Russell Peters facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Russell Peters |
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Peters in 2008
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| Birth name | Russell Dominic Peters |
| Born | 29 September 1970 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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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 said he was 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 Hip-Hop Evolution (2016). He lives in Los Angeles.
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Russell Peters' Early Life
Russell Dominic Peters was born on 29 September 1970 in Toronto, Ontario. His parents, Eric and Maureen Peters, came to Canada from India in 1965. They were of Anglo-Indian descent.
When Russell was four, his family moved to Brampton. He went to Chinguacousy Secondary School and North Peel Secondary School. At school, he was often bullied because of his background. He learned boxing to help him deal with the bullying.
Russell also loved hip hop music when he was young. By the 1990s, he was a well-known DJ in Toronto. His older brother, Clayton Peters, is now his manager.
Russell Peters' Comedy Career
Russell Peters started doing stand-up comedy in Toronto in 1989. Since then, he has performed in many different countries around the world.
In 1992, Peters met George Carlin, a famous American comedian. Carlin told him to perform on stage as much as possible. Peters said he followed this advice, which helped him become successful. Fifteen years later, in 2007, Peters even hosted one of Carlin's last shows.
On 28 September 2013, Peters received the Trailblazer award for his great work in comedy. He is one of the first South Asian Americans to become famous internationally in comedy.
In 2017, Peters appeared on Top Gear America as a guest. Forbes magazine reported that Peters earned a lot of money from his comedy. He was ranked as one of the highest-paid comedians.
Famous Comedy Shows
Russell Peters says a big moment in his career was his 2004 special on the TV show Comedy Now!. This show was put on YouTube and became very popular. People on YouTube shared parts of his performance where he joked about different cultural groups. Peters said these videos were seen and enjoyed by those groups.
Record-Breaking Performances
In 2007, Russell Peters was the first comedian to sell out Toronto's Air Canada Centre. He sold over 16,000 tickets in just two days. He also broke a record in the United Kingdom at London's O2 Arena, selling over 16,000 tickets in 2009.
His show in Sydney on 15 May 2010 had 13,880 people, making it the biggest stand-up comedy show ever in Australia. In 2012, his shows in Singapore also set new attendance records.
Peters hosted the Canada Day Comedy Festival in 2006. He also went on a USO tour in 2007 to entertain troops in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. He also produced a radio comedy series called Monsoon House for CBC Radio One.
Peters hosted the 2008 Juno Awards in Calgary. He won a Gemini Award for being the best host of a variety show. The show had very high ratings. Because it was so successful, he hosted the 2009 Juno Awards again in Vancouver.
He started his RELAX World Tour in November 2024 in the United States. He will perform in many other parts of the world. The tour is expected to finish in June 2025 in Las Vegas.
DVDs and Books
Peters released his first comedy album, Outsourced, in 2006. It was based on his performance on Comedy Central. The DVD version sold over 100,000 copies.
He released another DVD/CD, Red, White and Brown, in 2008. This was recorded in New York City. Peters and his brother Clayton produced and paid for it themselves.
In 2010, Peters published his autobiography called Call Me Russell. He wrote it with his brother, Clayton, and Dannis Koromilas.
In 2011, Peters released The Green Card Tour: Live from the O2 Arena. This was a live show recorded in London, England, with 30,000 people watching. Also in 2011, Russell Peters received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.
Russell Peters' Comedy Style
Russell Peters' stand-up comedy uses observational comedy. He makes jokes about different racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. He often talks about his own experiences growing up in an Anglo-Indian family. He also imitates the accents of various groups to make fun of them in a lighthearted way.
He once told an audience, "I don't make the stereotypes, I just see them." In an interview, Peters said he doesn't want to offend people. Instead, he tries to "raise them up through humour."
Peters is well known for his joke ending, "Somebody gonna get a hurt real bad." This comes from a story about his childhood and his strict Indian father. Another one of his famous lines is "Be a man! Do the right thing!" This relates to a story about a Chinese man trying to overcharge him in a shop.
Russell Peters' Personal Life
Russell Peters lives in Los Angeles, California. He also has homes in Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, and Vaughan, Ontario.
In 2010, Peters started the Russell Peters North Peel Scholarship. This award gives money to students from Judith Nyman Secondary School who want to go to college.
Russell Peters has been married twice and has two children.
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 Boozecan (1994) and My Baby's Daddy (2004).
He acted in Senior Skip Day (2008) and The Take (2008). In 2011, he was in the film Breakaway. He also appeared in Duncan Jones's movie Source Code (2011).
Peters has been a guest star on the TV series Mr. D. In 2011, he starred in a Canadian TV Christmas special called A Russell Peters Christmas. Many famous guests like Michael Bublé and Pamela Anderson were on the show. It was the most-watched Canadian holiday special on CTV.
He has also done voice work for animated films and TV shows, including The Jungle Book (2016) and Velma (2023-2024).
Comedy Specials
Russell Peters has released several popular comedy specials:
- Outsourced (2006)
- Red, White and Brown (2008)
- The Green Card Tour: Live from the O2 Arena (2011)
- Notorious (2013) - This was his first Netflix special.
- Almost Famous (2016)
- Deported (2020) - Released on Amazon Prime Video.
- Act your Age Live in Abu Dhabi (2024) - Available on Patreon.
Awards and Achievements
Russell Peters has won several important awards for his comedy and production work.
He won a Gemini Award in 2008 for hosting the Juno Awards. He also won two Canadian Comedy Awards for his stand-up comedy.
In 2013, he received the Trailblazer Award from the Association of South Asians in Media, Marketing and Entertainment.
For producing the show Hip-Hop Evolution, he won a Peabody Award in 2016. He also won an International Emmy Award for Best Arts Programming in 2017 for the same show.
Images for kids
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Peters in 2008
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Russell Peters' autograph
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Peters hosting the Juno Awards 2009
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Russell Peters in Afghanistan on a USO tour (November 2007)
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Peters at Canada's Walk of Fame 2011
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Peters, along with Scot McFadyen, Rodrigo Bascuñán, Shad, Sam Dunn, and Darby Wheeler, at the Peabody Awards.
See also
In Spanish: Russell Peters para niños
