Ahead of his anticipated homecoming, we get to know comedian Mike Lynch, the talented up-and-comer behind internet favourites Cecil O’Brien and Randy Lee
You may know him as skeet to the masses Randy Lee. You may know him as the incarnation of everyone’s grandfadder or slick-tongued neighbour Cecil O’Brien. By now though, you should know him as one of Newfoundland’s fastest rising comics and sketch artists, Mike Lynch.
Becoming an internet sensation as part of the sketch comedy group The Outhouse, and with his personally inspired characters Randy Lee and Cecil O’Brien becoming household and water-cooler talk favourites, Lynch has moved from Newfoundland to Alberta, where he has sold out venues in Edmonton and Calgary, to name a few.
Now Lynch returns home for his aptly titled Getting To Know Me 2 Tour, with a slew of sellouts at the Holy Heart Theatre punctuating the highly anticipated homecoming.
SELL OUT SHOWS
“I thought doing one Holy Heart show was the worst idea ever,” Lynch tells The Herald with a laugh. “I didn’t think I could sell out one, even leading up to the date. I’m blown away myself. I’m just as surprised as anybody. It’s really cool and I’m really grateful for sure.”
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Lynch shares that he was “addicted” from the moment he first tried his hand at standup comedy. It was his introduction to Justin Hawco and the fine folks at The Outhouse that began to turn heads.
“I was doing the odd little Instagram video, just horsing around. It was kind of the birth of Cecil, in the early stages,” Lynch explains. “I didn’t really have the character down yet, I guess you could say. People would love that the most. I kept doing them from time to time and didn’t try to make them a regular thing. Justin messaged me and said “I heard you could do a great skeet impression?” I said “I dabble,” so he asked me to do a part in a top-five things that make you a skeet video. So he loved it and kept asking me back.” 
CLOSEST TO THE HEART
Much of the humour that comes from Lynch’s pair of notable characters is the viewers’ ability to personally connect with the manner of fellow he portrays. We all know a Randy Lee, and any honest bayman or townie with crowd round’ the shore knows an old salt like Cecil O’Brien.
“My grandparents come from Long Harbour. I’d have to say Cecil is a mix between my pop and this guy who would always just show up,” Lynch shared. “He’d make from house to house and just appear at everyone’s house, and everyone was just totally cool with that. He wouldn’t say much but he’d add in his little two cents. That’s inspired from that, because I spent a lot of time out around the bay – I’d be out there every week. And, I grew up on Merrymeeting Road, so I feel like I’m just part skeet, part bayman. Those are two characters that are closest to my heart I guess.”
As to the why? The true reasoning and method behind Cecil O’Brien, Lynch gives a candid and hilarious answer.
“I didn’t even want to get Cecil out there. I just wanted to screech-in Selena Gomez,” he says laughing.
“That’s the only reason I did it, to meet Selena Gomez.”