Born:

September 29, 1970

Russell Peters Overview:

Russell Peters might be the most popular and successful comedian that you haven't really heard of. Named by Forbes magazine as one of the highest-paid comics, Peters travels the world and sells out enormous stadiums with his brand of observational comedy that blends stories about his family with material about race. Though he has never quite broken through to the mainstream in the United States, the Canadian comic has an enormous following worldwide and is an essential figure in today's stand-up comedy landscape.

Quick Russell Peters Facts:

• Russell Peters was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, and is of British and Indian ancestry.
• He began performing stand-up comedy in Toronto in 1989.
• Peters' big breakthrough came after clips from Comedy Now!, a television series he had taped in Canada, began finding their way onto YouTube and went viral.
• His first hour-long stand-up special, Russell Peters: Outsourced, premiered on Comedy Central in 2006. It was subsequently released on both CD and DVD.
• In 2010, Peters wrote and released his autobiography, Call Me Russell.

Russell Peters Discography:

• Outsourced (2006) (Album and DVD)
• Red, White and Brown (2009) (Album and DVD)
• The Green Card Tour (2011) (DVD)

Additional Russell Peters Facts:

• Peters is considered one of the most successful and highest-paid comedians in the business, and was ranked #7 on a Forbes list of the highest paid comics.
• He is the first stand-up comedian to ever sell out Canada's Air Canada Centre, selling 18,000 tickets in just two days.
• In 2009, he broke the UK record for highest number of tickets sold for a comedy show.

• He has sold out Madison Square Garden, the Nokia Theater, the Sydney Opera House, the 02 Arena and London and more.
• Peters had a supporting role in the 2011 science fiction movie Source Code.
• His very own Christmas special, A Russell Peters Christmas, aired in Canada in December, 2011.
• He hosted the Canada Day Comedy Festival in 2006, as well as the Juno Awards in 2009 and 2009. He won a Gemini Award (the equivalent of an Emmy in the United States) for his 2008 hosting duties. He has been nominated for four Gemini Awards over the course of his career.
• Peters is managed by his brother Clayton, who also helped co-write his autobiography.
• Peters is a truly international comic, having performed stand-up in dozens of different countries around the world. Additionally, he has done work with the USO and has toured Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Africa and Greenland.
• He was the host and sponsor of his own comedy showcase at the Just for Laughs Chicago comedy festival in 2009, which featured performances from comedians like Owen Benjamin, Maz Jabroni, John Pinette and Whitney Cummings.
• Peters hosted two stand-up showcase series for Showtime: Comics Without Borders and Russell Peters Presents.
• In 2012, Peters launched his Notorious tour.