Tunney started working at Windsor's Komedy Korner at the age of 15, operating spotlights on older comedians (including a young Jim Carrey) and then moving onto the stage to try his hand at comedy.
[1] Self-taught as a comedy writer, Tunney was an in-demand stand-up comedian by his early twenties and was working on stage and on screen in Canada and in the United States.
His first talk show pilot was produced by Jim Biederman from Broadway Video (Lorne Michaels) for CBC and had a role in the debut motion picture of The Kids in the Hall, Brain Candy, in 1996.
The Eric Tunney Show had guests like Lynne Russell and Jeanne Beker and was slated to replace Oprah in afternoon syndication, but did not receive extended production.
Fellow Canadian comic Brent Piaskoski, a writer living in L.A., said Tunney had greatly impressed Hollywood with a guest host appearance on NBC's Later in 1996.