Yakov Smirnoff

About Yakov Smirnoff

In the 1980s, he was a prominent performer as a Russian accent comedian. He mocked life under Communism and satirized American materialism with his humorous persona of a naive immigrant from the Soviet Union.

Yakov Naumovich Pokhis, also known as Yakov Smirnoff, is a Ukrainian Jewish-American comedian, actor and writer. He started his career as an independent comedian in Ukraine, then immigrated to the United States in 1977 to pursue a career in the show business in the US, due to lack of English knowledge. He achieved his greatest success in the mid to late 1980s, appearing in several films and on media for the sitcom drama What a Country !. His comical character is a naive immigrant from the Soviet Union who is always confused and excited about life in the United States. His humor combined ridicule of life under communism and consumerism in the United States, as well as puns caused by misinterpretation of American phrases and culture, all underlined. by the slogan: "And I think:" Which country! The fall of communism since 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 put an end to Smirnoff's widespread popularity, although it continued to function

Notable works and roles	Yakov on Night Court, Nikolai on What a Country, Shatov in The Money Pit
Years active	1983–present
Native name	Яков Наумович Похис
Genres	Relationship humor, irony, word play, transpositional pun
Spouse	Linda Dreeszen (1989–2001, divorced, 2 children)
Medium	Stand-up, television, art, books
Nationality	American
Birth name	Yakov Naumovich Pokhis
Born	January 24, 1951, Odessa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Subject(s)	Psychology, Russian-American culture, race relations, relationships, immigration, communism in the Soviet Union

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Trivia

He is a professor at Missouri State University, teaching The Business of Laughter.

Yakov Smirnoff before fame

He worked as an art instructor in Odessa while living in Ukraine. He worked as a busboy and bartender at Grossingers Hotel in the Catskill Mountains when he and his parents moved to New York City in 1977.

Achievement of Yakov Smirnoff

He is a Missouri State University lecturer who teaches The Business of Laughter.

Salary 2020

Not known

Net Worth 2020

$20 Million

Yakov Smirnoff family life

He and his wife Linda had two children before divorcing in 1999. In 1986, he became an American citizen.

Associations of Yakov Smirnoff

Sophie Tucker, a Ukrainian-born comedienne, moved to America from the Soviet Union.

Yakov Smirnoff Height, Weight & Physique Measurements

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