see more and more of his contemporaries borrow from his skits. As an innovator, however, Anthony is flattered by the attention and far too busy preparing for his next generation of live hypnosis to worry about those trying to catch up.

Even though a national distribution deal for his "live" video is now in negotiations, Anthony remains committed to his personal policy of staying on tour and presenting six shows every week. When it's this much fun, he explains, it isn't really work.