Born and raised on the mean streets of Surrey, British Columbia, Laurie Murdoch fought his way to the top with a highly-specialized type of warfare: Vaudeville.

After joining the family performance business, “Frantic Follies” in Whitehorse, a young Murdoch returned to Vancouver with a concept for a Vaudeville routine for Expo 86. His street performance act was a hit, and he later took the show to Expo 88.

Looking back, Murdoch tells CTV.ca he remembers, “It was great, it was good money and it was fun.”

“It was hard, because you’re competing with everything else in the environment, so you have to start big and get bigger.”

These days, Murdoch can be seen on primetime on CTV in the hit comedy series “Dan for Mayor” alongside Fred Ewaniuck, where Murdoch plays Alan Duffy, the bumbling chief of staff to Ewaniuck’s now-Mayor, Dan.

While last season Alan was Dan’s bitter rival in the race for mayor, Alan now works for Dan, helping him navigate the shark-filled municipal waters. It’s a change in dynamic for Murdoch, who now spends most of his scenes with Ewaniuck, instead of last season, where the majority of scenes he had was with Mary Ashton.

Murdoch feels good about the change in arrangement, despite his comments that “Fred is not as pretty.”

But in a more serious tone, Murdoch says “It’s great fun, because everyone on this show is awesome, everyone has a completely different style, and a complete different kind of timing and dealing with material. It’s great. It’s like sandbox time. Now I’m doing scenes with the big guy… the title character.”

Murdoch remembers when he first auditioned for the role of Alan, he picked up very quickly on what the character was all about.

“He struck me as someone who is blocked off from his own creativity. He can only do what he’s seen other people do. He’s come into the politics scene as Bud Calgrove’s man, and that’s how he thinks it’s done. He has no inner guidance,” says the actor.

“I see him in a way, that he has a desire to be a statesman, an important person, but he just isn’t smart enough. Anytime he goes to speak or open his mouth, he drops the ball. He keeps trying, he keeps on coming back. He’s got all the drive he needs to be successful… he just doesn’t have any ability at all.”

Following Murdoch’s success on the streets at Expo 86 and Expo 88, the actor moved to Toronto and landed a role in the first production of “Les Miserables” in 1989. Following that, Murdoch appeared in “Miss Saigon,” and did the national tour of “Tommy” as the character Uncle Ernie. Murdoch then completed 994 performances in “Mamma Mia!” which he said, “Was enough.”

“I’ve spent more of my adult life in Toronto than anywhere else, which is odd, because I still feel like a transplant here,” says Murdoch.

As for his performance on “Dan for Mayor,” Murdoch says he doesn’t feel any sort of “pressure” to perform on the series, like he may have felt in the past.

“After you’ve done this for a certain amount of years, you’re not looking for a cookie at the end,” says Murdoch.

“When you’re my age, you either do it because you like it, or you have to find something else to do, because the ranks tend to thin as they get up to their 40s and 50s. I just try to be really glad I’m here every day, and it works.”

Keep an eye out for an upcoming scene in “Dan for Mayor” when Alan shows off some skin.

“Nothing says ratings like 52-year-old nudity. It’s time.”

Full episodes of “Dan for Mayor” are available online at CTV.ca. “Dan for Mayor” airs Sunday nights on CTV.

About Tyrone

Tyrone Warner has been with CTV.ca since 2005, covering news, entertainment and everything related to CTV. When he’s away from the computer, you can find him writing, recording and performing his own music, running his own record label and dabbling in photography, painting and creative collage. Follow him on Twitter!