Russell Brand Biography

Russell Brand is a British celebrity whose success spread from United Kingdom radio and television to big-time Hollywood movies such as Get Him to the Greek and on to a career as a comedian-commentator-activist-author and all-around tabloid bad boy.

In 2023 accusations of rape and sexual molestation stalled his career.

Brand became a popular host on the airwaves between 2006 and 2008 on the radio show The Russell Brand Show, and on the TV reality-show spin-off Big Brother’s Big Mouth.

Known for his scandalous remarks, skinny pants and riot of teased hair, Brand made the most of his newfound fame by publishing a memoir of sorts in 2007, My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs and Stand-Up, a comic confessional that enhanced his reputation as outrageous, and its success led to more television roles and, in 2008, a small role in the Judd Apatow comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall (with Kristen Bell).

Apatow also cast him in the 2010 Jonah Hill comedy Get Him to the Greek in what turned into a busy year for Brand. He hosted American awards shows, lent his voice to the animated feature Despicable Me, appeared with Helen Mirren in The Tempest and, on 23 October 2010, married pop singer Katy Perry. (He filed for divorce – after texting Perry his plans — on 30 December 2011, after 14 months of marriage.)

Since 2010 Brand has been a multimedia celebrity, with podcasts, YouTube shows, BBC series, newspaper articles and more than half a dozen books of memoir and opinion. His pet topics include drug addiction, sexual aggressiveness and hot-button political issues (including various conspiracy theories about Covid-19).

Russell Brand’s other films include the animated feature Hop (2011) and the comedy re-make Arthur (2011).