Name: Yakov Naumovich Pokhis, also known as Yakov Smirnoff
Date of Birth: January 21, 1951
Location of Birth: Odessa, Soviet Union
Year of Immigration: 1977
Naturalized: July 4, 1986
Current Residence: Branson, Missouri
Religion: Jewish
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Wife: Linda (divorced, two children)
Children: one daughter- Natasha, one son- Alexander
Professions: comedian, painter, professor of art
Basically... Yakov Smirnoff is a Soviet Union-born comedian living in America, who bases his comedy on life in the USSR (or at least he used to, now that the Soviet Union is broken up he sticks with family and relationship-related comedy). Many of his jokes involve the confusions and differences between the Soviet Union and America. In other words, he is the "Borat" of the 1980s.
Notable movie work: Lev in Moscow on the Hudson (1984), National Security Advisor in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (1984), Vladimir in Brewster's Millions (1985), Shatov in The Money Pit (1986), Lazlo in Heartburn (1986), Cameo in Up Your Alley (1988).
Notable television work: Self in "What a Country!" (1986), Yakov Korolenko in "Night Court" (1988)- see Jokes page for clip, Major Sacha Sarotsky in "Major Dad" (1993), Self in "King of the Hill" (2002)- see Jokes page for clip, Self in "Cheap Seats: Without Ron Parker" (2005).
Date of Birth: January 21, 1951
Location of Birth: Odessa, Soviet Union
Year of Immigration: 1977
Naturalized: July 4, 1986
Current Residence: Branson, Missouri
Religion: Jewish
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Wife: Linda (divorced, two children)
Children: one daughter- Natasha, one son- Alexander
Professions: comedian, painter, professor of art
Basically... Yakov Smirnoff is a Soviet Union-born comedian living in America, who bases his comedy on life in the USSR (or at least he used to, now that the Soviet Union is broken up he sticks with family and relationship-related comedy). Many of his jokes involve the confusions and differences between the Soviet Union and America. In other words, he is the "Borat" of the 1980s.
Notable movie work: Lev in Moscow on the Hudson (1984), National Security Advisor in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (1984), Vladimir in Brewster's Millions (1985), Shatov in The Money Pit (1986), Lazlo in Heartburn (1986), Cameo in Up Your Alley (1988).
Notable television work: Self in "What a Country!" (1986), Yakov Korolenko in "Night Court" (1988)- see Jokes page for clip, Major Sacha Sarotsky in "Major Dad" (1993), Self in "King of the Hill" (2002)- see Jokes page for clip, Self in "Cheap Seats: Without Ron Parker" (2005).