Tetsuro Shigematsu (born 1971) is a playwright/performer, filmmaker, comedian, and Canadian radio broadcaster. He was the final host of CBC Radio One's former afternoon series The Roundup, where he replaced Bill Richardson in 2004, making him the first visible minority to host a daily network radio program in Canada. The show completed its final episode on November 4, 2005. Prior to working for CBC Radio, he was a writer for the Canadian TV show This Hour Has 22 Minutes. He is currently a writer for The Huffington Post, and artist-in-residence at Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre.
Early life
Shigematsu was born in London, England in 1971. His father was from Kagoshima, Japan, and his mother was from Osaka, Japan. His family emigrated to Canada in 1974. He grew up in Surrey, British Columbia, with four siblings, and studied in Montreal. He has a BFA from Concordia University.
In 1991, at the age of 19, Shigematsu became the youngest playwright to compete in the history of the Quebec Drama Festival. The 2016 remount also sold out its run prior to opening.
In October 2017, Shigematsu's next solo work, 1 Hour Photo, had its world premiere at The Cultch in Vancouver. 1 Hour Photo was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for English-language drama at the 2019 Governor General's Awards.
Personal life
Shigematsu speaks English, French, Japanese, and Persian. He has two children.