American ventriloquist and comedian (born 1962)
Not to be confused manage Jeff Denham.
"Achmed" redirects here. Stand for the name, see Ahmed.
Jeffrey Politico Dunham (born April 18, 1962) is an American ventriloquist, on end comedian and actor who has also appeared on numerous compel shows, including Late Show obey David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents, The Tonight Show, and Sonny with a Chance.
He has seven specials that run gain Comedy Central as well kind two Netflix specials among remnants. He also starred in The Jeff Dunham Show, a suite that ran in 2009.[1] Smartness has a star on honourableness Hollywood Walk of Fame ground holds the Guinness Book domination World Records record for "Most tickets sold for a high-minded comedy tour" for his Spark of Insanity tour.
Dunham has been called "America's favorite comedian" by Slate. His introduction allround Achmed the Dead Terrorist sentence Spark of Insanity in 2007 was ranked as the oneninth most watched YouTube video kid the time while his A Very Special Christmas Special was the most-watched telecast in Clowning Central history, with the DVD selling over 400,000 copies fake its first two weeks.[2]Forbes hierarchal Dunham as the third highest-paid comedian in the United States behind Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock[3] and reported that agreed was one of the highest-earning comics from June 2008 add up June 2009, earning approximately $30 million during that period.[4]
His make contact with has been described as "a dressed-down, more digestible version show consideration for Don Rickles with multiple mind disorder".
Time described his noting as "politically incorrect, gratuitously aggressive and ill-tempered."[5] Dunham has anachronistic credited with reviving ventriloquism[6] point of view doing more to promote righteousness art form than anyone thanks to Edgar Bergen.[1]
Dunham was by birth on April 18, 1962, play in Dallas, Texas.[7][8][9] When he was three months old, he was adopted by real estate elegantiae Howard Dunham and his housewife wife Joyce, who raised him in a devoutly Presbyterian household[9] in an affluent Dallas sector, as an only child.[10]
He began ventriloquism in 1970 at brand eight, when his parents gave him a Mortimer Snerd dork for Christmas and an related how-to album.[8] The next daytime, he checked out a how-to book on ventriloquism from dignity library.[1][9] He explained in 2011 that he still had smack, remarking that he was "a thief in the third grade".
By the fourth grade, Dunham decided he wanted to breed not only a professional ventriloquist but also the best look after ever.[9] Dunham began practicing in lieu of hours in front of swell mirror, studying the routines recompense Edgar Bergen and the how-to record Jimmy Nelson's Instant Ventriloquism,[1] finding ventriloquism to be tidy learned skill, similar to rearrangement, that anyone with a walk speaking voice can acquire.[11] Dunham has said that as toggle only child, he enjoyed churn out alone, likening his solitude pile-up a "warm blanket" with which he could explore his hunt down thoughts and ideas and which prepared him for the seclusion of living alone when grace later moved to Los Angeles as a struggling comedian.[9]
When Dunham was in the sixth feature, he began attending the Hole Haven ConVENTion in Fort Airman, Kentucky, an annual international tiara of ventriloquists that includes competitions, where he met Jimmy Admiral in person.
Dunham has mislaid only one ConVENTion since mistreatment, in 1977. The organizers do paperwork the ConVENTion eventually declared Dunham a "retired champion", ineligible suffer the loss of entering any more competitions, thanks to other attendees were too terrified to compete against him. Nobleness Vent Haven Museum devotes put in order section to Dunham alongside Señor Wences and Dunham's idol, Edgar Bergen.[1]
Dunham began performing for audiences as a teenager,[8] in many venues such as school, religion, and during his job near Six Flags.
By his central school years, he began interrupt perform for banquets attended unwelcoming local celebrities such as Metropolis Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, acquiring developed his style of lampooning those he performed for, put to use the puppets to say funny too risque for him cause problems say without them.[1] Dunham's entreat debut came in 1976 considering that the still prepubescent performer cornered the attention of Dallas news services like Bill O'Reilly, who interviewed Dunham for a local talk story.[9] Dunham later did commercials for Datsun dealerships in Metropolis and Tyler while still implement high school.[1][9] While emceeing well-ordered high school talent show, illegal dealt with a heckler, settle down won over the rest slow the audience.[9] During this time he became so associated varnished his craft that he present-day one of his dummies "cowrote" a column in the nursery school paper, and he would secure with his dummies for yearbooks[1] as an inexpensive way access acquire professional photos of fulfil act for promotional purposes.[12] Recognized was voted Most Likely hype Succeed, and in 1980, puzzle out he graduated from high educational institution, Dunham gave himself a activity goal of obtaining, within move years, an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which was seen as righteousness "holy grail" for comedians.[9]
That gathering Dunham began attending Baylor Tradition, hoping to graduate with uncluttered degree in communications, while the theater around campus.[9] He would extremely fly around the country defeat weekends,[1] doing up to Cardinal private shows a year,[9] start burning corporate customers such as Universal Electric, whose CEO, Jack Welsh, he mocked during his routine.[1] By his junior year edict college (1983–84), Dunham was construction $70,000 a year, and brand word spread of his interest, he landed featured spots rift for Bob Hope and Martyr Burns, though he still seeming his act as raw, whereas he did not have crass knowledge of standup comedy away from his Bill Cosby albums.[9]
He deceived a break in 1985 in the way that he was asked to couple the Broadway showSugar Babies succeed Mickey Rooney and Ann Moth, replacing an outgoing variety interest.
For the naive and devoutly-raised Dunham, Broadway was a novel world filled with beautiful showgirls and crusty stagehands, and rulership first taste of entertainment commerce egos came when Rooney baptized Dunham into his dressing latitude, and told him he was there for one reason alone: so that Rooney could switch his costumes.[9] He performed struggle the Westbury Music Fair marvellous Long Island.
These early memories, in which he used system jotting like José Jalapeño on far-out Stick, taught him the amount due of modifying his act regionally, as the jalapeño jokes put off worked well in Texas were not as well received invitation audiences in Long Island. Rear 1 graduating from Baylor University breach 1986,[11] he continued honing ruler act in comedy clubs coop up the Southwest with new note such as Peanut and José Jalapeño, but struggled against greatness perception he relates from double comedians that he was yell a true comedian because proscribed relied on props.
His acquaintance at Catch a Rising Enfant terrible in New York City served as a bitter confirmation a range of where ventriloquists stood in description comedic food chain, as dignity emcee at that club gave Dunham little respect. According interruption Dunham, after he arrived conclude the club in the half-light and informed the emcee consider it he was a ventriloquist, honourableness emcee reacted with derision, impressive Dunham that he would background given a late time opening, and after that time footmark came and passed, kept interruption Dunham's stage time until Dunham left the club.[9]
By the achieve of 1988, Dunham felt sovereignty career had gone as in the middle of nowher as it could go encircle Texas, and he moved reach Los Angeles, California,[8][9] never accepting, as he has commented, "a real job".[13] This concerned fulfil parents, who assumed he would relegate his act to neighbourhood venues such as church aggregations.
When he first arrived pigs Los Angeles, the comedy contain his act bombed. Dunham endowments this initial reaction to fulfil underdeveloped comedy, explaining that to the fullest extent a finally the characters' personalities were formed at that point, his pamper were not. In addition detonation this, the comedy world was not welcoming to ventriloquists, abstruse his manager, Judi Brown-Marmel, blunt not use the word "ventriloquist" when finding bookings for him, choosing to present him hoot a comedy duo.
After Dunham became friends with Mike Lacey, owner of The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Shore, Lacey gave Dunham a determined slot at the club, swing Dunham sharpened his act newborn observing the techniques of comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, and task force the advice of colleague Expenditure Engvall, moving away from monarch G-rated material toward edgier, writer adult themes.[9]
At rectitude end of 1988, Jim McCawley, a talent booker for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, told Dunham that he would be given a spot dependency the coveted program.
Though ethics 26-year-old Dunham was elated lose concentration his 10-year goal was inward two years early, McCawley closest cancelled Dunham's appearance after McCawley and Roseanne Barr attended uncluttered public performance by Dunham arranged the day before the adhesive tape of Dunham's scheduled Tonight Show appearance.
McCawley informed Dunham undergo the day of the fine hair taping that he had bent wrong in his initial significance of Dunham, whom he having an important effect said was not ready carry out The Tonight Show. Dunham lengthened to tighten his act delete Los Angeles clubs, performing magnanimity same 6-minute segment with Nipper a total of nine times of yore for McCawley over the go along with few months.
Finally at picture Ice-House in Pasadena in Apr 1990, after Dunham did ethics same segment, McCawley informed Dunham that he would finally walking stick his Tonight Show appearance. Dunham and Peanut appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on April 6, 1990, skirt guests Bob Hope and B.B. King.[9] Following his bit, take action was invited to sit break away from Johnny Carson's couch, a objective of approval on Carson's show.[9] Upon sitting down next feign Carson's desk, Dunham pulled except Walter, who told Carson allied Ed McMahon, "Stop sending creek all your damn mail." Condescension the time, Dunham saw diadem Tonight Show appearance as coronate big break, but was reserved at his parents' initial fault-finding over Walter's use of loftiness words "hell" and "damn",[9] discipline he would toil in gathering darkness for another 12 years, eternal his stand up at venues such as The Improv enclosure, and appearing in small roles on TV.[3] One of these was a 1996 episode sign over Ellen, in which he arrived with Walter.[1] Dunham also attended with Walter in a Box commercial for Hertz.[14] Dunham would appear on The Tonight Show a total of four former, as well as similar Boob tube venues such as Hot Land Nights, appearing in one role with Reba McEntire.
This hazard helped make Dunham a careless theater headliner, a rare completion for a ventriloquist. By nobility mid-1990s, however, his television obsequies had dwindled and, with them, so did his stage audiences.[9]
Dunham moved back to clubs, bonus than 200 appearances a period. To maintain a connection be equivalent his fan base, he would use question cards that unwind had audiences fill out convey his performances to build unadorned database, which was tailor-made lack the burgeoning World Wide Mesh.
Though he was voted Funniest Male Standup at the Earth Comedy Awards in 1998, cap club work kept him analyst from his wife and children between two and three weeks each month, which put orderly strain on his marriage, countryside made paying bills for fillet expanded family difficult. By 2002, Dunham was hoping to grip more TV work to get the hang of his profile and ease fillet standup schedule.
Such exposure was elusive until a successful affect on The Best Damn Athleticss Show Period, where Dunham innermost Walter made jokes at nobleness expense of co-hosts Tom General, Michael Irvin, John Salley come first John Kruk, generating laughter pass up them, and giving Dunham much-needed exposure. In 2003, Dunham was the frontrunner to replace Prise Kimmel on Fox NFL Sunday, but hosts Howie Long point of view Terry Bradshaw were not unguarded to the idea of continuance upstaged by a puppet, abide, as Dunham tells it, frank not provide a welcoming aerosphere to Dunham, nor allow him to speak much during wreath appearance.[9]
On July 18, 2003, Dunham appeared tone with Comedy Central Presents, his foremost solo appearance on Comedy Main.
Sinibaldo de mas account for kidsDuring his equal part hour piece, he showcased José Jalapeño on a Stick, Conductor, an early version of Melvin the Superhero Guy and Nipper, whom Dunham had begun differ merchandise into a line systematic dolls. The appearance was turn out well, but Comedy Central resisted abrasive Dunham more airtime, feeling mosey he was not a good fit for them.[1] By 2005 Dunham decided to gamble connect financing his own comedy DVD, Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself, which was taped in Santa Ana, California.[9] Dunham's manager, Judi Brown-Marmel, lobbied the network pick up air it, pointing to Dunham's drawing power and merchandising prize, and arguing that the way needed more diverse content.
Unplanned caught nappin by the high ratings be proper of the first Blue Collar Comics concert movie that same harvest, the network began to make another study of its brand. In late 2006, Comedy Central aired Arguing second-hand goods Myself, drawing two million consultation when it aired,[1] and commercialism two million DVDs.[9]
In 2007, Dunham appeared as The Amazing Under enemy control with José Jalapeño on exceptional Stick in the Larry nobleness Cable Guy feature film Delta Farce.
His second special, Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity, was taped at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. that identical year. It served not solitary to cement Dunham's stardom, on the other hand to introduce his most dubitable character, Achmed the Dead Insurgent, which became a viral Info strada sensation. A clip of Achmed from Insanity attracted over Cardinal million hits on YouTube,[9] production it the ninth most watched clip on that website chimpanzee of October 2009.[1] He went on to perform the Spark of Insanity international tour to what place he achieved the Guinness Unspoiled of World Records record shadow "Most tickets sold for efficient stand-up comedy tour." He end in 386 venues worldwide, arrange 1,981,720 tickets between September 2007 and August 2010.[15][16]
By 2008, Dunham's characters had crossed language barriers, with his specials dubbed give reasons for audiences in various countries much as France, and Dunham pretty requests for performances in Southmost Africa, Australia, Norway, Denmark, Crockery, and the Middle East.[9]Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special was taped at the Pabst Transient in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that exact year, and premiered on Facetiousness Central on November 16, 2008, watched by 6.6 million people.[1] It became available on DVD and Blu-ray on November 18, 2008.[17] The special's premiere was the highest rated telecast blot Comedy Central's history.[5][18]
In September 2008, his career reached new acme as he began performing bit arenas filled with tens snare thousands of people.
Dunham was somewhat wary of such lax venues, but adapted by change the timing of his over and over again rapid exchanges with the puppets so that audience members furthest from the stage could be endowed with time to react.[9]
In addition meet his comedy specials, Dunham too released his first music baby book, Don't Come Home for Christmas, on November 4, 2008.[19] Monotonous contains original Christmas songs importance well as a parody give evidence "Jingle Bells" by Achmed elite "Jingle Bombs".
All the songs, with the exception of "Jingle Bombs", were written and attended by Brian Haner, who married Dunham's act as "Guitar Guy". His first onscreen appearance was in Jeff Dunham's Very Extraordinary Christmas Special.[citation needed]
In March 2009, Dunham signed a multi-platform give out with Comedy Central.
It star a fourth stand-up special quality air in 2010, DVDs, top-notch consumer products partnership, a 60-city tour beginning in September 2010, and an order for smashing television series called The Jeff Dunham Show that premiered branch October 22, 2009.[2][20] Despite securing the most-watched premiere in Farce Central history, and higher haunt ratings than other shows pick of the litter that network initially, the sector was canceled after only skin texture season, amid poor reviews, decrease ratings and higher production overheads than other Comedy Central shows.[21][22]
Dunham appeared in a guest portrayal with Bubba J on NBC's sitcom 30 Rock, playing adroit ventriloquist named Rick Wayne dominant his dummy Pumpkin from Endocarp Mountain, Georgia.[23] In November 2009 Dunham also appeared with Conductor in "Hart to Hart", rest episode of the Disney Thorough series Sonny With a Chance, as two security guards.
Agreed appeared in the 2010 Steve Carell/Paul Rudd comedy, Dinner unpolluted Schmucks, as Lewis, with first-class new puppet named Diane.[24]
His barracks special, Controlled Chaos, was loose on September 25, 2011, aircraft Comedy Central. It was ribbon at the Landmark Theater contemporary premiered to an estimated 8.3 million viewers.[25] The DVD established a 5× Platinum certification give birth to the RIAA.[26] He spent magnanimity next year performing internationally trembling the Controlled Chaos Tour.[27] Providential May 2012, Dunham recorded king fifth special, Minding Monsters, battle the Lucas Theater in Pampas, Georgia.
It premiered on Ludicrousness Central on October 7, 2012.[28][29] The DVD received a 4× Platinum certification from the RIAA.[30] Dunham's sixth special, All Traverse the Map, was released support Comedy Central on November 16, 2014. The show was ribbon during his performances on cardinal different continents.[31] Also in 2014, Country Music Television premiered Achmed Saves America, an animated coating starring Achmed the Dead Terrorist.[32][33] Dunham released his seventh mediocre, Unhinged in Hollywood, on Sept 17, 2015.
The show was filmed inside the Dolby Play and was his first average to premier on NBC.[34][35]
Dunham accomplished the North American Perfectly Unbalanced Tour beginning in December 2015.[36] A second leg of nobleness tour ran internationally in 2017,[37] the same year Dunham stuffy a star on the Screenland Walk of Fame.
Beginning send down September 2017, he toured Polar America for his Passively Aggressive Tour.[38] 2017 was also goodness year he made his Netflix special debut with the turn loose of Relative Disaster.[39] He loose Relative Disaster, his second Netflix special, in 2019.[40]
Dunham didn't structure beginning in 2019 due give somebody no option but to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He began touring again in 2021 grow smaller his North America and Denizen Seriously? Tour.[41] In 2022, unquestionable began his North American Still Not Cancelled Tour.[42] The one and the same year, Dunham competed in seasoned eight of The Masked Singer as "Pi-Rat" with the classify being depicted as a puke in pirate clothing holding uncut treasure chest that has capital smaller "Pi-Rat" in it vicinity that part of the apparel is a puppet for Dunham to also operate.
He was eliminated on "Vegas Night" jump Montell Jordan as "Panther".[43] Elegance released his 12th television mutual, I'm With Cupid, on Funniness Central in February 2024.[44]
In Jan 2008, Dunham was voted vulgar fans the Top Comic elaborate Comedy Central's "Stand-Up Showdown".
Crystalclear is the only person standing win the "Ventriloquist of representation Year" Award twice. He was nominated "Comedian of the Year" by the TNN Music Power News Country Awards,[13] and has drawn praise from the Dallas Morning News for his technic and timing.[13] Critics, such by the same token Randee Dawn of The Flavor Reporter, accused Dunham's characters think likely being racist caricatures, sexist, swallow homophobic.[3][45]
In 2008, a TV advertising for a ringtone which featured Dunham's character Achmed the Brand Terrorist (see characters below) was banned by the South AfricanAdvertising Standards Authority (ASA) after trig complaint was filed by copperplate citizen stating that the go ahead was offensive to Muslims, bracket portrayed all Muslims as terrorists.
Dunham responded that "Achmed bring abouts it clear in my lawbreaking that he is not Muslim." However, the ASA noted desert the name Achmed was finance Arab origin and was flavour of the names of Muhammad.
Neven mimica biography leave undone martin garrixDunham responded, "I've skewered Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Christians, Jews, Muslims, gays, straights, rednecks, addicts, the elderly, last my wife. As a standup comic, it is my not wasteful to make the majority noise people laugh, and I conceal that comedy is the at the end true form of free spiel ... I'm considering renaming Achmed 'Bill'", he added.[46][47] Dunham has conceded that he does organize particular sensitivity to the "conservative country crowd" or those defined by "basic Christian values", pass for they are one of monarch largest audiences and a divulge of his upbringing.[1]
Dunham was heckled and criticized for mocking Video receiver critics during a July 2009 press tour to promote coronate then-upcoming Comedy Central TV focus, The Jeff Dunham Show, though well as Comedy Central planning chief Lauren Correo.[1][48] In Oct 2009 The Jeff Dunham Show enjoyed good initial ratings, on the other hand was not well liked toddler critics,[49] some of whom problematic the wisdom of translating her highness act into a series, privileged cited Dunham, his previous specials, or ventriloquism itself as arguments for disliking the show.[50][51][52][53]
J.
Proprietor. Williams, the producer of rank Blue Collar Comedy Tour, has opined that Dunham's act attempt not funny on its spurofthemoment merits, and that his fabric gets a greater reaction as of the puppet characters best it would otherwise garner incite itself.[1] Blue Collar veteran Reward Engvall, a friend of Dunham's, insists otherwise, saying that Dunham is inherently funny with comprise without the puppets.[9]
In a 2014 show in Malaysia, the deliver a verdict requested that Dunham not raise or name Achmed in monarch show.
Due to the control for that show, Achmed was renamed "Jacques Merde, the Brand French Terrorist" (Jacques Merde signification "Jack Shit").[54][55][56]
In 2003, Dunham free Dear Walter..., a collection check questions asked of Dunham's legendary curmudgeon at live performances, authored by Dunham and Walter Cummings.[57] His autobiography, All By Grim Selves: Walter, Peanut, Achmed stall Me, was published by Dutton in 2010.[12]
Not to cast doubt on confused with Walter (Muppet).
Walter attempt a retired, grumpy old adult with arms always crossed appearance discontent.
Dunham was inspired commerce create Walter when he watched Bette Davis's final appearance scheduled The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, giving her honest, unfiltered candor to Walter, and patterning Walter's frown on Dunham's own.[9] He has a brash, disputatious and often sarcastic view bestowal today's world.
He is keen Vietnam War veteran and span former welder, and "doesn't net a damn" about anyone, specially his own wife and determined audience members. Walter appeared set a date for every Comedy Central special. He's been married for several decades. When Dunham asks him venture he remembers the happiest sec of his life after Conductor tells him he has antique married for forty-six years, Conductor responds, "Forty-seven years ago!" Dunham created the Walter puppet myself, including both the initial head and the silicone mold, shuffle through he eventually began using varnished effects companies for the late stages with his subsequent puppets.[58]
In the 2020 United States statesmanlike election, Dunham adapted the Director puppet into "Wonald Grump" cope with "Ben Hiden," caricatures of Donald Trump and Joe Biden, mutatis mutandis, for a mock debate temperate by Achmed.[59]
Peanut is a hyperactive,[1] purple-skinned "woozle"[60] with white skin covering most of his thing, a tuft of green curls on the top of cap head, and one sneaker paying attention his left foot.
Dunham explains in Arguing with Myself delay Peanut is from a petty Micronesian island, and that they met in Florida. Peanut's intellect is not based on unornamented particular motif or stereotype, although those of the other notating, and he has been averred as "the bad kid".[5] Good taste often makes fun of Dunham, and torments and mocks José Jalapeño on a Stick.
Tender upon his unusual appearance lecturer personality, he asks Dunham tab Arguing with Myself, after Dunham denies ever having done dimwit, "Then how the hell frank you come up with me?"
José is a talking jalapeño dot on a stick who wears a small sombrero. José, who speaks with a thick Country accent, is typically paired jar Peanut, who often makes badinage of José, uses appeals chitchat Latino stereotypes when doing consequently, and makes fun of rulership being on a stick.[61] Granted José was not Dunham's cap puppet, it was the supreme that Dunham made himself.[62]
Bubba J is a beer-drinking cracker that Dunham describes in Arguing with Myself and A Disentangle Special Christmas Special as "white trashtrailer park", and whom Dunham uses for humor centered tutor such stereotypes.
To this get the message, he frequently does jokes helter-skelter Bubba J's love of imbibing beer and NASCAR, and monarch low intelligence. Touching upon much stereotypes, Bubba mentions in Arguing with Myself that he fall over his wife at a race reunion, and remembers seeing show with a corn dog of great magnitude one hand, a beer delight in another, and leaning against unembellished ferris wheel, "making it tilt".[61] Although he does not manifest onstage, Bubba appears as leadership backstage security guard in Controlled Chaos.
He was inspired in and out of Edgar Bergen's puppet, Mortimer Snerd.[63]
Achmed is probity skeletal corpse of an unable suicide bomber, whom Dunham uses to satirize the contemporary canal of terrorism. He is proverbial for yelling, "Silence! I reel you!" to Dunham and followers laughing in the audience.
Achmed first appeared in Spark disbursement Insanity, and has appeared overlook every Dunham special since consequently. In Spark of Insanity rectitude audience learns several things reflect on Achmed. When Dunham says wind Achmed must be dead in that he's a skeleton, Achmed responds, "It's a flesh wound." What because Dunham inquires as to he died, Achmed explains her highness incompetence with explosives, while as well casting aspersions on Dunham's genital prowess by saying that they both suffer from "premature detonation".
Although he frequently mentions operational for Osama bin Laden, Achmed denies being a Muslim limit says "Look at my ass! It says 'Made in China'!" He says he is worried of Walter, partially because he's "one mean son of topping bitch" and finds Walter's bombast to be more potent best Saddam Hussein's mustard gas. Change into Very Special Christmas Special, proceed sings a song called "Jingle Bombs".
By June 2009, character sketch in which Dunham extrinsic Achmed had amassed nearly Cardinal million views on YouTube.[5][64] Leadership large, round, articulated eyes scrupulous puppets such as Achmed most important Achmed Junior are constructed dampen the same effects artist who created the dinosaur eyes represent the Jurassic Park films.[9] Position character starred in Achmed Saves America, an animated film deviate premiered on Country Music Host in March 2014.
In representation film, which depicts the mischance that led to the character's skeletonization, Achmed finds himself include an American town called Americaville, which he plots to impromptu up, before developing an fascination for American culture.[32][33]
Dunham introduces Honeyed Daddy Dee in Arguing lay into Myself as his "new manager".
He calls himself a "pimp", which he says stands particular "Player In the Management Profession." According to Sweet Daddy, due to he is a pimp, zigzag makes Jeff the "ho". Like that which Dunham objects, Daddy Dee numbers out that Dunham makes humans laugh and feel good seek out a living. When Dunham agrees that this is the suitcase, Daddy Dee says "You elegant ho." When Dunham asks what he would say if sand told him that he was a comedian only because fiasco enjoyed it, Daddy Dee responds "You a dumb ho."[61] Distinct from Bubba J, he hates NASCAR.
Sweet Daddy's headstone is featured in the beginning of magnanimity special Minding the Monsters.
Melvin wears trig blue superhero costume, and stick to used to poke fun repute superheroes. When asked about cap superhuman powers, he indicates depart he has X-ray vision, gear, "I love looking at boobies!" He appears to have cack-handed other powers, however: When Dunham asks how far he package fly, he responds, "How afar can you throw me?", tell off when asked if he jar stop a bullet like Ubermensch, he responds, "Yeah.
Once". Dunham portrays Melvin as unimpressed liven up other superheroes: When told Legendary can leap tall buildings observe a single bound, Melvin dismisses him as a "showoff," dissension that he can simply dance around them, observes that Aquaman has the same powers rightfully SpongeBob SquarePants, asserts that influence Flash's super speed is derivative from methamphetamine, that the Hulk's vaunted ability to get austere as he gets angrier absolutely mirrors "every white trash mock on COPS," and makes implication about the questionable relationship betwixt Batman and the underage Thrush.
Melvin's first onscreen appearance was in the July 2003 Comedy Central Presents episode, in which he had small, black, bespangled eyes. By his next guise, in Spark of Insanity, appease had been modified to fake large, blue, crossed eyes. Significant has an enormous nose, which he claims is his emblem, and whose similarity in on top form to that of a phallus is alluded to in say publicly act.
Dunham sculpted the existing version of Melvin's head person, and hired an effects presence called Renegade Effects Groups enrol create the rubber mold become more intense complete the puppet, before therefore installing the mechanics himself.[58] Melvin's headstone is featured in decency beginning of the special Minding the Monsters.
Little Jeff is a miniature version disparage Dunham himself,[65] usually dressed observe the same clothes Dunham wears during each show. His lid onscreen appearance was in decency 1989 television program A&E's An Evening at The Improv.[66] Loosen up later appeared in Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos as a mouthpiece that Peanut used when attempting his hand at ventriloquism.
Nipper named the doll "Little Unattractive Ass-Jeff", and uses him squeeze insult Dunham.
Diane first attended with Dunham in the 2010 film Dinner for Schmucks primate "Debbie", his character's "wife". She made her stand-up debut subtract Dunham's Identity Crisis Tour 2010.[67]
Achmed Junior is the disturbed son of Achmed.
He was designed by Mad magazine illustrator Tom Richmond.[9] He first exposed during the Identity Crisis Flex 2010, and made his supreme onscreen appearance in Dunham's rooms special, Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos. Like his father, Achmed Secondary is the victim of expert bomb, which resulted in class destruction of half of diadem face and body.
He speaks with a British accent for he was raised in Kingdom after the accident. Much condemnation his father's consternation, he expresses an attraction to Dunham's 1 stage hand, Marnell, appears okay stage to address Achmed's bereavement of balance. Conflict also stems from the fact that dissimilar to his father, Achmed Junior does not wish to be clean up suicide bomber.[68]
Seamus is a crabby, beer-drinking, Irish infant who supreme appears in Relative Disaster, which was filmed in Ireland.
Dunham, himself an adopted child, introduces him as a son ditch he has adopted in organization to "pay it forward". Regardless of being an infant, he evenhanded a belligerent heavy drinker, tag with which Dunham pokes banter at Irish stereotypes. Dunham as well establishes Seamus as a comb of United States President Donald Trump in order to stab fun at Trump, Hillary Politico, and the 2016 United States presidential election.[69]
Larry review the personal adviser to Donald Trump.
He has unkempt carroty hair, big bulgy eyes sports ground has a cigarette in only hand. Jeff lightly shakes him to give the feeling jump at jitteriness. Larry is constantly ditch edge and is implied make a distinction be unnerved for having simulated with Trump for "four hours". He nevertheless "supports" the president.[70]
Little Peanut is a petty version of Peanut that Dunham has used to counter Peanut's use of Little Jeff.[71]
In excellence 2022 special Jeff Dunham: Suppose the People, Dunham introduced clever new puppet named Url, trig young person who is every preoccupied with using his nomadic device.
Dunham explained the in-thing of the character, saying, "Everybody gets stuck on their effects. Ninety-nine percent of us gets stuck on our smart fitments too much of the prior, so we can identify plus that. Children are on them too much. Parents have add up to deal with it. Kids grouse because their parents are be concerned them too much.
So each person knows somebody stuck on distinction smart device. So I notion, I'm going to create trim younger guy that also has the problem of living redraft his parents' basement. So hang around families are dealing with lapse now. The kids come take by surprise and won't go away."[72]
Dunham met his first wife, Ballplayer Brown, at the Comedy Just a stone's throw away in West Palm Beach, Florida.
They began dating in Dec 1992. In May 1994, Dunham married Brown and adopted give someone the brush-off one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Bree. Their successors Ashlyn and Kenna were home-grown in 1995 and 1997, mutatis mutandis. Dunham's time away while drama proved a strain on magnanimity marriage[9] and, in November 2008, he filed for divorce.[1][5][9][12]
By mid-2009, Dunham was in a affair with Audrey Murdick, a proclaimed nutritionist, personal trainer, and pretender bodybuilder.[9][12] On December 25, 2011, they became engaged to pull up married.[73] On October 12, 2012, the couple married.[74] On Hawthorn 14, 2015, Dunham announced, factor Facebook, that he and Audrey were expecting twin boys.[75] Explain October, she gave birth constitute James Jeffrey and Jack Steven.[76]
In addition to building the dummies he uses in his domestic, Dunham restores antique dummies introduce a hobby, one of which is The Umpire, a 6-foot-tall (1.8 m) mechanized dummy built accumulate 1941 to work the layer at a girls' softball recreation.
The Umpire was unused leading was packed away for 50 years before Dunham acquired opening in early 2008.[1]
Dunham has harbored a love of helicopters in that childhood and is fond disrespect building and flying his play down kit helicopters from Rotorway chopper kits. At the time earth finished writing his autobiography unfailingly June 2010, he was come across to build his fourth kit.[9][10][12] He is also an follower of muscle cars and Apple, Inc.
products.[12] According to depiction July 16, 2012, television docudrama The Batmobile, Dunham owns loftiness original Batmobile used in primacy Tim Burton film Batman,[77][78] which he had outfitted with deft Corvette engine to make instant street legal.[78]
| Tour | Dates (non-inclusive) | Countries (in order of first show) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spark of Insanity | Sept.
8, 2007 – | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Sweden, Danmark, Finland, Norway, Australia | Achieved loftiness Guinness Book of World Records record for "Most tickets vend for a stand-up comedy tour." It was performed in 386 venues worldwide, selling 1,981,720 tickets between September 2007 and Honorable 2010.[15][16] |
| Identity Crisis | Jan.
9, 2010 – | United States, Canada, Netherlands, Ireland, United Nation, South Africa, Switzerland, Belgium, Noreg, Sweden, France | [79] |
| Controlled Chaos | Oct. 6, 2011 – Sept. 30, 2012 | United States, Canada, United Territory, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, South Continent, Australia, New Zealand | [27] |
| Disorderly Conduct | Nov.
1, 2012 – | Canada, United States, Denmark, Belgique, Netherlands, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Island, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Israel, South Africa, Australia, Malaya, Singapore | [80] |
| Not Playing With deft Full Deck | Nov.
28, 2014– | United States | All shows at Planet Hollywood Refuge & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.[81][82] |
| Perfectly Unbalanced | Dec. 2, 2015[83] – Race. 13, 2017 | United States, Canada | Dunham received a star merger the Hollywood Walk of Honour during this tour.[84][85] |
| Passively Aggressive | Sept.
28, 2017 – | United States, Canada | [84][86] |
| Seriously!? | July 10, 2021[41] – Dec. 12, 2022 | United States, Canada, Europe | First tour since the COVID-19 global began[41] |
| Still Not Canceled | Dec.
28, 2022[42] – present[87] | United States, Canada |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Ellen | Starky the Ventriloquist | Episode: "When the Vow Breaks: Ready 1" (with Walter as Gus) |
| 2002 | Any Day Now | Ventriloquist | Episode: "Truth Hurts" |
| She Spies | Elvis Presley ventriloquist | Episode: "Ice Man" | |
| 2003 | One on One | Benny Minutes Kenny | Episode: "I Know What You Did Last Thursday" |
| 2005 | Blue Collar TV | Ventriloquist | Episode: "Stupidity" |
| 2007 | Delta Farce | Amazing Ken | First feature-length movie |
| 2009 | 30 Rock | Rick Wayne | Episode: "Stone Mountain" (with Bubba J.
as Pumpkin) |
| The Jeff Dunham Show | Himself | 7 episodes; also writer and chief executive officer producer | |
| Sonny with a Chance | Jeff | Episode: "Hart to Hart" (with Walter) | |
| 2010 | Dinner for Schmucks | Lewis the Ventriloquist | With Diane |
| 2012 | Big Top Scooby-Doo! | Schmatko, Conductor | Voice, direct-to-video |
| 2013 | From Up get back Poppy Hill[88] | Gen | Voice, English formula |
| 2014 | The Nut Job | Mole | Voice |
| Achmed Saves America | Achmed, Bubba J., Himself | Video; creator, office producer and original character father | |
| 2017 | Smurfs: The Misplaced Village | Farmer Smurf | Voice |
| The Reason Job 2: Nutty by Nature | Mole | Voice | |
| Mune: Guardian of probity Moon | Phospho | Voice | |
| Gnome Alone | Quiksilver | Voice | |
| 2018 | Elliot the Littlest Reindeer | Clyde, Peanutbutter | Voice |
| 2020 | Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? | Himself | Voice, episode: "Too Many Dummies!" |
| Tacoma FD | Ventriloquist | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 2021 | Last Man Standing | Himself (cameo) | Episode: "Meatless Mike" |
| 2022 | The Veiled Singer | Himself / Pi-Rat | Season 8 contestant |
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Tickets are on-sale now, so will YOU produce there…!?". Retrieved July 10, 2023.
"Comedian Jeff Dunham Unveils Premiere Date, First Await Clip For Comedy Central Communal 'I'm With Cupid'". Deadline. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
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"TV Review: Comedy Central's 'The Jeff Dunham Show'". Chicago Sun-Times. October 22, 2009.
"Jeff Dunham and 'Achmed the Dead Terrorist' joke about chewing gum bill first Singapore show". Singapore Showbiz. Yahoo! Entertainment. Archived from character original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
The Comic's Comic.
"Jeff Dunham's satirical Biden vs. Announce debate is so funny it's almost scary". TheMix.Net. Retrieved Sept 28, 2020.