Aba Amuquandoh is Living on the Edge

After nearly three decades, the 28th season of This Hour Has 22 Minutes has come with a heap of changes. A new studio, COVID-19 protocols, and the departure of veteran cast member, Susan Kent. The greatest change has come in the form of Aba Amuquandoh, who became the youngest cast member in the show's history.

Take me through the process of how you got on the show.

It’s funny. A friend messaged me in April about reaching out to Heidi Brander, not knowing she was the head writer of 22 Minutes. But it was April; I'm depressed, the world is on fire, don’t talk to me about my career. Let me order McDonald's again for the fifth time this week. But then in early August, I got a message from one of the producers asking me to submit a self tape and packet. So I made an audition tape of Beyonce singing about Coronavirus. 

I expected them to say, "Awe, so cute. Try again next time." But I got a message from the producer asking for my availability, and I thought they were just putting out feelers. I've had emails like that before, only to follow up and receive a, "oh, nevermind." Then, a few weeks later, I got cast and flew to Halifax. 

How has writing for this show differ from writing for yourself? 

My writing is more off the cuff, and a lot more stupid. I actually met with a producer who told me I was "so edgy." Edgy?! I haven't even approached edgy yet!

But being political has never been an issue, I’ve always been politically savvy; because war is constantly being waged on the bodies of people who look like me. I have to know about politics in order to get my point across and be respected, I’ve just had to tame my stuff for this audience. It’s been a great lesson in editing, and a very supportive environment to learn. The note is always “keep the idea, but make it 22 Minutes style.” For example, my Alanis sketch was originally supposed to be WAP, and it turned into Ironic (which I'm not sad about, I love that song and Alanis).

Have the other writers helped you?

Absolutely. Every single week I'm like, "you guys, I suck!" And they say, "no, shut up, we're gonna teach you how to write for this show!" If it weren't for them, I would have walked into traffic by now. Everything moves so quickly, and it's hard to find the voice of the show when you’re new. I'm very grateful for them.

How have you been coping with the stresses of the show? 

I’ve allowed myself to order food. Initially, I felt guilty about indulging, but there's so much stress from the show. So I've given in to ordering and then popping on a stupid movie. I've watched Lord of the Rings five times since being here. Also, hanging out with the writers and just venting about the writing process has helped.

What's the one piece of advice you have?

You need to make sure people represent you the way that you want to be represented. At the beginning, it felt like I was being difficult. But it was reassuring hearing people saying, "no, no, this is good, it means that we're not going to make mistakes, and you’ll be represented properly.” At the end of the day, it's not just broadcasting on TV. It's on the internet. Forever. So standing your ground is the most important takeaway when your likeness is being used.

Watch Aba Amuquandoh on season 28 of This Hour Has 22 Minutes on Tuesdays at 8:30pm ET on CBC TV, and listen to Aba co-host season 2 of Nostalgique on Sonar Network.