- Born
- Birth nameYakov Naumovich Pokhis
- Height1.66 m
- Yakov Smirnoff was born on January 24, 1951 in Odessa, Ukrainian SSR, USSR [now Ukraine]. He is an actor and writer, known for Tribunal de nuit (1984), Les Aventures de Buckaroo Banzaï à travers la 8e dimension (1984) and Comment claquer un million de dollars par jour? (1985). He was previously married to Linda Dreeszen.
- SpouseLinda Dreeszen(February 14, 1989 - 2001) (divorced, 2 children)
- Performs comedic routines with a heavy Russian accent. His trademark line is: "What a country!"
- His hardy laugh.
- After the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade centers, he began working on a mural to commemorate the event. Just in time for the first anniversary of the event, the mural was printed on a huge banner, with the quote "The human spirit is not measured by the size of the act, but by the size of the heart." It was hung from a nearby building where it was clearly visible from Ground Zero for over a year. Yakov financed the banner with $100,000 of his own money, but kept his donation anonymous, for fear that people would see it as a joke because of his reputation as a comedian.
- Is a professor at Missouri State University and Drury University where he teaches "The Business of Laughter.".
- Former roommate of comedian Andrew Dice Clay.
- Became a U.S. citizen on July 4, 1986.
- He was an art professor at Odessa Pedagogical University in Ukraine before starting his comedy career in the United States, and he remains a talented artist.
- In Russia, if a male athlete loses, he becomes a female athlete.
- What a country!
- "I've gone from Red to Redneck" (On Owning and Operating an 800 seat Theater in Branson, Missouri).
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