Russell Brand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Russell Brand |
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Brand in 2025
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| Birth name | Russell Edward Brand |
| Born | 4 June 1975 Grays, Essex, England |
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| Years active | 1994–present |
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| Children | 3 |
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| YouTube information | |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Genre | Comedy |
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| Subscriber and view counts updated as of 22 July 2023. | |
Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975) is an English comedian, actor, and writer. He is known for his stand-up comedy and for hosting radio and television shows. He has also starred in many popular movies.
Brand started his career as a stand-up comedian and an MTV presenter. In 2004, he became the host of Big Brother's Big Mouth, a spin-off of the popular show Big Brother.
He became famous in Hollywood with movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Get Him to the Greek (2010), and Rock of Ages (2012). He also voiced the character Dr. Nefario in the Despicable Me movies. Brand has won three British Comedy Awards.
Over the years, Brand has also become known as a public activist. He has spoken about many political and cultural topics, such as the gap between rich and poor people, and problems with the media. In 2014, he started a political-comedy web series on YouTube called The Trews.
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Early life and education
Russell Edward Brand was born in Grays, Essex, England. He is the only child of Barbara and Ronald Brand. His parents separated when he was six months old, and his mother raised him.
When Brand was a child, his mother became very ill. During this time, he lived with relatives. At age 16, Brand left home and began to face personal challenges.
He showed an early interest in acting. At 15, he was in a school play of Bugsy Malone. He later attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts but was expelled after his first year for not following the rules.
Career
Stand-up comedy
Brand started performing stand-up comedy in 2000 at the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year final. His performance got him noticed by an agent. That same year, he performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a famous arts festival in Scotland.
He launched his first solo tour, Shame, in 2006. The show was about funny and embarrassing moments from his life. It was later released on DVD as Russell Brand: Live.
In 2007, he performed for Queen Elizabeth II at the 2007 Royal Variety Performance. His second national tour was called Russell Brand: Only Joking. He also began performing in the United States and had a special on the channel Comedy Central.
In 2013, Brand toured with his show Messiah Complex. In this show, he talked about advertising and his heroes, like Gandhi and Malcolm X. His 2018 special, Russell Brand: Re:Birth, was released on Netflix.
Brand has said that comedians like Richard Pryor, Bill Hicks, and the group Monty Python have influenced his work.
Television presenting
Brand's first presenting job was in 2000 as a video journalist for MTV UK. He hosted shows like Dancefloor Chart and Select.
In 2004, he began hosting Big Brother's Big Mouth on the channel E4. The show was a fun talk show about the events in the Big Brother house. He hosted it for three years.
Brand hosted the 2007 Brit Awards and also presented at the UK leg of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium. He later hosted his own talk shows, including Russell Brand's Got Issues and Russell Brand's Ponderland.
In 2008, he hosted the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in the United States. This made him more well-known to American audiences. He hosted the VMAs again in 2009. In 2012, he hosted the MTV Movie Awards.
Acting career
Brand started acting as a teenager with small roles in TV shows like The Bill and Mud. In 2007, he had his first major film role as Flash Harry in St Trinian's.
His big break in America came in 2008 with the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall. He played the rock star Aldous Snow. The role was a huge success, and he played the character again in the 2010 movie Get Him to the Greek.
He also starred in the Disney movie Bedtime Stories with Adam Sandler. In 2010, he voiced the character Dr. Nefario in the animated hit Despicable Me. He returned for the sequels Despicable Me 2 (2013) and Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022).
Other major roles include the main character in the animated movie Hop (2011) and the lead in a remake of Arthur (2011). In 2022, he appeared in the mystery film Death on the Nile.
Writing books
Brand has written several books. From 2006 to 2009, he wrote a sports column for The Guardian newspaper about his favorite football team, West Ham United.
His first autobiography, My Booky Wook, was released in 2007 and was very popular. He wrote a second autobiography, Booky Wook 2: This Time It's Personal, in 2010.
In 2014, he published Revolution, a book about his political ideas. He also wrote a children's book called Russell Brand's Trickster Tales: The Pied Piper of Hamelin. His 2017 book, Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions, discusses how to overcome personal struggles.
Political activism
Brand has been involved in political activism for many years. In 2009, he signed a letter to protest the Gaza War. He also attended protests during the 2009 G-20 summit in London.
In 2012, the Dalai Lama chose Brand to host a youth event in Manchester. Brand said the Dalai Lama was an inspiration.
In an interview with Jeremy Paxman on the BBC show Newsnight in 2013, Brand shared his views on politics. He said he wanted a fairer world with a "massive redistribution of wealth." This interview was widely discussed.
The Trews and Revolution
In 2014, Brand launched his YouTube series The Trews, where he discussed news and current events. That same year, he joined a large protest in London called the People's Assembly Against Austerity. He gave a speech to the crowd, saying it was time for people to take back their power.
His book Revolution was also published in 2014. In the book, he called for big changes to make society more equal and to protect the environment.
In 2015, he opened the Trew Era Cafe in London. The café employed people who were recovering from personal difficulties. He later donated the café to a charity.
Ahead of the 2015 UK general election, Brand interviewed Labour Party leader Ed Miliband. He later encouraged his fans to vote for the Labour Party to stop the Conservative Party from winning.
Personal life
Brand has been open about his past struggles. He has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar disorder. He has also talked about overcoming personal challenges. He practices transcendental meditation and has explored different spiritual beliefs, including Buddhism and Christianity. In 2024, he was baptised as a Christian.
He is a fan of the martial art Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has earned a purple belt.
Relationships and family
In 2009, Brand began dating American singer Katy Perry. They got married in India in October 2010. Brand filed for divorce in December 2011, and it was finalized in 2012.
Since 2015, Brand has been in a relationship with Laura Gallacher, a Scottish blogger. They had dated briefly in 2007. The couple married in August 2017. They have three children: two daughters born in 2016 and 2018, and a son born in 2023.
Images for kids
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Brand speaking with Courtney Love in Los Angeles, 2008.
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Brand in September 2020.
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Brand at the London Revolution Protest in June 2014.
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Brand speaking at a rally in London, June 2014.
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Brand being interviewed outside the Houses of Parliament in London, 2014.
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Brand in Zuccotti Park, New York City, in October 2014.
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Brand in Regent's Park, London, in September 2020.
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