CALGARY -- Psst ... wanna know a secret about comedians?

They're not nearly as funny in interviews. At least print interviews.

On stage and in front of cameras, they're the person you'd most like to share a pint with, but behind the scenes, many comics are serious and even downright dull.

That's why talking to Harland Williams is a pleasant surprise.

The popular Canadian comedian is as droll and laid-back as his public persona.

"I made it my mission to just be myself," says Williams, who is touring across the country as part of the Just For Laughs Comedy Tour.

"I think when you let the expectations of the public overshadow you, you get lost."

Williams says the pressures of fan expectation has led some of his predecessors and contemporaries -- most notably Andy Dick, the late John Belushi and Chris Farley -- into drug and alcohol abuse.

"Society dictates what this celebrity is supposed to be like and I think that's how a lot of celebrities get caught up in this different reality. But I just try to be myself and not worry about all that."

Born and raised in Toronto, Williams has been based in L.A. for 11 years.

He made his big-screen debut in 1994 in fellow Canadian Jim Carrey's comedy blockbuster, Dumb & Dumber.

In 1997, Williams looked as if he might hit the big time when he was given the starring role in Disney's Rocket Man.

Despite Williams' hilarious performance as a nerdy astronaut, Rocket Man was a box-office bummer. It's failure to make an impact on audiences threw Williams into a short depression.

"I was very, very disappointed," Williams recalls.

"But I think Rocket Man, regardless of how it did financially, is a gem. People come up to me all the time and say, 'That was a great movie.'

"Movies are tough. I was really hoping that would be my Ace Ventura. But I'm really proud of it, and I don't hold onto any bitterness. I just have to think, 'What can I do to go to the next level?' Once I do that, people will go back and take a second look at Rocket Man."

A year after Rocket Man, Williams was back on track with a brief but memorable appearance as a loony hitchhiker in There's Something About Mary.

He recently finished shooting a comedy pilot called Enter At Your Own Risk for CTV and just wrapped up filming the drama Family Tree, the first live action feature from Shrek director Vicky Jenson.

Though he has had his shares of ups and downs, Williams says he has absolutely no regrets.

"I feel very good about what I've done," he says.

"I've been able to accomplish most of my dreams. I've been very lucky.

"I've seen people who have come down (from Canada) the same time I did, and some of them haven't even done a commercial or have an agent after 15 years."

The Just For Laughs Comedy Tour is at the Jack Singer Concert Hall tomorrow and Monday night. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.


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