The Toronto Sun n Friday, February 18, 2011 SHOWBIZ 65 Smirnoff has Busy Esmer just the tonic to shape up

dancer Karina Smirnoff of Dancing with the Stars has a new fitness dVd she claims can help you achieve wiped out a dancer’s body in four weeks. Karina, you must not have seen some of the bodies out there. “This workout is what a lot of Oz on The Listener also a splashy host dancers do to stay in shape, to have lean, long muscles,” said So who does Ennis Esmer I feel good about. The chal- Smirnoff, who will appear on think he is, the new Bob BIll lenges that comewith that Canadian TV coast-to-coast Barker? HarrIS are challenges I welcome. Friday on The Marilyn denis “Wow,” said Esmer, lov- “I actually haven’t done Show on CTV. “it’s almost ing the comparison. “That’s Television standup in years. I’m good like the secrets of dancers heady praise, absolutely.” with aconfinedaudience, to keep our bodies the way Esmer — best known to so I can get up and make we want them to be.” Canadian TV viewers these on the USA network and airs jokes about specific things results notwithstanding, days for his role as Osman in Canada on Showcase), that I know will work in a Smirnoff believes dancing to (Oz) Bey on CTV’s The Lis- so he has to be ready in case room full of actors, like at stay in shape is a lot more fun tener — actually is becom- they call him for Season 2. the ACTRA event or when I than, say, running on a treadmill. ing well known for his host- “I had a part in the pilot hosted the industry night for “i know personally, if i had to ing abilities, too. as a CIA polygrapher, and I the Gemini Awards. go to the gym and do the same A former standup come- joked to one of the produc- “But once we’refinished thing over and over again, probably dian, Esmer not only is host- ers, ‘I guess if anybody else with The Listener and Wipe- on about day 4 i’d be like,‘This is too ing this year’s ACTRA Awards lies, you’ll have to call me out, it’s my goal to get back much, it’s boring, i’m done,’ ” she said. — which take place Feb. 25 again.’ And they called me up in front of five, 10 stran- Smirnoff has turned herself into quite in Toronto — but he also back twice more,” Esmer gers at a time and humiliate a brand, with new makeup and shoe lines in will be one of the humour- said. myself.” addition to the dVd, thanks to the heightened supplying hosts on Wipeout “Soitstands to reason, The truth is, people who profile dancing with the Stars has provided. in Canada when it debuts this as they’re shooting the sec- can do some acting, do the past few seasons Smirnoff — who was a spring on TVtropolis. ond season, they might have some standup and also host champion ballroom dancer before she joined “Hosting is a totally dif- somebody else tell a lie.” events tend to be able to the show — has been paired with the likes of ferentskillset from act- Esmer admitted he really work in the entertainment billy ray Cyrus,aaron Carter and Mike (The ing,” Esmer said. “And it’s a isn’t used to having this business forever. Situation) Sorrentino. good amount of work, too, much to do. “Thereyou go!” Esmer but Smirnoff hasn’t won dancing with although I’m getting bet- “But this is what you hope said. “Someone figured it the Stars. yet. ter with teleprompters and for,” he said. “Lots of people out!” “it would have been very nice, and i’m stuff. work crazy hours, but I have still working very hard for it,” Smirnoff “So it’s fun, and why not, the benefit of doing things [email protected] said.“Ofcourse,everyone wantstogoto you know? You have to the end and get a partner who puts all diversify.” the time in that we need to rehearse Is there a way to combine with them. Esmer’s two upcoming host- “but there are so many other ing gigs, like maybe hav- good things that come with the ing the ACTRA nominees show. Winning would be the try out the Wipeout Canada cherry on top of a sundae.” course? — Bill Harris “That would be funny, but I’m not sure if their union would coverit,”Esmer warned. “There must be some sort of liability issue.” OK, even shelving that idea, Esmer is plenty busy. “Wehavetwo episodes left to shoot for this season of The Listener, we’ve shot 11,” Esmer said. “This is the first time I’ve actually been on something, an episodic drama, that is airing while karIna SmIrnOff we’reshootingit, so that’s kind of cool. And the num- bers have been pretty good apparently, so hopefully we can keep building on that.” Esmer also had a recurring EnnIS ESmEr role in the first season of Cov- ert Affairs (which originates