Yakov Smirnoff
Yakov Smirnoff · Arts & Literature
Soviet-born comedian who became an American stand-up star built on immigrant-perspective humor.
1951, Odessa, Ukraine (then USSR)
Ukraine · United States
Yakov Smirnoff is recognized among Jewish contributors to Arts & Literature — Soviet-born comedian who became an American stand-up star built on immigrant-perspective humor.
Born Yakov Naumovich Pokhis into a Soviet Jewish family in Odessa, Smirnoff emigrated to the United States in 1977 and built a stand-up career on wry observations about American life seen through an immigrant's eyes, popularizing the 'What a country!' catchphrase in the 1980s. He is Jewish, part of the wave of Soviet Jews who left the USSR during the détente era.
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Source: IMDb (Jewish Actors list)
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Soviet-born comedian who became an American stand-up star built on immigrant-perspective humor.
Source: IMDb (Jewish Actors list)
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