Jeff Dunham

About Jeff Dunham

His television specials and series have been the highest rated programming in Comedy Central history, his DVD sales have reached seven million units, and his live concerts have become mega-events played in front of sold-out arenas worldwide. No wonder Time Magazine wrote that he is “the most popular comedian in the United States” and Forbes named him to its Celebrity 100 list of most powerful entertainers three years running. Today, Jeff Dunham is a phenomenally successful global entertainment brand.

Dunham has, of course, plenty of help on-stage: his entourage of signature characters who are there to challenge and chastise his every sentence. Dunham’s fascination with ventriloquism began at age eight. It was his parents who gave their son a toy Mortimer Snerd dummy and an accompanying instructional record album. By the time he was ten, Jeff was performing anywhere he could find an audience.  After graduating from Baylor University, he moved to Los Angeles and soon became a sensation on the national comedy club circuit.  Multiple performances on just about every stand-up comedy show known to man followed, as well as frequent guest appearances on The Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman.

Jeff’s most recent stand-up special, Controlled Chaos, made an unprecedented multi-territory broadcast and DVD release in a dozen countries upon its U.S. bow on Comedy Central on September 25, 2011.

Today, Dunham’s global appeal is undeniable.  He was named top-grossing live comedy act in the world in 2009 and 2010 by Pollstar, the concert industry trade magazine.  He has sold-out stadium-sized shows across three continents, as there is universal appeal to Dunham’s relationship with his characters.

In late 2010, Dunham released his highly anticipated autobiography, “All By My Selves: Walter, Peanut, Achmed and Me,” which immediately landed on the New York Times best-seller list. Dunham has also made many cameo appearances across television and film, from the Emmy-winning comedy series "30 Rock," to the Jay Roach-directed comedy "Dinner For Schmucks,” starring Steve Carrell and Paul Rudd.

In 2012, Jeff continued to pack arena-sized venues on his new Controlled Chaos live show.  He recently made his fourth trip to Europe this spring, stopping in the U.K., Germany, and Belgium, and his second trip to South Africa, selling out arenas in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Sun City and Durban.  Jeff just returned from his second trip to Australia and premiere visit to New Zealand, selling out arenas in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Auckland.

As an entertainer, Jeff Dunham has truly impacted popular culture, and his character catchphrases, such as Achmed's "Silence! I Keel You!" and José Jalapeño’s "On A Steek!", are now part of our vernacular, much to the delight of multi-generational audiences worldwide.