Russell Peters: Difference between revisions
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{{distinguish|Russell Peterson|Peter Russell (disambiguation){{!}}Peter Russell}} |
{{distinguish|Russell Peterson|Peter Russell (disambiguation){{!}}Peter Russell}} |
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{{infobox comedian |
{{infobox comedian |
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| name = Russell Chan |
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| image = RussellPeters08TIFF.jpg |
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| caption = Peters in 2008 |
| caption = Peters in 2008 |
Revision as of 17:29, 30 May 2018
Russell Chan | |
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![]() Peters in 2008 | |
Birth name | Russell Dominic Peters |
Born | Toronto, Ontario, Canada[1] | September 29, 1970
Medium | Stand-up, television, film, radio, books |
Years active | 1989–present |
Genres | Satire, observational comedy, improvisational comedy, black comedy, Insult comedy |
Subject(s) | Racism, race relations, stereotypes, multiculturalism, Indian culture |
Spouse | Monica Diaz (2010–2012; divorced; 1 child) |
Signature | ![]() |
Website | RussellPeters.com |
Russell Dominic Peters (born September 29, 1970)[1] is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actor of Anglo-Indian descent.[4] He began performing in Toronto in 1989 and won a Gemini Award in 2008. In 2013, he became the first comedian to get a Netflix stand-up special.[5] He lives in Los Angeles, California, in the United States.[6]
Early life
Peters was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Eric and Maureen Peters. When he was four, the family moved to the suburb of Brampton. His older brother Clayton now serves as his manager.[7] Peters was raised Catholic and is of Anglo-Indian descent.[8] His late father was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India and worked in Toronto as a federal meat inspector; Peters regularly features stories about him in his comedy work.
Peters attended Chinguacousy Secondary School for grades 9–10, and North Peel Secondary School in Bramalea for grades 11–12.[9][10][11] In school, he was regularly bullied because of his ethnicity. He eventually learned boxing, which helped him resist the bullying.[12]
Peters also became a hip hop "junkie" in his youth. By the 1990s, he was a well-connected disc jockey in the Toronto scene.[13][14]
Career
Peters began performing in Toronto in 1989. He has since gone on to perform in several countries worldwide.[15]
In 1992, Peters met American comedian George Carlin, one of his biggest influences, who advised him to get on stage whenever and wherever possible. Peters said he "took that advice to heart, and I think that's the reason I am where I am now."[16] In 2007, 15 years later, he hosted one of Carlin's last shows before Carlin's death the following year.[12]
Peters credits his 2004 performance on the Canadian TV comedy show Comedy Now!, which was uploaded onto YouTube and became viral, as the turning point in his career. While the initial video upload featured his entire 45-minute performance, YouTube users subsequently uploaded segments of the performance in which Peters focused on individual cultural groups. According to Peters, those segments made their way to the "targeted" cultural groups and were well received by them. The video and its viral nature was referred to by Peters on his performance, Outsourced; when the audience cheered when he referred to earlier jokes, he exclaimed, "Look at you, you filthy downloaders!"[17]
In 2017, Peters made an appearance on Top Gear America in the third episode of Season 1 as one of the guests.[18]
Notable performances
In 2007, Peters was the first comedian to sell out Toronto's Air Canada Centre, selling more than 16,000 tickets in two days for the single show. He ended up selling more than 30,000 tickets nationally over the two-day sales period. He broke a UK comedy sales record at London's O2 Arena when he sold over 16,000 tickets to his show in 2009.[19] His show in Sydney on 15 May 2010 had an audience of 13,880, making it the largest stand-up comedy show ever in Australia.[20] Peters's performances on May 5–6, 2012 in Singapore also set attendance records for a single stand-up comedian at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.[21]
Peters hosted the Canada Day Comedy Festival 2006, and participated in a USO tour of Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Africa and Greenland in November 2007 with Wilmer Valderrama and Mayra Veronica.[22] He also produced and starred in the radio situation comedy series Monsoon House on CBC Radio One.
Peters was the host of the televised 2008 Juno Awards ceremonies in Calgary on April 6, 2008,[23] for which he won a Gemini Award for "Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series".[24] The show received the second-highest ratings of any Juno Awards broadcast. Following the show's success, Peters accepted an invitation to host the Juno Awards for a second consecutive year; the 2009 Juno Awards took place in Vancouver on March 29, 2009.
On September 28, 2013, Peters was awarded the 2013 Trailblazer award by the Association of South Asians in Media, Marketing and Entertainment (SAMMA) for his contributions to the world of comedy. He is among the first South Asians to achieve international success in the field.
DVDs and book
Peters released his debut comedy album, Outsourced, of his performance aired on Comedy Central on August 26, 2006. The DVD version is uncensored; it has sold more than 100,000 copies, and remained on the National DVD Chart over one and a half years after its release. Peters released a second DVD/CD combo, Red, White and Brown, in Canada in 2008, and in the U.S. in early 2009. It was recorded on February 2, 2008, at the WAMU Theatre in Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was self-produced and financed by Peters and his brother Clayton. In May 2011, Peters released The Green Card Tour: Live from the O2 Arena, a live performance recorded in front of a total audience of 30,000, over two nights at O2 Arena in London, England.[25] The show was directed by Dave Higby, who produced Outsourced.
On October 26, 2010, Peters published his autobiography, Call Me Russell, co-written with his brother Clayton and Dannis Koromilas.
Earnings
According to Forbes, Peters earned an estimated $15 million between June 2009 and June 2010, continuing his run as one of the highest-paid comedians, after earning an estimated $5 million the prior year. Forbes ranked him as the third-highest-paid comedian.[26][27] In 2013, he earned $21 million, according to Forbes' estimate.[28]
Comedic style
Peters's stand-up performances feature observational comedy, using humour to highlight racial, ethnic, class and cultural stereotypes. He often refers to his own experiences growing up in an Anglo-Indian family, and impersonates the accents of various ethnic groups to poke fun at them. As he told an audience in San Francisco, "I don't make the stereotypes, I just see them."[29] In a 2006 interview with The National, Peters observed that he did not intend to put down or offend different races and cultures, but tried to "raise them up through humour".[30]
Peters is widely known for his punchline, "Somebody gonna get a hurt real bad." It ends a joke he tells about his childhood with a traditional Indian father, who used corporal punishment on his sons. Another punchline he uses is "Be a man! Do the right thing!", which relates to a story of a Chinese man trying to get him to pay more for an item at a shop.[31]
When interviewer Larry King asked Peters, "Is there such a thing as too taboo?", Peters replied, "I don't talk about religion because I think people are a little weird about religion, especially nowadays, and I'm more of a science guy than I am a beliefs guy. I'm more into facts than I am into beliefs."[32][33] In an interview with Al Jazeera, Peters said he "refuses" to talk about religion.[34][35]
Personal life
Peters dated Sunny Leone, a former porn star, who had been a Bollywood actress since 2008.[36]
He proposed to girlfriend Monica Diaz on July 10, 2010 at the Los Angeles International Airport and announced their engagement via Twitter. The couple married on August 20, 2010 at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The wedding was attended by about 20 guests, including an Elvis impersonator. Soon after, Peters told The Canadian Press that Diaz was pregnant, saying, "Did I get married because she was knocked up? I would say that expedited it."[37] Their daughter Crystianna Marie Peters was born two months early on December 14, 2010.[38]
In a March 2012 interview, Peters revealed that he and Diaz were divorcing.[39][40] As of October 2016[update], he was engaged to Ruzanna Khetchian.[41]
Peters lives in Los Angeles, California and owns two homes there. He also owns homes in Las Vegas and Vaughan, Ontario.[6]
In 2010 Peters established the Russell Peters North Peel Scholarship, an award worth up to $21,000 and intended to finance up to three years of college.[42] It will be awarded annually to a student from Judith Nyman Secondary School (formerly North Peel) with a strong academic record and the intention of attending college.[11][42]
Filmography
Russell Peters has appeared in many films. He acted in the Punjabi-Canadian Breakaway (2011), alongside Camilla Belle, Anupam Kher, and Vinay Virmani. That year he also acted in Duncan Jones's Source Code (2011) as Max, an amateur comedian with a bad attitude; and as Pervius in National Lampoon's 301: The Legend of Awesomest Maximus (2011).[43]
He appeared in Senior Skip Day (2008), which starred Larry Miller, Tara Reid, and Gary Lundy. That year he was also in The Take (2008) as Dr. Sharma. Earlier he had cameo roles in Boozecan (1994) as Snake's Friend, Tiger Claws III (2000) as Detective Elliott, My Baby's Daddy (2004) as the obstetrician, and Quarter Life Crisis (2006) as Dilip Kumar.
Peters has guest-starred on the TV series Mr. D as the school superintendent. In 2011, he starred in a Canadian TV Christmas special, A Russell Peters Christmas. Guests included Michael Bublé, Pamela Anderson and Jon Lovitz. The show attracted the highest number of viewers of any CTV Canadian holiday special.
Films
Film | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1994 | Boozecan | Snake's Friend | |
2000 | Tiger Claws III | Det. Elliot | |
2004 | My Baby's Daddy | Obstetrician | |
2006 | Quarter Life Crisis | Dilip Kumar | |
2007 | Let's All Hate Toronto | Himself | |
Heckler | |||
2008 | The Take | Dr. Sharma | |
Senior Skip Day | Uncle Todd | Direct-to-video | |
2010 | The Con Artist | Pogue | |
2011 | Bobby Khan's Ticket to Hollywood | Jack the Store Manager | |
Source Code | Max Denoff | ||
National Lampoon's 301: The Legend of Awesomest Maximus | Pervius | ||
Breakaway | Sonu Singh | ||
New Year's Eve | Chef Sunil | Segment "Jensen and Laura's Story" | |
2012 | Girl in Progress | Emile | |
The History of Canadian Humour | Himself | ||
The Robot Giant | Zork | Voice | |
2014 | Chef | Miami Cop | |
Ribbit | Deepak | Voice | |
Delivery | Himself | ||
Lennon or McCartney | |||
Meet the Patels | |||
Wings: Sky Force Heroes | Jumbo/Boss Man | Voice | |
Wings: Sky Force Heroes - Bringing the Characters to Life | Himself | Short | |
2015 | Being Canadian | Himself | |
2016 | Fifty Shades of Black | Dean Jordan | |
The Jungle Book | Rocky the Indian Rhinoceros | Voice | |
2017 | Ripped | Harris | |
Chef | Remake of the 2014 original | ||
2018 | The Clapper | Stillerman | |
Supercon | Keith Mahar | ||
Adventures in Public School | Mr. Germaine | ||
2019 | Street Justice | Hasidic | Pre-production |
Television
Television | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1990 | Comedy a Club 54 | Himself | |
1997 | Comedy Now! | Himself | "Show Me the Funny" |
Comics! | |||
Just for Laughs | |||
1999 | The Big Stage | Episode #1.2 | |
2003 | Lord Have Mercy! | Ryan Sarma | |
2003-2008 | Just for Laughs | Himself | Episode dated September 11, 2005 and "Best of 2007: The 25th Edition" |
2004 | Comedy Now! | Himself | |
2005 | Royal Canadian Air Farce | Episode dated January 7, 2005 | |
2006 | CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival | Himself/Host | Episode: "No Place Like Home" |
2007-2008 | Video on Trial | Himself | Guest juror Season 3: #3.3 and "Video on Trial: 100!" |
2008 | Juno Awards | Himself/Host | |
Def Comedy Jam | Himself | Episode: #8.4 | |
Comics Without Borders | Himself/Host | Executive producer | |
2009 | Juno Awards | Himself/Host | |
Russell Peters Presents | |||
Angelo Tsarouchas: Bigger Is Better | — | Executive producer | |
2010 | The Dating Guy | Himself | Voice Season 2 episode 13: "20,000 VJ's Under the Sea" |
2011 | 8 Out of 10 Cats | Himself | Episode: #12.9 |
26th Gemini Awards | Himself/Host | ||
A Day in the Life | Himself | Season 1 episode 2: "Russell Peters" | |
A Russell Peters Christmas Special | Himself/Host | Executive producer/producer Writer | |
2012 | Red Light Comedy: Live from Amsterdam | Himself/Host | |
Are We There Yet? | Toby Palmer | Season 3 episode 29: The Nick Gets an Assistant Episode | |
2013 | Mr. D | Jody Green | Season 2 episode 1: "Gerry's Evaluation" |
Who Gets the Last Laugh? | Himself | Episode 9: "Gregg "Opie" Hughes vs. Russell Peters vs. Paul Rodriguez" | |
Off Season: Lex Morrison Story | Romulus | TV movie | |
2014 | Last Comic Standing | Himself/Judge | Season 8 |
Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever | Santa | Voice | |
2015 | Just for Laughs: 15 Years of Gags | Himself | |
World's Funniest | Himself/Panelist | Season 1 episode 5: "Gravity: It Kinda Sucks" | |
Spun Out | Ray | Season 2 episode 1: My Brother's Speaker | |
Codename: Dragon | Hacker Ted | TV movie Co-producer | |
Royal Canadian Air Farce | Dr. Malcolm Sidwell | "Air Farce New Year's Eve 2015" | |
2016 | Family Guy | Padma's Father | Season 14 episode 20: "Road to India" |
BoJack Horseman | Driver | Voice Season 3 episode 2: The BoJack Horseman Show | |
Life in Pieces | Dr. Tak Oh | Season 2 episodes 2 and 4: "Receptionist Pot Voting Cramp" and "Cheap Promotion Flying Birthday" | |
Hip-Hop Evolution | — | Executive producer 4 episodes | |
This Is Not Happening | Himself | Season 3 episode 7: "Adventure" | |
Dying Laughing | |||
2017 | Howie Mandel All-Star Comedy Gala | Himself | |
Juno Awards | Himself/Co-host | ||
Wild 'n Out | Himself | ||
The Problem with Apu | Himself | ||
Big in Finland | Episode 4: "Näyttiks se siltä et mul on iso kyrpä?" | ||
Man of a Funny Age | |||
2017-present | The Indian Detective | Doug D'Mello | Executive producer |
2018 | A Little Help with Carol Burnett | Co-host |
Comedy specials
Film | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
2006 | Outsourced | Himself | Executive producer |
2008 | Red, White and Brown | Himself | Executive producer |
2011 | The Green Card Tour: Live from the O2 Arena | Himself | Executive producer |
2013 | Notorious | Himself | Executive producer First special on Netflix |
2016 | Almost Famous | Himself | Executive producer |
Books
- Call Me Russell (2010, Random House Digital, Inc.) – ISBN 0-385-66965-8
Awards and nominations
| ||||||||||||||||
Wins | 3 | |||||||||||||||
Nominations | 15 |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | Russell Peters - Comics! | Gemini Awards | Best Performance in a Comedy Program or Series | Nominated |
2003 | Russell Peters | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Male Stand-Up | Nominated |
2004 | Russell Peters | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Male Stand-Up | Nominated |
2004 | Russell Peters - Comedy Now! | Gemini Awards | Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series | Nominated |
2007 | Russell Peters | Canadian Comedy Awards | Dave Broadfoot Award | Won |
2008 | Russell Peters | Canadian Comedy Awards | Canadian Comedy Person of the Year | Nominated |
2008 | Russell Peters | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Large Venue Stand-Up | Won |
2008 | Juno Awards | Gemini Awards | Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series | Won |
2009 | Russell Peters | Canadian Comedy Awards | Canadian Comedy Person of the Year | Nominated |
2009 | Juno Awards | Gemini Awards | Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series | Nominated |
2010 | Russell Peters | Canadian Comedy Awards | Canadian Comedy Person of the Year | Nominated |
2011 | Russell Peters | Canadian Comedy Awards | Canadian Comedy Person of the Year | Nominated |
2012 | A Russell Peters Christmas Special - with Clayton Peters, Luciano Casimiri, Kristeen von Hagen, Jean Paul | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Writing in a Television Program or Series | Nominated |
2013 | A Russell Peters Christmas Special - with Clayton Peters, Luciano Casimiri, Kristeen von Hagen, Jean Paul | Gemini Awards | Best Writing in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b "Russell Peters biography". Tribute. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ a b Alan Cho, Gauntlet Entertainment (2005-11-24). "Gauntlet Entertainment — Comedy Preview: Russell Peters won't a hurt you real bad! - 2005-11-24". Gauntlet.ucalgary.ca. Archived from the original on 2009-06-04. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Said with a Punch". The Official Website of Russell Peters. 2006-12-01. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
- ^ Le, Vanna (February 14, 2014). "Why Russell Peters Is Notoriously Unknown". Forbes.
- ^ "The famous comedian most Americans don't know". edition.cnn.com. 16 October 2013.
- ^ a b Hough, Robert (September 2009). "Lighten Up". Toronto Life. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ^ Comedian Russell Peters talks about his manager and big brother, Clayton. Toronto Star. Accessed on March 25, 2013.
- ^ "Archive from The Official Website of Russell Peters". Russellpeters.com. 2013-04-27. Archived from the original on 2015-03-20. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ Post Reply. "Russell Peters". Mahalo.com. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
- ^ Jonathan Morvay (2010-04-30). "Punchline Magazine Blog: " Russell Peters creates $20,000 college scholarship — Comedy Blog, Comedy News, and all things in Stand Up Comedy". Punchlinemagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-04. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Comedian Russell Peters awards scholarship to Randy Adams". Digitaljournal.com. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
- ^ a b "Call him grateful", The Globe and Mail. Accessed on November 6, 2012.
- ^ FAQ, RussellPeters.com. Accessed on November 6, 2012
- ^ "RUSSELL PETERS: COMEDIAN, DJ, ANTI-FIST PUMPER"[permanent dead link], DJ Mag, Accessed on November 6, 2012
- ^ Mohr, Jay. "Mohr Stories 87: Russell Peters". Mohr Stories. Fake Mustache Studios. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ^ Russell Peters - 10 Comics to Watch Archived 2013-04-03 at the Wayback Machine RussellPeters.com. Accessed on March 25, 2013.
- ^ "Russell Peters: Outsourced Aired on COMEDYP — Ark TV Transcript". tv.ark.com. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ https://www.autoblog.com/2017/08/10/top-gear-america-episode-three-exclusive-preview-magnus-walker/?guccounter=1
- ^ "The Official Russell Peters Website, Hi-lites". russellpeters.com. Archived from the original on 2011-08-26. Retrieved 2011-08-07.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ "World laughs with you". Sydney Morning Herald. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ^ "Have a hearty laugh". TTGmice. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ "USO visits Bagram". United States Department of Defense. November 21, 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
- ^ "Russell Peters to Host The 2008 Juno Awards, April 6 on CTV" (PDF). CARAS. February 5, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Self-proclaimed 'mainstream' Nickelback reigns at Junos". CBC Arts, Mar 29, 2009
- ^ De Giorgio, Lorianna (31 May 2011). "Russell Peters releases third DVD, panic ensues". Toronto: thestar.com. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ^ Lacey Rose. "In Pictures: The 10 Top Earning Comedians - 7) Russell Peters". Forbes.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-31. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ Lacey Rose. "In Pictures: The 10 Top Earning Comedians - 9) Russell Peters, (tie)". Forbes.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ Feeney, Nolan. "No. 3: Russell Peters - In Photos: The Top-Earning Comedians of 2013". Forbes. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
- ^ Piccalo, Gina (16 April 2010). "No joke — Russell Peters is a famous comedian". LA Times. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ^ Clifton Joseph, "Russell Peters Interview on CBC The National, May 30th 2006"
- ^ Nguyen, An (19 May 2009). "Defying Stereotypes and Breaking All Laws of Decency, Russell Peters Lets It All Hang Out". (Cult)ure magazine. Archived from the original on 15 November 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ Larry King Now, Ora TV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kunZO5i2JnA (1:30)
- ^ "Russell Peters: I Don't Talk About Religion".
- ^ Al Jazeera English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKXxiccJx9c (3:30)
- ^ http://www.washingtontimes.com, The Washington Times. "Russell Peters avoids religion in his comedy act".
{{cite web}}
: External link in
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- ^ Goyal, Samarth (September 2013). "Sunny Leone is a real sweetheart: Russell Peters". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
- ^ "Russell Peters and wife, Monica Diaz, expecting baby girl in February". 680 News. October 26, 2010.
- ^ "Russell Peters eases into fatherhood and film". CTV News. May 31, 2011.
- ^ "Russell Peters: Bring on the Funny". Gulf News. March 19, 2012.
- ^ "A busy Russell Peters divorcing, renovating, touring world". The Globe and Mail. June 15, 2012.
- ^ "Russell Peters Is Engaged!". Z1035 Radio. October 4, 2016
- ^ a b Morvay, Jonathan (2010-04-30). "Russell Peters creates $20,000 college scholarship". Punchlinemagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-04. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ Compolongo, Gabrielle. "EXCLUSIVE: Russell Peters Talks Source Code, Working with Jake Gyllenhaal". Movie Fanatic. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- 1970 births
- Canadian expatriate male actors in the United States
- Canadian Internet celebrities
- Canadian male film actors
- Canadian male radio actors
- Canadian male voice actors
- Canadian male television actors
- Canadian people of Indian descent
- Former Roman Catholics
- Canadian stand-up comedians
- Canadian Screen Award winning people
- Living people
- Male actors from Toronto
- Canadian male actors of Indian descent
- People from Brampton
- Canadian people of Anglo-Indian descent
- Warner Bros. Records artists
- 20th-century Canadian male actors
- Canadian male comedians
- Comedians from Toronto