ABOUT ANTHONY

Anthony Ackroyd is one of Australia’s most successful comedians and speakers. He is currently the CEO, or as he likes to refer to himself, the Head Dude of The Laughter Advantage.

Before becoming a comedian Anthony worked as a busker, actor, puppeteer, songwriter, musician and was the lead singer in the almost famous rock band Albatross. But it was open mike night at the Sydney Comedy Store that would change his destiny. In his stellar career as a stand up comic he would go on to create laughter live in front of thousands of audiences including 110,000 people at Stadium Australia.

Anthony became a household name as a star of ABC TV’s legendary comedy series The Big Gig and has performed and written for hundreds of Australian and international TV shows, radio programmes, and feature films (he’s even been a question on Wheel Of Fortune!). 

Anthony Ackroyd brings the funny on TV's Hey Hey It's Saturday

Anthony brings the funny on TV's Hey Hey It's Saturday

Anthony was also a writer-performer on three of Australia’s most successful comedy TV series, Hey Hey It's SaturdayThe Comedy Company and Good News Week, and filled the role of head writer at Granada Television. For 25 years he was one of the stars of ABC Radio’s top rating comedy show Thank God It’s Friday!

Anthony’s impersonation of Australia's ex-Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has become the stuff of legend and was described by the real Aussie ex-PM Bob Hawke as “the funniest and best in the history of Australian political impersonation”.

Anthony has worked throughout Australia, USA, UK, New Zealand, South America, the Middle East and Asia. He was chosen as one of six international speakers to be featured at Kuwait’s first ever happiness conference and was a headline speaker at the renowned Happiness & Its Causes conference.

Anthony has workshopped material with writer-performers such as Billy Crystal and Rowan Atkinson, and co-starred in the movie Reckless Kelly with Hugo Weaving and English comic Alexei Sayle. He has also written material for Jim Carrey’s Ace Ventura character.

As a clown-doctor Anthony spent years cheering up sick children in the Sydney Children’s Hospital. He is a certified Laughter Group Leader with Laughter Club International. He also worked extensively as a Humour Therapist in aged care facilities helping dementia patients and at Quest, a retreat centre for people dealing with trauma and life threatening illness.

Anthony was the creator and Director of the Bowral Of Laughs Comedy Festival, a three year project which showcased the cream of Australian comedy including the staging of the official Graham Kennedy Celebration which honoured one of Australia’s most iconic comedians.

Impersonating a famously quirky Prime Minister

In the business and corporate world Anthony applies his unique talents to uplifting, entertaining and inspiring with his keynote deliveries and seminars including Stress Less Laugh More: How to use humour and laughter to create happiness, energy, and success! and Humourvation: From Ha Ha to Ah Ha! Using humour to accelerate creativity and innovation, and his highly in demand Humour Skills Coaching For Presenters. He teaches people how to deliberately and skilfully enjoy, create and express humour and laughter at work and in life in general and reap the many rewards. His work in this area has been featured on platforms such as Oprah Winfrey’s website.

Recognised as a leading authority on the social and cultural impacts of comedy Anthony’s articles on this subject have frequently been printed in leading publications including the Sydney Morning Herald.

The political satire web shows Political Bent and The Ackroyd Retort Anthony wrote and presented were featured on the websites of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, WA Today, and The Brisbane Times.

Anthony is a senior teacher at Screenwise Acting School delivering the Comedy course and the Improvisation course. In recognition of his cultural influence Anthony was chosen to be part of a group of prominent Australians recorded for a permanent multi-media installation at the Museum Of Australian Democracy in Canberra.

Anthony delivers Stress Less Laugh More to a big audience