Fame in America

From his Comedy Central special

More Russell Brand videos

Brand was born in Grays, Essex, to Barbara and Ron – who separated when Russell was just six months old. He was brought up by his mother, to who he has always been close, but had a difficult relationship with his father.

He made his theatrical debut aged 15 in a school production of Bugsy Malone, before going to the Italia Conti stage school, appearing in an episode of The Bill in 1994, and further study at the Drama Centre in Camden where, at night, he began performing stand-up on the London circuit.

He reached the final of the Hackney Empire New Act Of The Year competition in 2000, and that same year made his Edinburgh debut as one third of the stand-up show Pablo Diablo's Cryptic Triptych alongside ventriloquist Mark Felgate and Anglo-Iranian comic Shappi Khorsandi.

Following that show, MTV gave him his own series, Dance Floor Chart, in which he toured the nightclubs of Britain and Ibiza, and the teatime request show Select. However he became addicted to heroin, which understandably affected his work. He was fired after coming to work dressed as Osama Bin Laden immediately after the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and the Pentagon.

In 2002, he landed his own show Re:Brand, on the now defunct satellite channel UK Play. The show took a candid view of cultural taboos and his own hang-ups. But while it was daring and provocative, it was also unfocussed, given Brand's addictions at the time. In one show about sexuality he masturbated a gay man, in another he challenged his own father to a boxing match to settle old schools.

In 2002, he appeared in the Channel Four’s adaptation of the Zadie Frost novel White Teeth and the Steve Coogan vehicle Cruise of the Gods – though he was thrown off the set for bad behaviour. It was clear by this point that his drug-addled lifestyle was ruining his career and his agent, John Noel, forced him into rehab for his addiction to heroin and sex.

In summer 2004, Russell was given a second chance, hosting E4’s live Big Brother discussion series Efourum and Kings of Comedy for E4. The gamble paid of for Channel 4, and Brand was on the road to becoming a star. Two more series of the Big Brother show, retitled Big Brother’s Big Mouth, followed.

In 2004, he also took his first one-man show, the confessional Better Now, to the Edinburgh Festival, giving an honest account of his heroin addiction. He returned the following year with Eroticsed Humour, and in 2006 with Shame.

In 2006, he as welcomed back to MTV with his own chat show, 1 Leicester Square. This led to an E4 show Russell Brand’s Got Issues, which later transferring over to Channel 4, despite disappointing ratings. He was nonetheless given his own Channel 4 chat show, but again it registered disappointing viewing figures over its five-week run. In 2007 he was given another chance by Channel 4, with the video clip/stand-up show Russell Brand's Ponderland. Again ratings were poor, but it was recommissioned in 2008, and returned with a more solid audiences.

Other notable TV appearances include a BBC Four documentary retracing Jack Kerouac's On the Road and his role as recovering crack addict in the 2007 broadcast pilot of ITV1 comedy The Abbey.

Brand simultaneously developed his radio career, starting with in 2002 on London alterative music station Xfm – another job he was sacked from. After cleaning himself up, he landed a Sunday morning show on BBC 6 Music, and was quickly promoted to Radio 2, upsetting some of the show’s traditional listeners. The decision backfired in October 2008 when, with guest co-host Jonathan Ross, Brand left filthy messages on the answerphone of Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs, boasting about bedding his granddaughter. He resigned in the ensuing media furore, which raised questions about the very purpose of the licence-funded BBC.

Controversy seems to surround Brand. In July 2008, he was roundly criticised for making a hoax call to police during his stage in Northampton, claiming he had spotted a man responsible for a series of sexual assaults. In 2006, he began a feud with Bob Geldof at the NME awards; and his political comments about President George Bush at the 2008 MTV awards also divided opinion.

On film, his first major role was as Flash Harry in the 2007 remake of St Trinian's, and the following year made waves in Hollywood playing outrageous rock star Aldous Snow in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. He will reprise the character for the 2009 comedy Get Him To The Greek, in which a straight-laced chaperon tries to get him safely to a gig.

Brand has written a football column in The Guardian since 2006, and the articles have been published as two anthologies. His autobiography, My Booky Wook, was a 2007 Christmas bestseller.

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Clearly a clever man, but as long as he's entwined in this celebrity culture it's difficult to associate between his material and what's daubed across the papers, because they end up being the same thing. That's why his radio show was so good, because he reigned himself in and filtered out all the unnecessary vulgarities and so what was broadcast was very clever, very funny ramblings for two hours.

Billy, February 2009

A clever, clever mother fu&*er regardless of all the hoo-ha that follows him round. Russell's ability as an orator appears effortless, as if he is using the medium of comedy to amuse himself, something I have not witnessed with any other comedian I have ever seen and there's been a few! All the best for 2009 Russell you tart!

Darren, Liverpool, January 2009

Oh shock, the British public hate to critisize don't they! I don't think anyone could say Russell is unoriginal, there is NO one around that is anything like him and personally i think he is absolutely hilarious.... not only that, but he has more wit and intelligence than any other comedian I have ever watched. Quite frankly, his use of the english language is phenomenal. I would be very impressed if any other member of the British public were able to use even 50 per cent of his vocabulary! Amazing Russell, keep up the good work

Sarah G, November 2008

Prick, simple as

Ian, October 2008

Just a stupid wannabe celebrity. Totally unfunny all he does is come on stage and shout and preach about himself for an hour then he just went and imposed himself on the Americans.

Dave, October 2008

Well done Russell. Given your lofty celebrity status and the huge gigs that you land it would be so easy for you just to employ your far-reaching and extensive vocabulary for frivilous comedic purposes, but for you to tackle politics at the MTV awards wasn't just achingly funny, it was also extremely important and the right thing to do. Well done fella. Good luck mate.

Cole parker, September 2008

But really, come on, he is shit isn't he..? If you're honest with yourself, if you know anything about comedy, he is dire really.

Edie, May 2008

Out of all the comedians I have seen do stand up, Russell Brand is by far the best. He's so down to earth and relaxed and that's whats so good about him. He doesn't get up on stage and become all nervous or care what he says he just does it. He's not ashamed of anything he's ever done and not afraid to share it with his audience. Russell has come such along way since the beginning of his career (baring in mind he start off doing standup above pubs, and his acts included him hitting dead animals with a hammer) and to get this far and achieve what he has achieved is amazing!

sarah, April 2008

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