Briana Templeton

Briana Templeton (she/her) is a Toronto-based writer, performer and director. She is a recipient of the 2023 Cayle Chernin Award for women in media. As an actor, she has appeared in a variety of projects including THE HANDMAID’S TALE (HBO), WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (FX), THE BOYS (Amazon Prime), THE CHANGELING (Apple TV), MURDOCH MYSTERIES (CBC) and more. She is a half of the comedy duo The Templeton Philharmonic - alongside fellow comedian Gwynne Phillips. The two are known for their sketch comedy that blends period pieces, surrealism, and biting social commentary with a feminist bent. Since they joined forces in 2011, Templeton and Phillips have performed on stages across North America - including the San Francisco Sketch Comedy Festival, The PIT in New York City, the Upright Citizens' Brigade in Los Angeles, Toronto’s Massey Hall and more. Their work has picked up several awards such as “Best Duo” at the LA Comedy Festival, "Producer’s Pick” at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, and “Best Of The Fest” at the Montreal Sketch Comedy Festival. Their recent short film, THE WOMEN’S HOUR (LaRue Productions) is currently streaming on CBC Gem and will be screening at the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show in 2025. The Templeton Philharmonic also co-created the digital series WOMANISH for CBC Comedy, and have worked as contributing writers for THE IRRELEVANT SHOW on CBC Radio-Canada. They’ve also co-written and produced several comedic shorts including BABY SHOWER (National Screen Institute) PROACTIVE SALAD SOLUTIONS (Funny Or Die) and DINETTE (Canadian Film Festival selection). Their film ALASKA won “Best Worldwide Short” at JFL NorthWest, and is currently streaming on CBC Gem. Templeton is also a producer and host of Audible's NONE OF OUR BUSINESS, which features guests like astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield, musician Reggie Watts (COMEDY BANG BANG), Carolyn Taylor (THE BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW), TONY HALE (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT), Colin Mochrie (WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?) and more. In addition to her work in live comedy and film, Templeton has created engaging creative content for brands like CTV, Cineplex, The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and more. Templeton is currently represented by The Baxter Agency and the Jennifer Hollyer Agency.