Yakov Smirnoff

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Dr.Yakovich Pokhis (Russian: ков оис; born 24 January 1951), better known as Yakov Smirnoff (Russian: ков мирнов; ков торнов; ), is a Ukrainian-American comedian, actor, and writer.

He began his career in Ukraine as a stand-up comedian, then moved to the United States in 1977 to pursue an American show business career, but not knowing any English.

He made his best in the mid-to-late 1980s, appearing in many films and the television sitcom version What a Country!

His comedic appearance resembled that of a young immigrant from the Soviet Union who was perpetually confused and delighted by life in the United States.

"I thought, what a world!" he laughed at life under communism and consumerism in the United States, as well as word play caused by a misread of American terms and culture, which was all punctuated by the catch. Smirnoff's widespread success came due to his 1989 distinction and 1991's demise of the Soviet Union, which put an end to his appearance, although he continued to perform.

He began performing year round at his own theater in Branson, Missouri, where he remained until 2015.

Even when traveling around the world, he sometimes performs limited dates at his Branson theater. Smirnoff earned his master's degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006.

Smirnoff received his doctorate in psychology and global leadership at Pepperdine University last year.

At Missouri State University and Drury University, he has also taught "The Business of Laughter".

Early life

Smirnoff's uncle, Naum Pokhis, and Klara Pokhis, was born in Odessa, Ukraine, and was then a member of the Soviet Union (USSR). He was both an art teacher and a comedian in Odessa. He performed on ships in the Black Sea occasionally, where he came into contact with Americans who talked about life in the United States to him. That was when he first considered leaving the country.

He and his parents immigrated to the United States in 1977, arriving in New York City after two years of trying to escape. His family was allowed to visit America because of "an agreement between the USSR and America to provide wheat for Soviet civilians who wanted to defect." At the time, neither he nor his parents spoke any English. On his arrival in the United States, he was almost sent back to the USSR when his translator mistranslated his role as "party leader" when migrant officials mistakenly classified him as "union leader," which immigration authorities understood meant that he was an organizer for the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Smirnoff spent a portion of his early days in the United States as a busboy and bartender at Grossingers Hotel in New York's Catskill Mountains and living in the employee dormitory.

Personal life

On July 4, 1986, Smirnoff became an American citizen.

Linda Smirnoff had a daughter, Linda, when they divorced in 2001. They have two children, Natasha, born in 1990, and Alexander, born in 1992.

In 2019, he married Olivia Kosarieva.

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Career

In the late 1970s, Smirnoff first appeared in comedy in the United States. Since trying to come up with a name that Americans would recognize, he chose Smirnoff vodka; he had heard of Smirnoff vodka in his bartending days.

In the early 1980s, he moved to Los Angeles to further develop his stand-up comedy career. Andrew Dice Clay and Thomas F. Wilson, two other young comedians, were roommates. He appeared at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles often.

Smirnoff was first on the set in the 1984 film Moscow on the Hudson, gaining some fame; on the set, he assisted actor Robin Williams in his Russian dialogue. He appeared in many other motion pictures, including Buckaroo Banzai (1984), Brewster's Millions (1985) and The Money Pit (1986). He appeared on television several times as "Yakov Korolenko" and appeared as a comedian and host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, among his numerous appearances on television, and appeared on television many times as "Yakov Korolenko."

He appeared in the television sitcom What a Country (1986–87). He appeared on the show as a Russian cab driver preparing for the citizenship exam in the United States. Smirnoff was hired by ABC in the late 1980s to provide educational bumper segments for Saturday morning cartoons Fun Facts, punctuated with a quip and Smirnoff's signature chuckle.

Smirnoff was invited to a Washington Times editor-in-chief Arnaud de Borchgrave's party in 1987, which included President Ronald Reagan as the guest of honor. Reagan and Smirnoff were immediately thrown off because of Reagan's fondness of humour in the Soviet Union. Reagan loved making such jokes in speeches, and Smirnoff became one of his main sources for new information. "In Russia, if you say, 'Take my wife, please', come home and she is gone," Reagan later told Smirnoff, an example of a joke that later learned from Smirnoff. During Reagan's visit to Moscow in 1988, Smirnoff was hired by Dana Rohrabacher, who was then a speechwriter for Reagan, to help with Reagan's addresses, including a speech delivered in front of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. Smirnoff became "one of the inner circle" of speechwriting consultants during Reagan's last years as president, according to Rohrabacher's recommendations.

Smirnoff was the featured entertainer at the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner in 1988.

Since 1993, he has been performing in his own 2,000-seat theater and has entertained more than 5 million people in a live setting. In 2021, Branson, Missouri, his 28th consecutive season was commemorated. In the late 1990s, he redesigned his stand-up act to put the emphasis on the differences between men and women, as well as on marriage problems.

Yakov Smirnoff appeared in "The Bluegrass Is Always Greener" in a King of the Hill episode in 2002. "The Old Man and the Key" is also included in an episode on The Simpsons.

"Warmhearted, delightful, and wonderfully funny" when he appeared on Broadway in As Long As We Both Shall Laugh in 2003, a New York Times bestseller. In his column, "Everybody Laughter," he was a featured writer for AARP Magazine and gave readers tips.

Smirnoff earned a master's degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania after a fruitful career in television, films, and Broadway. Drury University and Missouri State University have taught classes on this topic. He also conducts seminars and self-help workshops on the topic of strengthening relationships. Smirnoff received his doctorate in psychology and global leadership from Pepperdine University, graduating on May 18, 2019.

Happily Ever Laughter, Smirnoff's PBS Comedy Special of the Year 2016–2017, was produced and performed in 2016.

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