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Yakov Smirnoff

Yakov Smirnoff

Actor, Producer, Writer

Born January 24, 1951 in Odesa, Ukraine

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Biography

Yakov Naumovich Pokhis (Russian: Яков Наумович Похис; born 24 January 1951), better known as Yakov Smirnoff (Russian: Яков Смирнов; /ˈsmɪərnɒf/), is a Ukrainian-American comedian, actor and writer of Jewish origin. He began his career as a stand-up comedian in Ukraine, then immigrated to the United States in 1977 in order to pursue an American show business career, not yet knowing any English. He reached his biggest success in the mid-to-late 1980s, appearing in several films and the television sitcom vehicle What a Country!. His comic persona was of a naive immigrant from the Soviet Union who was perpetually confused and delighted by life in the United States. His humor combined a mockery of life under communism and of consumerism in the United States, as well as word play caused by misunderstanding of American phrases and culture, all punctuated by the catchphrase, "And I thought, 'What a country!'"

The collapse of communism starting in 1989, and the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, brought an end to Smirnoff's widespread popularity, although he continued to perform. In 1993, he began performing year round at his own theater in Branson, Missouri, where he remained until 2015. He occasionally still performs limited dates at his theater in Branson while touring worldwide.

Smirnoff earned a master's degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 and a doctorate in psychology and global leadership from Pepperdine University in 2019. He has also taught a course titled "The Business of Laughter" at Missouri State University and at Drury University.

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Filmography

Actor

63

Type

Year

Toon in with Me Poster

Toon in with Me TV Series2021Self

The Comedy Store Poster

The Comedy Store Mini-Series2020Self

Yakov Smirnoff: United We Laugh Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: United We Laugh TV Special2020Self

KNEKT on the Carpet: Live from the 27th Annual 100 Stars Oscars Red Carpet Poster

KNEKT on the Carpet: Live from the 27th Annual 100 Stars Oscars Red Carpet TV Special2017Self

Dice TV Series2016Yakov Smirnoff

Dying Laughing Poster

Dying Laughing Documentary2016Self

Yakov Smirnoff's Happily Ever Laughter : The Neuroscience of Romantic Relationships Poster

Yakov Smirnoff's Happily Ever Laughter : The Neuroscience of Romantic Relationships TV Special2016Self

The Comeback Kids Poster

The Comeback Kids TV Series2014Valdemar Steinberg

@midnight Poster

@midnight TV Series2013Self

Awful Nice Poster

Awful Nice Feature Film2013Yakov Smirnoff

AXS Live Poster

AXS Live TV Series2012Self - Guest

Gotham Comedy Live Poster

Gotham Comedy Live TV Series2012Self - Host

Home & Family Poster

Home & Family TV Series2012Self

The Mystery Hour Poster

The Mystery Hour TV Series2012Self

PragerU TV Series2010Self

Great American Road Trip Poster

Great American Road Trip TV Series2009Self - Guest Judge

Pioneers of Television Poster

Pioneers of Television TV Series2008Self

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson Poster

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson TV Series2005Self

World's Greatest Stand-up Comedy Collection Poster

World's Greatest Stand-up Comedy Collection Video2005Self

As Long as We Both Shall Laugh Poster

As Long as We Both Shall Laugh TV Movie2004Self

Cheap Seats: Without Ron Parker Poster

Cheap Seats: Without Ron Parker TV Series2004Self

Yakov Smirnoff: Jokes from the Folks Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: Jokes from the Folks TV Special2004Self

Hollywood Squares Poster

Hollywood Squares TV Series1998Self - Panelist

King of the Hill Poster

King of the Hill TV Series1997Yakov Smirnoff

E! True Hollywood Story Poster

E! True Hollywood Story TV Series1996Self

WGN Morning News Poster

WGN Morning News TV Series1994Self

Yakov Smirnoff: I Bet You Never Looked at It That Way Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: I Bet You Never Looked at It That Way TV Special1994Self

Yakov Smirnoff: Just Off the Boat Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: Just Off the Boat TV Special1994Self

Yakov Smirnoff: What A Country! Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: What A Country! TV Special1994Self

Montreal International Comedy Festival '93 TV Movie1993Self

The Comedy Store's 20th Birthday TV Movie1992Self

Yakov Smirnoff: From Moscow... Idaho Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: From Moscow... Idaho TV Special1991Self

Bob Hope's USO Road to the Berlin Wall and Moscow TV Special1990Self

The 16th Annual People's Choice Awards Poster

The 16th Annual People's Choice Awards TV Special1990Self - Introducing Speaker

The Marsha Warfield Show Poster

The Marsha Warfield Show TV Series1990Self

George Burns - His Wit and Wisdom Poster

George Burns - His Wit and Wisdom Video1989Self - Burns Russian Fan

Major Dad Poster

Major Dad TV Series1989Major Sacha Sarotsky

The Arsenio Hall Show Poster

The Arsenio Hall Show TV Series1989Self

Up Your Alley Poster

Up Your Alley Feature Film1989Russian Man

Hope News Network Poster

Hope News Network TV Movie1988Self

Live! Dick Clark Presents TV Series1988Self

The 45th Annual Golden Globe Awards Poster

The 45th Annual Golden Globe Awards TV Special1988Self - Presenter

D.C. Follies Poster

D.C. Follies TV Series19871 episode, 1989

Just for Laughs TV Series1987Self

The Geraldo Rivera Show Poster

The Geraldo Rivera Show TV Series1987Self

We the People 200: The Constitutional Gala TV Special1987Self - Performer

Heartburn Poster

Heartburn Feature Film1986Contractor Laszlo

The Money Pit Poster

The Money Pit Feature Film1986Shatov

The New Hollywood Squares Poster

The New Hollywood Squares TV Series1986Self - Panelist

What a Country Poster

What a Country TV Series1986Nikolai Rostapovich

Brewster's Millions Poster

Brewster's Millions Feature Film1985Vladimir

The 9th Annual Young Comedians Special Poster

The 9th Annual Young Comedians Special TV Special1985Self

Moscow on the Hudson Poster

Moscow on the Hudson Feature Film1984Lev

Night Court Poster

Night Court TV Series1984Yakov Korolenko

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Poster

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Feature Film1984National Security Advisor

Scarecrow and Mrs. King Poster

Scarecrow and Mrs. King TV Series1983Bela Pravik

The Bob Monkhouse Show Poster

The Bob Monkhouse Show TV Series1983Self

Hour Magazine Poster

Hour Magazine TV Series1980Self

It's a Living Poster

It's a Living TV Series1980KGB Agent

The Love Boat Poster

The Love Boat TV Series1977Dmitri Kostov

Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon Poster

Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon TV Series1966Self

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Poster

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson TV Series1962Self - Guest

Today TV Series1952Self

Producer

8

Type

Year

Yakov Smirnoff: United We Laugh Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: United We Laugh TV Special2020

Yakov Smirnoff's Happily Ever Laughter : The Neuroscience of Romantic Relationships Poster

Yakov Smirnoff's Happily Ever Laughter : The Neuroscience of Romantic Relationships TV Special2016

As Long as We Both Shall Laugh Poster

As Long as We Both Shall Laugh TV Movie2004

Yakov Smirnoff: Jokes from the Folks Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: Jokes from the Folks TV Special2004

Yakov Smirnoff: I Bet You Never Looked at It That Way Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: I Bet You Never Looked at It That Way TV Special1994

Yakov Smirnoff: Just Off the Boat Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: Just Off the Boat TV Special1994

Yakov Smirnoff: What A Country! Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: What A Country! TV Special1994

Yakov Smirnoff: From Moscow... Idaho Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: From Moscow... Idaho TV Special1991

Writer

8

Type

Year

Yakov Smirnoff: United We Laugh Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: United We Laugh TV Special2020

Yakov Smirnoff's Happily Ever Laughter : The Neuroscience of Romantic Relationships Poster

Yakov Smirnoff's Happily Ever Laughter : The Neuroscience of Romantic Relationships TV Special2016

As Long as We Both Shall Laugh Poster

As Long as We Both Shall Laugh TV Movie2004

Yakov Smirnoff: Jokes from the Folks Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: Jokes from the Folks TV Special2004

Yakov Smirnoff: I Bet You Never Looked at It That Way Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: I Bet You Never Looked at It That Way TV Special1994

Yakov Smirnoff: Just Off the Boat Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: Just Off the Boat TV Special1994

Yakov Smirnoff: What A Country! Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: What A Country! TV Special1994

Yakov Smirnoff: From Moscow... Idaho Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: From Moscow... Idaho TV Special1991

Director

5

Yakov Smirnoff: United We Laugh Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: United We Laugh TV Special2020

Yakov Smirnoff: Jokes from the Folks Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: Jokes from the Folks TV Special2004

Yakov Smirnoff: I Bet You Never Looked at It That Way Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: I Bet You Never Looked at It That Way TV Special1994

Yakov Smirnoff: Just Off the Boat Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: Just Off the Boat TV Special1994

Yakov Smirnoff: What A Country! Poster

Yakov Smirnoff: What A Country! TV Special1994

Thanks

2

Type

Year

Reagan Feature Film2024

Toon in with Me Poster

Toon in with Me TV Series2021

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