Jon Stewart struts the red carpet for Rosewater, calls Canadians “upsettingly” nice

The Daily Show host and first-time filmmaker Jon Stewart seems to really like Canada. Maybe it’s because Half Baked, in which Stewart has a memorable cameo as the “….on weeeeeeed?” guy, was shot here. Or maybe it’s because our mayor is basically a license to print money for him. Or maybe it’s just genuine enthusiasm. Stewart strutted outside the Princess of Wales Theatre on Monday prior to the premiere of his directorial debut, Rosewater, which stars Gael García Bernal (also on hand at the premiere) as Canadian-Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari, who was jailed by Iranian authorities in 2009 following his satirical interview on The Daily Show (the country’s top brass is notoriously humourless). Stewart signed autographs, confirmed his support for Olivia Chow in the upcoming mayoral election and, once inside, expressed his apparently totally earnest appreciation for Canadian niceness. “To a New Yorker,” he said “it’s almost upsetting.” So we get to be nice and upset a New Yorker? Score.