Welcome back to The Deep Dive. Today, we're really
digging into the sources we've got on Tom Gleason,
an Australian comedian, writer, presenter, quite
the figure. Yeah, and our goal here is to chart
his past pretty quickly, but, you know, thoroughly.
How does someone go from studying science to,
well, winning the gold Logie? We're looking for
those connections. And the thing that just grabs
you straight away, the core of it all, really,
is this huge contradiction. You've got this guy
known for being, well, Cutting, sharp, almost
aggressive in his comedy, hard quiz, taskmaster,
gold Loki winner. Right. And yet his foundation,
pure logic, science. Exactly. Thomas Francis
Cleason, born June 2nd, 1974, so he's 51 now.
His degree from the University of Sydney is a
Bachelor of Science. And not just science, but
specifically maths and physics. Wow. Maths and
physics. Well, it's almost jarring, isn't it?
How does that kind of think, you know, objective
proofs, universal laws. Yeah. Calculus, gravity.
Right. How does that feed into making people
laugh, which is so subjective? Well, maybe it's
not about whimsy for him. Maybe it's about structure.
System. like maths and physics. They're about
finding patterns, right? Finding the most efficient
path to a solution. Okay. And good stand -up,
well, it's kind of similar, isn't it? You take
an idea, you structure the setup with real precision,
like an equation, and the punchline has to land
at exactly the right moment, the most efficient
point. So you're saying he might be applying
that scientific method to joke writing? Could
be. Maybe he sees the audience less as a random
crowd and more like a system. You input the right
variables, structure it correctly, and you get
the desired output. Laughter. Solving for laughs.
Okay, that premise makes this whole thing fascinating.
Let's unpack how he got there, because it wasn't
a straight line. No, definitely not. Those early
foundations are key when you see such a big pivot
later on. So let's look at those unexpected foundations.
It wasn't just the university lab. He started
out in rural New South Wales, born in Gunnedah,
lived near Tambar Springs. Right, that regional
background. Then a shift to the city. and a very
structured environment. Boarding school, St.
Joseph's College, Hunter's Hill, and Sydney.
That contrast itself, country freedom versus
city structure that can shape you. But yeah,
the academic path is the really defining part
here. That Bachelor of Science in Maths and Physics,
you don't just fall into that. No, you choose
that because you like solving complex problems.
You like clarity. Ambiguity isn't really the
goal in physics, is it? Ha! No, definitely not.
It was a serious commitment. Years of rigorous
training and thinking logically. And think about
what that teaches you. Physics is cause and effect.
Maths is about efficiency, elegance sometimes.
Okay, I see where you're going. When you watch
Gleason now, especially in hard quiz or hard
chat, every word feels deliberate, calculated.
There's no waffle. True. It's very lean. So that
intellectual discipline. maybe ironically, lets
him pull off this persona that seems really loose
and aggressive, but is actually underneath incredibly
controlled. But wait, before comedy took over
completely, there was another detour, wasn't
there? Something musical. Ah, yes. The sources
mentioned a band he was in during university.
The Fantastic Leslie. The Fantastic Leslie, okay.
And he wasn't the frontman. No, he played the
drums. Apparently sang backup sometimes, too.
Drums. Okay, that fits, doesn't it? The rhythm
section. It's perfect. The drummer's all about
timing, structure. keeping everything together.
It's like a physical version of the mental discipline
from his degree. Keeping that internal rhythm.
Exactly. Which is precisely what a stand -up
needs, right? For delivering a complex routine,
hitting those beats, the structure from music,
the logic from science. They seem to merge right
into his comedy career starting around 96. Okay,
so he takes that sense of timing and structure
and dives into stand -up. Which brings us to,
well, the grind. Section two, the stand -up grind
and unique experiences. And he didn't just sort
of ease in telling jokes as himself. No, he went
straight into a character. Malcolm. Malcolm.
Tell us about Malcolm. Well, this is his first
stage persona and he stuck with it for two years.
So a serious commitment again. Two years as Malcolm.
And what was the look? The sources describe it
pretty vividly. Flannelette shirt, tracksuit
pants, and a wig. Okay, so a recognizable type.
A bit of an Aussie caricature, maybe. Seems like
it. Yeah. But the key thing is the commitment
to the character for so long. Why is that significant,
do you think, starting with a character like
that? Well, it's arguably harder than just doing
observational stuff as yourself. You have to
build rules for the characters with a specific
voice, stay within those boundaries. Right. Maintain
the illusion. Exactly. And that discipline. Performing
behind a mask? Maybe that's what paved the way
for those later character -driven bits on TV,
like the Australian fast bowler or even the hard
chat persona itself. So he learned early how
to inhabit a very specific, maybe abrasive persona
and make it work logically, like field testing
a comedic variable. Yeah, something like that
for two whole years. It shows he was thinking
about the performance side, the theatricality
right from the start. And he didn't just test
Malcolm in local pubs. He hit the festival circuit.
Hard. Oh, yeah. The list is impressive. All the
big Australian ones. Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide
Fringe, Brisbane, Perth Fringe World. But internationally,
too. Right. Edinburgh Fringe, that's the big
one globally. And Montreal's just for last festival.
That's a huge amount of stage time. Thousands
of hours, probably, refining materials, seeing
what works with different crowds, different cultures.
It's the ultimate apprenticeship, really. Testing,
refining, adapting. That scientific approach
again, maybe? Could be. But then came an experience
that wasn't on a festival stage, something pretty
unique and probably quite formative. Ah, you
mean the tours for the troops? Exactly. December
2007, he went to Iraq and Afghanistan to perform
for Australian soldiers on active duty. Yeah,
that's a world away from the Edinburgh Fringe,
isn't it? Performing for an audience under that
kind of constant, intense stress. Totally different
stakes. You'd need to be fearless, but also smart
about it. Can't be dull, can't seem scared yourself.
You know, that experience might have been crucial
in forging that really confident, almost bulletproof
persona we see later. Making soldiers laugh in
a war zone. That takes a certain kind of, well,
calculated boldness. A kind of hard chat before
hard chat? Maybe. That willingness to push boundaries,
but do it effectively? It translates. And characteristically,
he didn't just have the experience. He processed
it, structured it, and turned it into something
else almost immediately. Right. The book, Playing
Poker With His Hay, A Comedy Tour of Iraq and
Afghanistan. Came out less than a year later,
October 2008. That's quick. It shows that writer's
discipline again, doesn't it? Observe, analyze,
articulate, produce. Yeah, it really reinforces
that image of him structuring his own experiences
into material, constantly processing. So all
that grinding, performing, writing, experiencing,
it starts to pay off in terms of recognition,
which leads us nicely into section three, critical
acclaim versus popular wins, two sides of the
coin. Exactly. First, you see the industry recognition
starting to build, the serious nods from peers.
He got nominated three times for the Helpman
Award for Best Comedy Performer. And let's just
remind people, the Helpmans are a big deal in
Australian arts, like the Tonys or the Olivias.
It's about critical artistic merit judged by
the industry. Right. So his nominated shows were
Tom On. Back in 2007, then up himself in 2011,
and quality in 2014. So over a seven -year span,
his live shows are consistently hitting that
high standard, evolving beyond just Malcolm,
getting more refined, critically acclaimed work
out there. Definitely. But critical success doesn't
always mean mass popularity, does it? No, but
he managed to crack that code, too. Later on,
he starts winning awards driven more by audience
votes and ticket sales. Yeah, the Fringe Awards.
His show Joy won Best Comedy. comedy at Perk
Fringe Worlds in 2019. OK. And in the very next
year, 2020, his show Lighten Up won bus comedy
at the Adelaide Fringe. Those are significant
wins showing he could really connect with big
festival crowds across the country. So he's got
the critics and the crowds and that show joy.
Its success didn't just stop on stage, did it?
No, it translated to audio, too. It got an ARIA
nomination. That's the Australian Recording Industry
Award for Best Comedy Release in 2020. Which
is fascinating. It means the jokes, the structure,
the timing, it all worked even without seeing
him perform it live. It holds up just as audio.
Which makes you think, why does his stuff work
so well across different formats? Live, TV. Audio
recording. It has to be that structure, right?
That underlying logic. A joke relying purely
on a silly face might die on audio, but one built
on a clever setup and precise timing. That mathematical
precision. Yeah. It just works, regardless of
the medium. It's got substance, not just style.
Though he has style, too. He does. And all this
success in live comedy paved the way for a much
bigger presence in mass media. Section four,
the rise on air. Starting with radio. Right.
Radio was a key stepping stone, building that
national voice. From 2004 to 2005, he was doing
evenings on Triple M in Sydney and Melbourne.
Tom and Subby with Subby Valentine. That's often
where comics sharpen their quick banter. But
then a bigger leap into Breakfast Radio in 2009.
Yeah, Mixed Mornings on Mix 101 .1 in Melbourne
with Brigitte Duclos. And Breakfast Radio is
a different beast altogether, isn't it? Oh, yeah.
Much broader audience. Relentless pace. Gotta
be on for hours every single morning. Family
friendly, but still funny. It's a real test of
consistency and adaptability. Shows he could
package his wit for the mainstream. And around
the same time his face starts popping up more
on TV. Early sketch comedy work. Yes, Skithouse.
He was in that in 2003 and 2004. Ah, Skithouse.
Right. Playing various characters. It let him
flex those character muscles he'd built up as
Malcolm. The sources mention one standout, the
Australian fast bowler. A parody of Dennis Lally,
apparently. Yeah, shows that observational skill,
too. And that character discipline just keeps
showing up. Then, showing off the smarts again,
he won Australia's brainiest radio star in 2006.
Huh. Yeah. Bit of fun. But it plays into that
competitive, sharp mind image. Good under pressure.
He was also becoming a familiar face on panel
shows, which were huge back then. Definitely.
He was on Big Brother's Big Mouth briefly in
2008 and then quite a few appearances on Good
News Week between 2008 and 2011. Those shows
were vital for comedians to get national exposure,
hone that quick, punchy style. Absolutely. And
then came that big advertising campaign in 2009,
the Red Rooster one. Oh, yeah. They don't get
it in Australia where he's. in America asking
people about Red Rooster. Exactly. That campaign
was everywhere. It really cemented him as this
sort of dry, unmistakably Australian voice observing
the world. Great for his commercial profile.
So by 2013, he's ready for a bigger hosting gig.
This Week Live. Yeah, co -hosting that comedy
chat show with Tommy Little, Dave Thornton, and
Masha Laurie. That felt like the final piece
of the puzzle falling into place, didn't it?
Handling structured chat, reacting live, delivering
opinions week after week. It's the perfect lead
-in to what came next. Which is really where
everything exploded. Section 5. The hard chat
era and peak popularity. This is where that specific
persona really crystallizes. It all kicks off
with The Weekly. with charlie pickering on the
abc starting in 2015. he wasn't just a contributor
he created signature segments right he did this
is what you think go away but the one that really
landed the game changer was Hard chat. Hard chat.
Describe the genius of hard chat. It was, well,
weaponized interviewing, wasn't it? This guy
has a casual chat, but every question was incredibly
pointed, designed purely to needle the celebrity
guest. Calculated conflict. Totally calculated.
The aggression wasn't random. It was the tool.
The controlled variable, like you said before,
designed to provoke a reaction, which became
the comedy. It was analytically hostile, not
genuinely mean -spirited. It was so popular,
so effective, it basically demanded its own show.
Instantly. Hard Quiz spins off in 2016. The brilliance
was realizing that same abrasive interrogating
style worked just as well, maybe even better,
on ordinary people talking about their obscure
passions. Yeah, it shouldn't work, should it?
A quiz host being mean to the contestants. But
they seem to love it, and the audience definitely
does. It's that perfectly judged boundary pushing
again. He knows exactly how far to go. It became
and still is one of the ABC's biggest hits. And
his hosting profile just kept growing. He's now
the taskmaster on Taskmaster Australia. Yeah,
working with Tom Cashman as his assistant. And
the taskmaster role, it's kind of the ultimate
evolution of that persona, isn't it? The inscrutable,
all -powerful judge setting these absurd tasks.
The scientific mind setting the parameters again.
Exactly. And his influence became pretty tangible.
There's that anecdote in the sources about Sophie
Monk in 2017. Right. The speculation that his
hard chat interview with her was so good showed
off her personality so well. That it basically
got her the gig as the bachelorette Australia.
Which is incredible. That's not just being a
funny interviewer. That's actually shaping casting
decisions in the media landscape. Real influence.
He wasn't just reacting to the media anymore.
He was becoming a force within it. And all this
momentum from the science degree, the drumming,
Malcolm, the troop tours, radio, hard chat, it
all leads to the absolute peak in 2019. The Gold
Logie, from his popular personality on television.
Let's just sit with that for a second. The Gold
Logie. It's the biggest popularity prize in Australian
TV, voted for by the public. We talked about
the help mens, that's industry respect. This
is pure audience love. On a massive scale. And
look at who else has won it over the years. Legends
like Graham Kennedy, big stars like Lisa McKeown,
Rove McManus, contemporaries like Hamish Blake.
Joining that list means you've connected with
the Australian public deeply. It's validation
that the very specific, sometimes prickly persona
he crafted wasn't just critically interesting.
He was genuinely popular, widely loved even.
And he's shown he can work anywhere, too. He
did that roast of Paul Hogan in 2022. Yeah, that
was on Channel 7. He moves between the ABC, commercial
networks, radio, his brand, the Gleason persona.
It transcends any single channel. Okay, let's
try and pull this all together. It's quite a
journey, isn't it? Gunneva, physics lab, band
rooms, war zones, comedy stages, radio studios,
TV sets. Ending up with the gold blogey. The
big takeaway has to be adaptability, underpinned
by that sense of structure. He took a background
in logic and science, applied it through music,
stand -up, writing, performing. And found this
incredible success by honing that very sharp,
focused interview style that became hard chat
and then hard quiz. It all comes back to structure
and timing. And for you, the listener, think
about that adaptability. How does being a drummer
maybe inform comedic timing years later? How
does thinking like a mathematician maybe help
you build a persona that can push boundaries
but still feel solid? Yeah, the aggression feels
like a strategy, not just random yelling. It's
calculated. That mix of brainpower and popular
appeal is pretty rare, isn't it? Sometimes comedy
is all style, no substance or vice versa. He
seems to have married them using that foundational
training. He really has. Which leaves us with
one final thought for you to mull over. Gleason's
had this incredibly varied career. He's won the
biggest popularity award. But looking beyond
the gold logie itself. What part of his career
best shows his connection with the Australian
public? And thinking ahead, what's likely to
be his defining legacy? Is it Hard Quiz? You
know, the show he created from his own segment?
Perfectly tailored to his style, full of Aussie
quirks and obsessions. Or is it Taskmaster Australia?
taking on that huge global format, becoming the
face of comedic authority in that context. The
homegrown quiz master versus the international
comedy judge. Where does that scientific structural
brain make the biggest, most lasting impact?
Something to think about. That was our deep dive
into the surprisingly structured, incredibly
successful comedic life of Tom Gleason. Thanks
for joining us.