Russell Peters Biography
Born: September 29, 1970
Date of Birth: September 29, 1970
Born in Toronto, comedian Russell Peters grew up in Brampton, Ontario. He has sold out theaters and arenas from London to Sydney to Los Angeles. In 2008 he joined the exclusive ranks of comedians who have headlined and sold-out Madison Square Garden. His comedy is rooted in the experiences of a second-generation son of South Asian parents in a western world.
In over 20 years as a professional comic, Peters has also amassed credits including guest appearances Canadian sitcoms; his own BBC talk show, Network East Late; and supporting roles in a number of feature films including My Baby's Daddy (2004), Source Code (2011) and the indie film, Breakaway.
Peters has also had comedy specials broadcast on Showtime and Comedy Central. He's also appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Chelsea Lately and Def Comedy Jam.
Nominated for five Gemini Awards and winner for Best Performance or Host in Variety Program or Series for his initial stint hosting the Juno Awards in 2008, Peters has been featured at Montreal's Just For Laughs Festival, HBO's Aspen Comedy Arts Festival, the Edinburgh Festival, Amman Stand-Up Comedy Festival and Just For Laughs Toronto and Chicago Festivals as well as TBS Las Vegas Comedy Festival. In 2008 he was voted as the Number One comic of the past 25 years of Just For Laughs and Best Large Venue Comic at the Canadian Comedy Awards. In 2007 he became the first comedian to sell-out Toronto's Air Canada Centre with over 30,000 fans attending his shows over two nights.
In 2009 Peters was ranked by Forbes—along with Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock—as one of the top ten highest grossing stand-up comics in the U.S. On October 1, 2011, he was awarded a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.
Peters married Monica Diaz on August 20, 2010. They divide their time between homes in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Peters is currently working on developing new sitcom projects and executive producing television specials. However, he also continues to tour the world with his comedy act.