
Yakov Smirnoff
Actor · b. 1951 · Odesa, Ukraine
Yakov Naumovich Pokhis (Russian: Яков Наумович Похис; born 24 January 1951), better known as Yakov Smirnoff (Russian: Яков Смирнов; /ˈsmɪərnɒf/), is a Ukrainian-American comedian, actor and writer of Jewish origin. He began his career as a stand-up comedian in Ukraine, then immigrated to the United States in 1977 in order to pursue an American show business career, not yet knowing any English. He reached his biggest success in the mid-to-late 1980s, appearing in several films and the television sitcom vehicle What a Country!. His comic persona was of a naive immigrant from the Soviet Union who was perpetually confused and delighted by life in the United States. His humor combined a mockery of life under communism and of consumerism in the United States, as well as word play caused by misunderstanding of American phrases and culture, all punctuated by the catchphrase, "And I thought, 'What a country!'" The collapse of communism starting in 1989, and the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, brought an end to Smirnoff's widespread popularity, although he continued to perform. In 1993, he began performing year round at his own theater in Branson, Missouri, where he remained until 2015. He occasionally still performs limited dates at his theater in Branson while touring worldwide. Smirnoff earned a master's degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 and a doctorate in psychology and global leadership from Pepperdine University in 2019. He has also taught a course titled "The Business of Laughter" at Missouri State University and at Drury University.
Movies14
Movie6.5ComedyRomanceAfter being evicted from their Manhattan apartment, a couple buy what looks like the home of their dreams—only to find themselves saddled with a bank-account-draining nightmare. Struggling to keep their relationship together as their rambling mansion falls to pieces around them, the two watch in hilarious horror as everything—including the kitchen sink—disappears into the Money Pit.
The Money Pit
1986 · 1.3K votes
Movie6.0Science FictionComedyAdventurer/surgeon/rock musician Buckaroo Banzai and his band of men, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, take on evil alien invaders from the 8th dimension.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
1984 · 518 votes
Movie6.6ComedyMonty Brewster, an aging minor-league baseball player, stands to inherit $300 million if he can successfully spend $30 million in 30 days without anything to show for it, and without telling anyone what he's up to... A task that's a lot harder than it sounds!
Brewster's Millions
1985 · 696 votes
Movie6.0ComedyDramaShe's a magazine writer who gives up her career for love and family. He's a playboy newspaper columnist who can't quite give up his old tricks. And if that combination doesn't give a relationship heartburn, nothing will.
Heartburn
1986 · 223 votes
Movie6.3ComedyDramaA Russian circus visits the US. A clown wants to defect, but doesn't have the nerve. His saxophone playing friend however comes to the decision to defect in the middle of Bloomingdales. He is befriended by the black security guard and falls in love with the Italian immigrant from behind the perfume counter. We follow his life as he works his way through the American dream and tries to find work as a musician.
Moscow on the Hudson
1984 · 232 votes
Movie8.0ComedyDocumentarySome of the best new talent is showcased in these annual comedy specials each year. Every show is hosted by a different accomplished comedian. In 1984, the 9th year, the host was the magnificent Rodney Dangerfield.
Movie6.0RomanceComedyVickie Adderly is an enterprising young newspaper reporter looking for that big story to boost her career. A chance encounter with an adventurous drifter leads her into a world she never imagined... on the streets of L.A. Suddenly, her days are filled with a cast of colorful characters, including Marilyn, an eccentric femme fatale, and a bewildered Russian. Add the attentions of a handsome admirer and it's easy to see how Vickie gets her story and a whole lot more in this charming romantic fable.
Up Your Alley
1989 · 3 votes
- MovieComedy
An autistic teenager wants to find a favorite Premiere League soccer club and makes his father take him to see every single team so he can decide.
Movie5.2ComedyEstranged brothers Jim and Dave must travel to Branson together when their father dies and leaves them the lake home. A series of hilarious mishaps and costly misadventures follow as they attempt to restore the house and rebuild their relationship.
Awful Nice
2013 · 29 votes
MovieComedyExperience some of the funniest moments from Yakov's "Branson Today" talk show. There's always something funny about Yakov, but there's something even funnier about his audience!
MovieComedyPart of the charm of Yakov Smirnoff's comedy lies in his inspiring and humbling story. From fleeing from the USSR to his newfound life as an American citizen, you'll love hearing his hilarious and heartwarming stories in this special.
MovieYakov Smirnoff delivers some of his best material in this hilarious stand-up comedy special. Audiences have been enjoying his unique brand of comedy for over 25 years, and you'll see why in this side-splitting special!
MovieComedyYakov Smirnoff TV special from Moscow, Idaho
Movie10.0ComedyRussian comedian Yakov Smirnoff examines the differences between men and women in this one-man show.
Yakov Smirnoff: As Long As We Both Shall Laugh
2004 · 1 votes
Series10
TV7.5Talk ShowThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962 · 96 votes
TV5.8ComedyTalk ShowAfter Jay Leno's second retirement from the program, Jimmy Fallon stepped in as his permanent replacement. After 42 years in Los Angeles the program was brought back to New York.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014 · 389 votes
TV7.4AnimationComedySet in Texas, this animated series follows the life of propane salesman Hank Hill, who lives with his overly confident substitute Spanish teacher wife Peggy, wannabe comedian son Bobby, and naive niece Luanne. Hank has conservative views about God, family, and country, but his values and ethics are often challenged by the situations he, his family, and his beer-drinking neighbors/buddies find themselves in.
King of the Hill
1997 · 699 votes
TV5.3ComedyTalk ShowChris Hardwick will lead three celebrity contestants down the ultimate internet wormhole. Culling from the darkest recesses of social media, they will compete to determine who has the funniest take on the day's pop culture.
@midnight with Chris Hardwick
2013 · 23 votes
TV7.3ComedyAn eccentric fun-loving judge presides over an urban night court and all the silliness going on there.
Night Court
1984 · 149 votes
TV6.7Action & AdventureDramaScarecrow and Mrs. King is an American television series that aired from October 3, 1983, to May 28, 1987 on CBS. The show stars Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner as divorced housewife Amanda King and top-level "Agency" operative Lee Stetson who begin a strange association, and eventual romance, after encountering one another in a train station.
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
1983 · 46 votes
TV5.5ComedyGotham Comedy Club, a popular comedy venue in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, is the setting of an hourlong series that is shot in front of an audience at the club. Each episode features routines by several comics -- a list that has included such names as David Alan Grier, Gilbert Gottfried and Artie Lange -- in what the network says is an unedited and uncensored format. In addition to the big names of the field who take the Gotham stage, the show also features up-and-comers who want to make a name for themselves in the stand-up comedy business.
Gotham Comedy Live
2012 · 2 votes
TV6.5ComedyFamilyMajor Dad is an American sitcom created by Richard C. Okie and John G. Stephens, developed by Earl Pomerantz, that originally ran from 1989 to 1993 on CBS, starring Gerald McRaney as Major John D. MacGillis and Shanna Reed as his wife Polly. The cast also includes Beverly Archer, Matt Mulhern, Jon Cypher, Marisa Ryan, Nicole Dubuc and Chelsea Hertford.
Major Dad
1989 · 26 votes
TV8.3ComedyAnimationMeTV's cartoon curator Bill and Toony the Tuna host a weekday morning showcase of classic theatrical cartoons, featuring popular characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tom and Jerry, Popeye the Sailor, and Woody Woodpecker.
Toon In with Me
2021 · 4 votes
TV7.5ComedyWhat a Country! is an American sitcom that aired in syndication from September 27, 1986 to May 23, 1987.
What a Country!
1986 · 2 votes