Russell Peters is a famous comedian who is very popular in the west. He is among the first South Asians to have become a successful comedian. Peters uses humor at the subjects of race, class and culture, often using his own life experiences .He is one of the best stand-up comedians in the world today. 29th September is his birthday.
On this occasion we will bring out his achievements and a few inspiring stories of his life.
ACHIEVEMENTS
- He was ranked as the third-highest-paid comedian by Forbes.
- He broke the UK record for highest number of tickets sold for a comedy show in 2009.
- Gemini Award for Best Host in a Series in 2008.
- He is Canada’s number one stand-up comedian.
- In Canada, Peters became the first comedian to sell out Toronto’s Air Canada Centre with more than 15,000 tickets in two days for the single show.
ANECDOTES
The Once Bullied!
Russell Peter was born to Indian parents in Canada. He was often bullied at school by other kids for his ethnicity and cultural background. He says the experiences what he faced as a child helped him in his standup comedy. Russell took classes for boxing which helped him overcome his inferiors and it helped him stand up against the ones who bully( No! Not the way you are thinking! He didn’t beat up his fellow classmates! His self-confidence improved and he started exploring mush of his inner strength)
Where To Find Opportunities?
Russell was inspired by one of the greatest comedian George Carlin and when Russell met George, George advised him to get on stage whenever and wherever possible.
Probably, this is what they mean when they say “Don’t wait for opportunities, make one!”
What Stand-up means?
Russell says boxing and stand-up to be very similar. “You’re the only one out there, you’re going into a fight, and you’re going in with a game plan. Round one, I’m going to jab, see what their timing is, let them throw some punches to counter. Same thing with comedy. I’m going to go onstage and see what they got, and see what I got. You go in with a game plan, but the audience might not have the same plan you think they’re gonna have.”
BOOK
Courtesy :
www.wikipedi.org
www.huffingtonpost.com
Image : cnet4.cbsistatic.com
I am a big big fan of Russell Peter, saw all the documentaries available on netflix :) he is amazing :)
Yea Shweta. He has such perfect timing for jokes.
Nice post Vidyashree :)
Thanks ALok :)
I’ve enjoyed Russell Peters’ shows, but I’ve always been uncomfortable about the fact that his humour is mostly about poking fun at accents and other quirks of different nationalities and races. This is surprising (or maybe it isn’t!) for someone who was himself “bullied at school by other kids for his ethnicity and cultural background.”
Even I feel the same. Some times it becomes a little too much for us to take. But he has incredible comic timing.