Biographie
Nazeem Hussain has quickly risen to become one of Australia's most prominent comedians and a beloved figure on television and radio.
His Netflix special, 'Nazeem Hussain: Public Frenemy', filmed in Montreal at the Just For Laughs Festival, debuted globally in 2019, gaining him a vast new fan base and critical praise. Both Funny Or Die and Chortle ranked his special among their top picks.
“This was my first time watching Hussain’s stand-up, and I can assure you it won’t be the last. Nazeem commands the stage with incredible presence,” said Funny or Die (2019).
Nazeem’s prime-time comedy series 'Orange Is The New Brown' aired on Channel 7 in late 2018 to enthusiastic reviews. He created and starred in the sketch show, collaborating with Claudia Karvan, Tim Minchin, Urzila Carlson, and Kat Stewart. Several sketches went viral, amassing over 10 million views online.
Stand-up comedy remains Nazeem’s first passion. He won Best Newcomer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and earned two Helpmann Award nominations for Best Comedy Performer. In 2019, he toured 'Basic Idiot', his fifth consecutive stand-up show, playing to his largest audiences across major Australian cities and beyond. He also supported Aziz Ansari during his 2019 Australian tour.
Nazeem became a household name after reaching the Grand Final of Channel 10’s 'I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!', where he lived alongside Dane Swan, Steve Price, Casey Donovan, and Natalie Bassingthwaighte for over six weeks. His chosen charity was InTouch Multicultural Centre Against Domestic Violence.
He is perhaps best known for creating and starring in 'Legally Brown', which aired for two seasons on SBS Television in 2013 and 2014. The groundbreaking show received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for Most Outstanding Comedy at the 2015 Logie Awards.
Nazeem made his American TV debut as an official correspondent for both seasons of Netflix’s 'Bill Nye Saves the World', alongside scientist and TV personality Bill Nye. He was also invited to perform at Montreal’s prestigious Just For Laughs Festival as part of Kevin Hart’s LOL Network.
A regular on international stages, Nazeem has performed worldwide, including sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, London’s Soho Theatre, throughout New Zealand, Paris, Belgium, China, Singapore, Malaysia, and the US—where he opened for Dave Chappelle in New York City. He also performed a homecoming show in Sri Lanka to an audience of 2,500, with the Prime Minister and his wife seated front row.
Nazeem was a regular on the Comedy Channel’s ASTRA award-winning 'Balls of Steel Australia'. His self-created character, Calvin Khan—the Very Foreign Correspondent—delivered the highest-rated episodes of the season. He also starred in the cult SBS show Salam Café, nominated for a Logie Award in 2009.
His other TV credits include appearances on The Project, The Full Brazilian (SBS), The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, and ABC’s Q&A alongside Malcolm Turnbull. In 2020, he hosted the Australian Lockdown Comedy Festival on Stan and appeared in the Amazon Original series 'LOL: Last One Laughing' with a star-studded cast of Australian comedians. Nazeem also hosted The Standup Sessions, featuring Australia’s top and emerging comedians, as part of the Victoria Together initiative.
Adding to his growing list of achievements, Nazeem’s first comedy podcast, Burn Your Passport, won iTunes Best Comedy Podcast of 2016 and ranks among Australia’s top 20 most-listened-to podcasts. In 2020, he launched Survivor’s Guide to Corona Virus, featuring Australia’s beloved comedians and entertainers. His latest project is the Audible original podcast 'Rogue Son', now available.
In 2021, Nazeem joined Dave Hughes as part of the weekly problem-solving panel on Channel 10’s Hughesy, We Have A Problem, co-hosted ABC’s flagship program Australia Talks, appeared in Amazon Prime’s sketch show The Moth Effect, hosted the ABC podcast The Pineapple Project, and was a regular contributor on The Project.
In 2022, Nazeem toured nationally with his show 'Hussain That?', selling out venues across Australia. He also returned as host of a new season of The Pineapple Project and published his hilarious children's book series, Hy-larious Hyena, through Scholastic Australia.
In 2023, Nazeem brought 'Hussain That?' to Auckland, performing two consecutive sold-out shows at the renowned Q Theatre.
In 2024, he toured his new show, 'Totally Normal', to sold-out audiences across Australia and New Zealand and appeared on the premiere Australian season of Guy Montgomery’s 'Guy Mont Spelling Bee'.
Looking ahead to 2025, Nazeem will tour his upcoming show, 'You Paid for This', across Australia, New Zealand, and London. He will also be featured on SBS’s 'Great Australian Road Trips' alongside Melissa Leong and star in ABC’s new series 'Role of a Lifetime' with Kate Ritchie.
"Reinventing Australian Comedy"
*Herald Sun (Australia)*
"And just when you think you have him pegged, he sneaks up on you again, revealing society’s conventional wisdom as little more than prejudice, while finding something side-splittingly funny within."
*The Times (UK)*
"Hussain is a brilliant comedic artist who combines sharp observation with humor that creates an intelligent and hilarious show."
*Edinburgh Festivals Magazine (UK)*
