Russell Peters
| Russell Peters | |
|---|---|
 Just for Laughs Street Festival in Toronto | |
| Birth name | Russell Dominic Peters |
| Born | September 29, 1970 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Medium | stand-up, television, film |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Genres | Satire, Improvisational comedy, Observational comedy |
| Subject(s) | racism, race relations, stereotypes, human sexuality, multiculturalism, Indian culture |
| Notable works and roles | Russell Peters: Outsourced |
| Website | RussellPeters.com |
Russell Dominic Peters [3] (born September 29, 1970)[4] is a Canadian stand-up comic, and actor.
Early life
Russell Peters was born to Eric and Maureen Peters in Toronto and grew up in Brampton, Ontario in Canada. His father was born in Bombay, India, and his mother was born in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. He has an older brother named Clayton who was also born in Calcutta.
Career
Peters began performing in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1989[3]. He has since also performed in the UK, Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Denmark, South Africa, the Caribbean, Vietnam, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Sweden, India, UAE and the United States among other places.
He has been nominated for four Gemini Awards,[5] the Canadian television awards. He has also been nominated for Best Male Comic at the Canadian Comedy Awards. [citation needed] Peters has been featured at such shows as Montreal's Just for Laughs (Juste Pour Rire) Comedy Festival, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, and the Edinburgh Festival. He hosted the Canada Day Comedy Festival 2006.
Peters' comedy focuses largely around his Canadian upbringing and racial stereotypes, as he often parodies his parents and South Asian culture. Much of his material explores the cultural divides between many different ethnicities and upbringings in a way that includes many impressions.
In late 2004, Russell was performing at the New York Improv (which has since been renamed the Broadway Comedy Club). After his performance, there was some extra time, and fellow Indian comedian Dan Nainan performed. Russell was so impressed with Nainan's set that he asked Nainan to tour with him in 2005 and 2006. Nainan, a completely clean comedian, has made a name for himself as a headliner in his own right, and is commonly hired to do shows that Russell turns down.
His last comedy special Russell Peters: Outsourced, aired on Comedy Central on August 16, 2006. Outsourced is also available on DVD and CD in stores from August 29, 2006. The DVD version features his uncensored performance. The DVD has been popular, especially in Canada, selling over 100,000 copies. Outsourced is Peters' first DVD release[citation needed] and remained on the National DVD Chart over one year after its release.
Peters new DVD/CD combo "Russell Peters: Red, White and Brown" was recorded on February 2nd, 2008 at The WAMU Theatre at Madison Square Garden. Peters and his brother self-produced and financed Red, White and Brown. Peters encourages fans not to be 'downloading bastards' with this one.
Outsourced
Russell Peters: Outsourced is a stage act dedicated to the memory of Peters' father. It showed lots of new material to his viewers. Topics ranged from different types of Asians, the English accent, terrorists, racists, Pho Phuc Lai Vietnamese restaurant, Africans, and his own adventures with the Chinese in KFC, Beijing. But the show remained typical of his style. Some of his most popular catchphrases are "be a man","thirty-four fifty", "somebody gonna get a hurt real bad", "no Indiano".
Monsoon House
Monsoon House is a radio play that Peters performed for CBC Radio One in 2006. It stars Peters as Russell Page, a Hollywood producer. He recently revived his role in Monsoon House for a second season.
New sitcom on FOX
In September 2007, it was confirmed that Peters made a deal with FOX to develop a new sitcom, based on his experience of living in Canada. Peters says, "It's really a snapshot of where my family maybe was ten years ago.", and he ensures that the sitcom is "Something that will be funny and honest."[6][7]
USO tour
Peters participated in a USO tour of Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Africa and Greenland in November 2007 with Wilmer Valderrama and Mayra Veronica.[8]
Juno Awards 2008
Peters was the host of the 2008 Juno Awards televised ceremonies in Calgary on April 6 2008.[9] He was nominated for a Gemini for "Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series" for hosting the Junos III. The 2008 awards received the second-highest ratings ever for the program.
Popularity
Peters' popularity extends to several countries. In Canada, Peters became the first comedian to sell out at Toronto's Air Canada Centre[10], with more than 15,000 tickets in two days for the single show. He ended up selling over 30,000 tickets nationally over the two-day sales period. A total of over 60,000 tickets were sold across six cities. [citation needed]
Awards and recognitions
- 1997 - Nomination for the Gemini Award in the category "Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series". This was for Show Me The Funny, from the TV-series Comics! (1997)[11]
- 2004 - Nomination for a Gemini Award for his Comedy Now! special.
- 2008 - Nomination for a Gemini Award for hosting The Junos.
Achievements
- First South Asian to headline and sell-out the Apollo Theater in New York City.
- First North American based comedian to perform in India (Bangalore, Bombay and Delhi)
- First South Asian on DEF comedy jam.
- First non-white host of The Junos.
- First Stand-up to sell-out the Air Canada Centre.
References
- ^ "Russell Peters Official Bio Press". Russell Peters Official Bio Press.
- ^ Comedy Preview: Russell Peters won't a hurt you real bad. Gauntlet Entertainment.
- ^ a b "Russell Peters IMDB profile". IMDB Profile.
- ^ "Russell Peters Official FAQ". russellpeters.com - FAQ FAQ.
- ^ "http://www.helpms.ca/russellpeters.htm".
{{cite web}}: External link in|title= - ^ Russell Peters Scores Script Deal with FOX. News Blaze.
- ^ Russell has a new gig. Metro International.
- ^
"USO visits Bagram". United States Department of Defense. November 21 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Russell Peters to Host The 2008 JUNO Awards, April 6 on CTV" (PDF). CARAS. 5 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Russell Peters' Homecoming Tour SELLS OUT Across Canada!". News Blaze.
- ^ "Russell Peters IMDB profile - awards". IMDB Profile - Awards.
External links
