Les Stroud was born on 20 October 1961 and is a Canadian survival expert, filmmaker and musician best known as the creator, writer, producer, director, cameraman and host of the television series Survivorman.
24 Facts About Les Stroud
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Les Stroud has produced survival-themed programming for The Outdoor Life Network, The Discovery Channel, The Science Channel, and YTV.
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Les Stroud was born in the Mimico neighbourhood of Toronto and graduated from Mimico High School.
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Les Stroud went on to complete the Music Industry Arts program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario.
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Les Stroud worked for several years at the Toronto-based music video channel MuchMusic, and as a songwriter for the band New Regime before a Temagami canoe trip sparked a career change.
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In 1990 Les Stroud became a guide for Black Feather Wilderness Adventures leading canoe excursions into the Northern Ontario wilds.
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Les Stroud produced two programs titled One Week in the Wilderness and Winter in the Wilderness for @discovery.
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Once when Les Stroud's father was dying from cancer, another when they both went to be treated for giardiasis, and again when Jamison had a miscarriage.
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Les Stroud filmed their primitive living experience and released the 50 minute documentary, Snowshoes and Solitude, which was named Best Documentary at the Muskoka Film Festival and Best Film at the Waterwalker Film Festival.
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In 2001 Les Stroud produced two one-hour specials for the science news show @discovery.
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Les Stroud produced 23 episodes of the show which began airing in 2004.
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Les Stroud composed and performed the opening theme music of Survivorman.
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In 2006, Les Stroud produced a 90-minute special documenting his family's journey to building an off-the-grid home.
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Les Stroud has made multiple television appearances including on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The View, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Larry King Live.
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Les Stroud has hosted an episode of the Discovery channel show I Shouldn't Be Alive titled Lost In The Snow, which aired during its first season and the TV program Surviving Urban Disasters, which aired on the Science Channel and the 20th annual Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.
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In 2010, Les Stroud hosted and produced the Gemini nominated hit kids TV series Survive This and Survive This 2 that takes teens into the wilderness to teach them how to survive by giving them some instruction and challenging them with survival scenarios.
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Stroud's follow-up show to Survivorman was titled Beyond Survival with Les Stroud and debuted in 2010.
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In 4 episodes, Les Stroud explores the survival methods and social structure of the Kodiak brown bear.
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Since 2020, Les Stroud has collaborated with chef Paul Rogalski on their PBS series Wild Harvest, where Les Stroud forages for wild ingredients and challenges Rogalski to use them in the preparation of different dishes in each episode.
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Les Stroud has performed in and around the Muskoka area and at the Orillia Blues Festival and Toronto Beaches International Jazz Festival.
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Les Stroud was nominated for six Gemini Awards for his work on Survivorman.
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Les Stroud has extensive experience with survival and primitive living skills, initially training with expert David Arama.
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Les Stroud went on to study with many others including John "Prairie Wolf" McPherson.
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Les Stroud has been an active participant in adventure racing and has competed at the Canadian championships.