celebrities toronto traffic

Big celebrities are constantly complaining about Toronto's brutal traffic

Toronto's nightmarish traffic conditions have been the talk of the town lately, but word of our traffic woes travels far beyond the city's gridlocked streets, and many big names in entertainment have been vocal about the scourge of unmoving traffic.

Niall Horan became one of the latest celebrities surprised by Toronto's traffic problems. The Irish singer-songwriter and former One Direction band member was in the city at the end of June for his third concert tour, The Show: Live On Tour.

Horan recorded video of himself braving it on foot after ditching his vehicle en-route to a show, just barely arriving on time for his performance.

And this is only the latest celeb to publicly question what the heck is going on with Toronto traffic.

Canadian actor and Kim's Convenience star Andrew Phung has frequently commented on Toronto's maddening traffic situation, noting in one instance how he had to "battle" traffic in the city to catch a flight — a relatable reminder that even famous people are at the mercy of road infrastructure.

Even long-established Hollywood megastars like Tom Cruise aren't immune to Toronto's incessant gridlock. In a 2023 interview, Cruise noted that he was all too familiar with the city's constant congestion.

"You know what, I have done that challenge, and I've been in that traffic," Cruise laughed. "I've made movies in Toronto, and I've visited Toronto, and I have friends in Toronto. What's up with the traffic in Toronto? Have they figured this out?"

Even when famous people aren't complaining about Toronto traffic, they're still often living it. Lake Shore Boulevard is notorious for gridlock, and Raptors President Masai Ujiri had to ditch the car and walk to a game at Scotiabank Arena on foot during a particularly nasty rush hour in 2023.

Local hip-hop icon Drake found his own unconventional way to beat traffic around the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017, when his motorcade forced its way through a backed-up intersection by obstructing traffic and driving through bike lanes.

Director Guillermo del Toro, who was recently in town shooting his upcoming revival of horror classic, Frankenstein, was among the latest celebs to call out the city's traffic.

Other famous people beat traffic the old-fashioned way, like Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander, who is regularly spotted riding the subway to and from the team's home games at Scotiabank Arena.

Action star and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger uses his famous muscles to get around the city when in town for work, with the help of a bicycle, of course.

A bike is also how Honda Indy driver Lochie Hughes had to get to a press conference for the racing event after realizing partway through his journey he wouldn't make it otherwise due to congestion.

Lead photo by

Erman Gunes/Shutterstock


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