Russell Brand Biography
| Attribute | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Russell Edward Brand |
| Date of Birth | 4 June 1975 |
| Nationality | English |
| Profession | Comedian and Actor |
| Awards and Nominations | – Three British Comedy Awards |
| – Nomination for a BAFTA Award | |
| Career Highlights | – Comedian and MTV presenter in the UK |
| – Host of “Big Brother’s Big Mouth” (2004) | |
| – Major film roles in “St Trinian’s” (2007), “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (2008), and “Get Him to the Greek” (2010) | |
| – Voice actor in animated films “Despicable Me” (2010), “Hop” (2011), “Despicable Me 2” (2013), and “Trolls” (2016) | |
| – Title character in the remake of “Arthur” (2011) | |
| – Released successful stand-up special “Messiah Complex” (2013) | |
| – Hosted radio show “The Russell Brand Show” (2006–2008, 2010, 2013, 2017) | |
| – Hosts podcasts “Stay Free with Russell Brand” and “Under the Skin with Russell Brand” | |
| Activism and Campaigning | – Became known as a public activist and campaigner on various issues |
| – Advocated on wealth inequality, addiction, corporate capitalism, climate change, and media bias | |
| – Guest-edited an edition of “New Statesman” in 2013 | |
| – Launched political-comedy web series “The Trews” (2014) | |
| – Released a book entitled “Revolution” (2014) | |
| – Acted in the documentary “The Emperor’s New Clothes” (2014) | |
| Controversies | – Controversies related to promiscuity, drug use, and provocative behavior |
| – Dismissal from MTV and resignation from the BBC | |
| – Two-year marriage to American pop singer Katy Perry | |
| – Biographical documentary “Brand: A Second Coming” (2015) | |
| – Allegations of rape, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and predatory behavior (2023) | |
| – Featured in the documentary “Russell Brand: In Plain Sight” (2023) | |
| Recent Activities | – Promoting conspiracy theories, especially about the COVID-19 pandemic (since 2020) |
Russell Brand Stand-up Career Information
| Year | Event/Show | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Hackney Empire New Act of the Year | Russell Brand performed stand-up and finished fourth, attracting the attention of Nigel Klarfeld. |
| 2000 | Edinburgh Festival Fringe Debut | Brand debuted at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the show “Pablo Diablo’s Cryptic Triptych” with Mark Felgate and Shappi Khorsandi. |
| 2004 | Edinburgh Festival – “Better Now” | Brand’s first one-man show at the Edinburgh Festival, where he discussed his heroin addiction. |
| 2005 | Edinburgh Festival – “Eroticised Humour” | Russell Brand returned to the Edinburgh Festival with his show “Eroticised Humour.” |
| 2006 | Nationwide Tour – “Shame” | Brand’s first nationwide tour, drawing on embarrassing incidents in his life and tabloid press coverage. |
| 2006 | Amnesty International’s Secret Policeman’s Ball | Brand appeared in a sketch and performed stand-up at this event. |
| 2007 | Teenage Cancer Trust Gig Co-host | Co-hosted an evening of the Teenage Cancer Trust gigs with Noel Fielding. |
| 2007 | Royal Variety Performance | Performed for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as an act in the 2007 Royal Variety Performance. |
| 2007 | Nationwide Tour – “Only Joking” | Brand’s second nationwide tour, released on DVD as “Russell Brand: Doin’ Life.” |
| 2009 | Comedy Central Special – “Russell Brand in New York” | Recorded a special for Comedy Central. |
| 2009 | Worldwide Tour – “Scandalous” | Toured the UK, America, and Australia for the “Scandalous” tour from January to April. |
| 2013 | Comedy Show – “Messiah Complex” | Presented and toured a comedy show tackling various topics including drug addiction and heroes. |
| 2017 | Tour – “Re:Birth” | Announced the “Re:Birth” tour, which debuted in April 2017 and was meant to run through November 2018. |
| 2018 | Cancellation of “Re:Birth” Tour | Canceled the remaining dates of the “Re:Birth” tour due to his mother’s critical injury in a hit-and-run accident. |
| 2018 | Netflix Stand-up Comedy Film – “Russell Brand: Re:Birth” | Released a stand-up comedy film on Netflix. |
| Various | Influences and Favorite Comedy Film | Russell Brand mentioned various comedians and influences, including Monty Python’s “Life of Brian.” |
| 2009 | Television Documentary – “Monty Python: Almost the Truth (Lawyers Cut)” | Appeared in this documentary. |
Russell Brand Presenting Role Career Information
| Year | TV Show/Event | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | MTV: Dancefloor Chart and Select | Brand’s first presenting role on MTV, touring nightclubs in Britain and Ibiza, and hosting the tea-time request show Select. |
| 2002 | RE:Brand | A documentary and comedy television program that took a challenging look at cultural taboos. |
| 2004 | Big Brother’s Eforum and Big Brother’s Big Mouth | Brand hosted discussion shows related to Big Brother, allowing guests and the public to comment on the show. |
| 2008 | Big Brother According to Russell Brand | A special where Brand took a surreal look at Big Brother through the ages. |
| 2008 | Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack | Brand “hijacked” the Big Brother house as a celebrity host. |
| 2006 | 1 Leicester Square and The Russell Brand Show | Brand hosted a chat show and later a debate show, which was rebranded and moved to Channel 4. |
| 2006 | NME Awards | Brand hosted the NME Awards and had a humorous exchange with Bob Geldof. |
| 2007 | BRIT Awards and Comic Relief | Brand hosted the BRIT Awards and one hour of Comic Relief. |
| 2007 | Live Earth | Brand presented at the UK leg of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium. |
| 2007 | Russell Brand On the Road (BBC Four documentary) | A documentary about Jack Kerouac and his novel On the Road, presented by Brand. |
| 2007 | Russell Brand’s Ponderland | A show where Brand discussed various topics through stand-up comedy. |
| 2008 | MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) | Brand hosted the VMAs, which drew controversy due to his comments about Britney Spears and U.S. politics. |
| 2008 | Comedy Live Presents: Russell Brand and Friends (Stand-up Comedy Show) | A one-off stand-up comedy show. |
| 2009 | MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) | Brand returned to host the VMAs, which had improved ratings compared to the previous year. |
| 2011 | Saturday Night Live (Guest Host) | Brand guest-hosted an episode of the American sketch comedy show. |
| 2012 | MTV Movie Awards | Brand hosted the MTV Movie Awards. |
| 2012 | Brand X with Russell Brand (Talk Show) | Brand hosted a late-night talk show on FX. |
| 2013 | Brand X with Russell Brand (Cancelled after two seasons) | The show was canceled after running for two seasons. |
Russell Brand Acting Career Information
| Year | Project | Role/Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Bill (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1994 | Mud (Children’s Adventure Series) | Unknown |
| 2002 | Cruise of the Gods (TV Show) | Unknown |
| 2002 | White Teeth (TV Show) | Unknown |
| 2005 | Blessed (BBC Sitcom) | Tommy |
| 2006 | Peep Show (Channel 4 Sitcom) (Audition) | Auditioned for Super Hans |
| 2007 | Cold Blood (ITV) | Ally (ex-con) |
| 2007 | The Abbey (ITV Comedy) (Pilot) | Terry (recovering crack addict) |
| 2007 | Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind (Voice) | Earth Guardian |
| 2006 | Penelope (Movie) | Small Role |
| 2007 | St Trinian’s (Movie) | Flash Harry |
| 2008 | Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Movie) | Aldous Snow (rock star) |
| 2008 | Bedtime Stories (Movie) | Unknown |
| 2010 | Get Him to the Greek (Movie) | Aldous Snow |
| 2010 | The Tempest (Movie) | Trinculo |
| 2010 | Despicable Me (Voice) | Dr. Nefario |
| 2013 | Despicable Me 2 (Voice) | Dr. Nefario |
| 2011 | The Simpsons (TV Show) | Himself |
| 2011 | Hop (Live Action/CGI Animated Film) | E.B. (Voice) |
| 2011 | Arthur (Movie) | Arthur |
| 2012 | Rock of Ages (Movie) | Lonny |
| 2013 | Paradise (Movie) | William Carr |
| 2016 | Trolls (DreamWorks Animated Film) | Creek |
| 2016 | Army of One (Movie) | God |
| 2018-2019 | Ballers (HBO Series) | Lance Klians (recurring role) |
| 2020 | Four Kids and It (Movie) | Tristan Trent |
| 2022 | Death on the Nile (Movie) | Linus Windlesham |
Russell Brand Radio Career Information
| Year | Radio Station | Show/Event | Notable Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Xfm (London) | Sunday afternoon show with Matt Morgan | Dismissal for reading pornographic material live on-air |
| 2005 | BBC Radio 6 Music | Co-hosted three one-off shows with Karl Pilkington | |
| 2006 | BBC Radio 6 Music | Co-hosted “The Russell Brand Show” | |
| Nov 2006 | BBC Radio 2 | “The Russell Brand Show” transferred to BBC Radio 2, aired on Saturdays from 9–11 pm | Regularly drew about 400,000 listeners |
| 2008 | BBC Radio 2 | Controversial phone calls to actor Andrew Sachs, resulting in suspension and Brand’s resignation | BBC fined £150,000 by Ofcom for airing the calls |
| 2009 | Talksport | One-off football talk show with Noel Gallagher | |
| 2010 | Talksport | Saturday night show lasting 20 weeks, featuring clips and back-stage recordings from his Booky Wook 2 promotional tour | Joined by guests like Noel Gallagher and Jonathan Ross |
Russell Brand Writing Career Information
| Year | Work | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2006-2009 | The Guardian Sports Column | Columns focused on West Ham United and the England national football team. |
| 2007 | “Irons in the Fire” | A collection of columns from 2006 and 2007. |
| 2007 | “My Booky Wook” | Russell Brand’s first autobiography, well-received for its tales of drugs and debauchery. |
| 2008 | £1.8 Million Book Deal with HarperCollins | Signed a two-book deal with HarperCollins. |
| 2008 | “Articles of Faith” | Examined Brand’s philosophy, featuring columns from The Guardian (2007-2008) and interviews. |
| 2010 | “Booky Wook 2: This Time It’s Personal” | Second autobiography, released on 30 September 2010. |
| Various | Articles for The Guardian | Articles discussing current events and pop culture, including topics like Amy Winehouse and Robin Williams. |
| 2011 | Column on London Riots | Criticized the government’s response to the 2011 London riots. |
| 2014 | “Trickster Tales: The Pied Piper of Hamelin” | Children’s book debut, part of an intended series, with illustrations by Chris Riddell. |
| 2014 | “Revolution” | A book published by Random House that expanded on Brand’s earlier ideas. |
| 2017 | “Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions” | Published by Macmillan, addressing addiction and recovery. |
| 2019 | “Mentors: How To Help and Be Helped” | Explores individuals who positively impacted Brand’s life and encourages seeking mentors. |
Russell Brand Political Career Information
| Date | Activity/Event |
|---|---|
| January 2009 | Participated in a celebrity letter to The Independent condemning Israel’s assault on Gaza. |
| February 2009 | Wrote to The Times in defense of leaders of the Baháʼí Faith on trial in Iran. |
| April 2009 | Attended the 2009 G-20 London summit protests and spoke to the press. |
| September 2010 | Arrested on suspected battery charges after allegedly attacking a paparazzo at Los Angeles International Airport. |
| March 2012 | Arrest warrant issued in New Orleans for allegedly throwing a photographer’s mobile phone through a window. |
| 2012 (Unspecified) | Selected by the Dalai Lama to host the Buddhist leader’s youth event in Manchester. |
| April 2012 | Testified in front of a parliamentary committee about drug addiction and advocated for the decriminalization of drugs. |
