Russell Brand (born June 4, 1975) is an English radio and television personality, comedian, actor, and newspaper columnist.

Brand’s first significant stand-up appearance was at the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year final in 2000. Although he did not finish in the top three, his performance attracted the attention of an agent, John Noel. His first big tour was his show Shame which he toured the UK and performed to sell out audiences drawing on embarrassing things that have happened and the tabloid press and how they have treated him since he became famous. In late November 2006 Russell put on a secret stand-up show for anyone who had added him as a friend onMySpace. This show featured unseen material not featured on his DVD. Brand performed a sketch with close friends Matt Lucas & David Walliams for a Little Britain live show for Comic Relief in which he played a crossdressing plumber who comes out to “fellow crossdresser”, Emily Howard. Brand appeared in a sketch and did stand-up at the 2006 Secret Policeman’s Ball. 

Brand’s first major TV acting work was an appearance in an episode of The Bill in 1994. In 2002 he filmed roles in the television comedy dramas, Cruise of the Gods and White Teeth. In 2005 he played Tommy in the BBC sitcom Blessed which was written and directed by Ben Elton.

In 2007 Brand played a recovering crack addict called Terry in the pilot for ITV comedy The Abbey, written by Morwenna Banks. The Abbey has since been commissioned for a full series to be shown on ITV2 although it is not clear if Brand will be in the series. Also that year, Brand appeared in Cold Blood for ITV playing an ex-con called Ally.

Brand’s breakthrough role was in the 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall in which he played Aldous Snow, the boyfriend of the title character (played by Kristen Bell). Brand received rave reviews for his performance as Snow.

Brand’s autobiography, My Booky Wook, published by Hodder & Stoughton, was released on November 15, 2007. The book gained a mixed reception upon release. The Observer commented that “Russell Brand’s gleeful tale of drugs and debauchery in My Booky Wook puts most other celebrity memoirs to shame.”

Brand was to be playing himself in a film adaptation of his autobiography, to be directed by Michael Winterbottom but the project has since been shelved by Brand, who did not want American audiences to learn of his “chequered past” without reading the book first.

He also released a book in 2007 entitled Irons in the Fire, which is a collection of his writings for the Guardian newspaper about West Ham United’s 2006/07 season.

Brand signed a £1.8 million two-book deal with HarperCollins in June 2008. The first book will be released this Christmas, with the second expected to hit shelves in 2009.

Brand did six shows at the Roxy, on 5/11, 5/18, 5/25, 6/1, 6/8, and 6/15.