Andre Arruda Scholarship

Andre "the Anti-Giant" Arruda (1983-2017) was born in Kitchener, Ontario, and moved to Toronto in 2001 to attend Humber College's Comedy Writing and Performance program. At “3-foot-something,” the comedian became not only a recognizable force in Toronto’s stand-up community, but an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities.

After graduating from Humber’s comedy program, Andre blazed a career as a stand-up comic across Canada and the U.S. He appeared in American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile, The Russell Peters Christmas Special, Warehouse 13, Baroness Von Sketch, Kenny Vs. Spenny, Hank And Mike, Happenchance, The Jon Dore Show, The Ron James Show, VICE’s Standing Up With Andre Arruda and An Evening With Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder, among many others.

One of his final projects was a documentary called Andre: The Anti-Giant, which hit the film festival circuit in 2017 and was released online by Bravo Canada.

“I became a disability advocate by accident, by living my life,” Arruda said in a trailer for the documentary. “I don’t have a disability until I’m confronted with someone that says, ‘You can’t get in here because of your height.’ ”

Despite harassment, lack of accessibility in the city and multiple spinal surgeries, Arruda always maintained a sense of humour, friends said. The 33-year-old Arruda’s death followed a lifelong struggle with Morquio syndrome, a rare birth defect associated with dwarfism that makes it difficult to walk.

This memorial award is being created to commemorate Andre’s strength of character and his significant contributions to comedy and advocacy. The Andre Arruda Scholarship will recognize students in the Comedy Writing and Performance program who have demonstrated perseverance and resilience in overcoming significant obstacles.