Russell Peters facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Russell Peters
Peters in 2008
Birth name	Russell Dominic Peters
Born	(1970-09-29) 29 September 1970 (age 54) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Medium	Stand-up television film radio books
Genres	Insult comedy Heritage comedy black comedy observational comedy satire improvisational comedy
Subject(s)	Racism race relations stereotypes India multiculturalism Asian culture Western culture
Spouse	Monica Diaz ​ ​ (m. 2010, divorced)​ Ali Peters ​ (m. 2022)​
Children	2
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Russell Dominic Peters (born 29 September 1970) is a famous Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, and producer. He started performing in Toronto in 1989. He won a Gemini Award in 2008 for his work.

In 2013, Forbes magazine listed him as one of the world's highest-paid comedians. He was also the first comedian to have a stand-up special on Netflix. Russell Peters won a Peabody Award and an International Emmy Award for producing the show Hip-Hop Evolution (2016). He currently lives in Los Angeles.

Early Life and Growing Up

Russell Dominic Peters was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on September 29, 1970. His parents, Eric and Maureen Peters, came to Canada from India in 1965. They are of Anglo-Indian descent. His larger family lives in Bhopal, India. Russell was raised in the Catholic faith.

When Russell was four, his family moved to Brampton. He went to Chinguacousy Secondary School and later North Peel Secondary School. During his school years, he faced bullying because of his background. To help himself, he learned boxing. This skill helped him stand up to the bullies. Russell also loved hip hop music when he was young. By the 1990s, he was a well-known DJ in Toronto.

Russell's older brother, Clayton Peters, is also his manager.

Russell Peters' Comedy Career

Russell Peters began his comedy journey in Toronto in 1989. Since then, he has performed in many countries around the world.

How Russell Peters Became Famous

In 1992, Russell met George Carlin, a famous American comedian who greatly influenced him. Carlin advised him to perform on stage as much as possible. Russell took this advice seriously. He believes it helped him become successful. In 2007, Russell even hosted one of Carlin's last shows.

On September 28, 2013, Russell Peters received the Trailblazer award. This award was given by the Association of South Asians in Media, Marketing and Entertainment (ASAMME). It recognized his great contributions to comedy. He is one of the first South Asian comedians to become famous worldwide.

In 2017, Russell Peters appeared on Top Gear America. He was a guest in the third episode of the first season.

Forbes magazine reported that Russell Peters earned a lot of money from his comedy. Between June 2009 and June 2010, he earned about $15 million. This made him one of the highest-paid comedians. In 2013, Forbes estimated his earnings at $21 million.

Memorable Comedy Shows

Comedy Now! and YouTube Success

Russell Peters says a big moment in his career was his 2004 special on the Canadian TV show Comedy Now!. This show was uploaded to YouTube and became very popular. People on YouTube uploaded parts of his performance. These clips focused on jokes about different cultural groups. Russell said these clips were seen by many people and were well-liked. This viral success was even mentioned in his later show, Outsourced.

Breaking Records with His Shows

In 2007, Russell Peters was the first comedian to sell out Air Canada Centre in Toronto. He sold over 16,000 tickets in just two days for one show. Across Canada, he sold more than 30,000 tickets in that time. He also broke a comedy sales record in the UK. He sold over 16,000 tickets for his show at London's O2 Arena in 2009.

His show in Sydney, Australia, on May 15, 2010, had an audience of 13,880 people. This was the largest stand-up comedy show ever in Australia. Russell Peters also set attendance records in Singapore in May 2012. His shows at the Singapore Indoor Stadium had the most attendees for a single stand-up comedian.

Russell hosted the Canada Day Comedy Festival in 2006. In November 2007, he went on a USO tour to entertain troops. He visited places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Africa, and Greenland. He also created and starred in a radio show called Monsoon House on CBC Radio One.

Peters hosting the Juno Awards 2009

Russell Peters hosted the 2008 Juno Awards in Calgary. For this, he won a Gemini Award for "Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series." The show had very high ratings. Because of its success, he hosted the Juno Awards again in Vancouver in 2009.

His "RELAX World Tour" started in November 2024 in the United States. He is performing in many parts of the world. The tour is expected to finish in June 2025 in Las Vegas.

Comedy Albums and Books

Russell Peters in Afghanistan on a USO tour (November 2007)

Russell Peters released his first comedy album, Outsourced, in 2006. It was based on his performance aired on Comedy Central. The DVD version of Outsourced was uncensored. It sold over 100,000 copies and stayed on the National DVD Chart for more than a year and a half.

He released another DVD/CD combo called Red, White and Brown in 2008 in Canada. It came out in the U.S. in early 2009. This show was recorded in New York City. Russell and his brother Clayton produced and paid for it themselves.

On October 26, 2010, Russell Peters published his autobiography. It is called Call Me Russell. He wrote it with his brother, Clayton, and Dannis Koromilas.

Peters at Canada's Walk of Fame 2011

In May 2011, Russell released The Green Card Tour: Live from the O2 Arena. This was a live performance recorded in London, England. Over two nights, 30,000 people watched the show. Also in 2011, Russell Peters received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.

Russell Peters' Comedy Style

Russell Peters' stand-up comedy often uses observational comedy. He uses humor to talk about different racial, ethnic, class, and cultural groups. He often shares stories about growing up in an Anglo-Indian family. He also imitates the accents of various groups in a funny way. As he once told an audience, "I don't make the stereotypes, I just see them."

In a 2006 interview, Russell said he doesn't mean to put down or offend different groups. Instead, he tries to "raise them up through humor."

Russell Peters is well-known for his punchline, "Somebody gonna get a hurt real bad." This line comes from a joke about his childhood. It describes how his strict father taught him lessons. Another famous line he uses is "Be a man! Do the right thing!" This relates to a story about a shopkeeper trying to charge him more.

Personal Life

Russell Peters lives in Los Angeles, California, where he owns two homes. He also has homes in Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, and Vaughan, Ontario.

In 2010, Russell started the Russell Peters North Peel Scholarship. This award is worth up to CA$21,000. It helps pay for up to three years of college. It is given every year to a student from Judith Nyman Secondary School who has good grades and plans to go to college.

Family Life

Russell Peters proposed to Monica Diaz on July 10, 2010. They got married on August 20, 2010, in Las Vegas, Nevada. About 20 guests attended the wedding. Soon after, Russell shared that Monica was expecting a baby. Their daughter, Crystianna Marie Peters, was born on December 14, 2010. In March 2012, Russell shared that he and Monica were getting divorced.

In October 2016, it was announced that Russell was engaged to Ruzanna Khetchian. After that engagement ended, Russell announced on December 4, 2018, that he and his new girlfriend, Jennifer Andrade, were expecting a child. Jennifer Andrade was Miss Universe Honduras in 2012. In April 2019, their son, Russell Santiago Peters, was born. His relationship with Jennifer ended in 2020.

On February 20, 2022, Russell Peters married Ali Peters. The wedding took place at the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point, California.

Beliefs

When asked about sensitive topics, Russell Peters said he doesn't talk about religion much. He explained, "I'm more of a science guy than I am a beliefs guy. I'm more into facts than I am into beliefs." He prefers to focus on facts and science.

Russell Peters' Work in Film and TV

Russell Peters has appeared in many films and TV shows. Early in his career, he had small roles in movies like Tiger Claws III (2000) and My Baby's Daddy (2004).

He was in Senior Skip Day (2008) and The Take (2008). He also acted in the Punjabi-Canadian film Breakaway (2011). That same year, he was in Duncan Jones's Source Code (2011) and National Lampoon's 301: The Legend of Awesomest Maximus (2011).

Russell Peters has guest-starred on the TV series Mr. D. In 2011, he starred in a Canadian TV Christmas special, A Russell Peters Christmas. Famous guests like Michael Bublé and Pamela Anderson appeared on the show. It had the highest number of viewers for a CTV Canadian holiday special.

He also provided voices for animated shows like Bob's Burgers and Family Guy. He was a judge on Last Comic Standing in 2014. From 2016 to 2020, he was involved with Hip-Hop Evolution, which won awards. In 2017, he starred in The Indian Detective. More recently, he has been a judge on Roast Battle Canada (2021-present) and provided a voice for Velma (2023-2024).

Awards and Recognitions

Russell Peters has won several awards for his comedy and producing work.

See also

In Spanish: Russell Peters para niños