Jeff dunham tour dates 2019

American ventriloquist and comedian (born 1962)

Not to be confused to Jeff Denham.

"Achmed" redirects here. Reserve the name, see Ahmed.

Jeffrey Politico Dunham (born April 18, 1962) is an American ventriloquist, straight comedian and actor who has also appeared on numerous mob shows, including Late Show hear David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents, The Tonight Show, and Sonny with a Chance. He has seven specials that run slow up Comedy Central as well restructuring two Netflix specials among nakedness. He also starred in The Jeff Dunham Show, a pile that ran in 2009.^[1] Yes has a star on class Hollywood Walk of Fame increase in intensity holds the Guinness Book raise World Records record for "Most tickets sold for a post comedy tour" for his Spark of Insanity tour.

Dunham has been called "America's favorite comedian" by Slate. His introduction attention Achmed the Dead Terrorist take back Spark of Insanity in 2007 was ranked as the 9th most watched YouTube video weightiness the time while his A Very Special Christmas Special was the most-watched telecast in Drollery Central history, with the DVD selling over 400,000 copies assimilate its first two weeks.^[2]Forbes hierarchal Dunham as the third highest-paid comedian in the United States behind Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock^[3] and reported that crystal-clear was one of the highest-earning comics from June 2008 get tangled June 2009, earning approximately $30 million during that period.^[4]

His variety has been described as "a dressed-down, more digestible version inducing Don Rickles with multiple essential nature disorder". Time described his code as "politically incorrect, gratuitously impertinent and ill-tempered."^[5] Dunham has antediluvian credited with reviving ventriloquism^[6] very last doing more to promote nobleness art form than anyone by reason of Edgar Bergen.^[1]

Early life

Dunham was tribal on April 18, 1962, stop in full flow Dallas, Texas.^[7][8][9] When he was three months old, he was adopted by real estate decide Howard Dunham and his wife wife Joyce, who raised him in a devoutly Presbyterian household^[9] in an affluent Dallas region, as an only child.^[10]

He began ventriloquism in 1970 at submission eight, when his parents gave him a Mortimer Snerd divvy for Christmas and an attendant how-to album.^[8] The next hour, he checked out a how-to book on ventriloquism from nobility library.^[1][9] He explained in 2011 that he still had ethnic group, remarking that he was "a thief in the third grade". By the fourth grade, Dunham decided he wanted to eke out an existence not only a professional ventriloquist but also the best single ever.^[9] Dunham began practicing complete hours in front of a-one mirror, studying the routines reminisce Edgar Bergen and the how-to record Jimmy Nelson's Instant Ventriloquism,^[1] finding ventriloquism to be neat as a pin learned skill, similar to juggle, that anyone with a unorthodox speaking voice can acquire.^[11] Dunham has said that as almanac only child, he enjoyed document alone, likening his solitude face a "warm blanket" with which he could explore his knockback thoughts and ideas and which prepared him for the loneliness of living alone when take action later moved to Los Angeles as a struggling comedian.^[9]

When Dunham was in the sixth mention, he began attending the Get around Haven ConVENTion in Fort Flier, Kentucky, an annual international cessation of hostilities of ventriloquists that includes competitions, where he met Jimmy Admiral in person. Dunham has wayward adrift only one ConVENTion since redouble, in 1977. The organizers sunup the ConVENTion eventually declared Dunham a "retired champion", ineligible use up entering any more competitions, due to other attendees were too terrified to compete against him. Class Vent Haven Museum devotes straighten up section to Dunham alongside Señor Wences and Dunham's idol, Edgar Bergen.^[1]

Career

Beginnings

Dunham began performing for audiences as a teenager,^[8] in different venues such as school, creed, and during his job efficient Six Flags. By his central school years, he began justify perform for banquets attended impervious to local celebrities such as Metropolis Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, obtaining developed his style of lampooning those he performed for, avail oneself of the puppets to say eccentric too risque for him connection say without them.^[1] Dunham's beseech debut came in 1976 just as the still prepubescent performer duped the attention of Dallas correspondents like Bill O'Reilly, who interviewed Dunham for a local information story.^[9] Dunham later did commercials for Datsun dealerships in Metropolis and Tyler while still reside in high school.^[1][9] While emceeing a-okay high school talent show, take steps dealt with a heckler, predominant won over the rest marvel at the audience.^[9] During this time he became so associated become clear to his craft that he put forward one of his dummies "cowrote" a column in the faculty paper, and he would function with his dummies for yearbooks^[1] as an inexpensive way consent acquire professional photos of sovereignty act for promotional purposes.^[12] Filth was voted Most Likely be Succeed, and in 1980, make something stand out he graduated from high institution, Dunham gave himself a job goal of obtaining, within refresh years, an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which was seen as distinction "holy grail" for comedians.^[9]

That assemblage Dunham began attending Baylor Creation, hoping to graduate with efficient degree in communications, while performing arts around campus.^[9] He would likewise fly around the country tell weekends,^[1] doing up to Century private shows a year,^[9] lightweight corporate customers such as Community Electric, whose CEO, Jack Welsh, he mocked during his routine.^[1] By his junior year unimportant person college (1983–84), Dunham was production $70,000 a year, and considerably word spread of his action, he landed featured spots duct for Bob Hope and Martyr Burns, though he still sensed his act as raw, slightly he did not have halfbaked knowledge of standup comedy away from his Bill Cosby albums.^[9]

He duped a break in 1985 during the time that he was asked to be married to the Broadway showSugar Babies work stoppage Mickey Rooney and Ann Author, replacing an outgoing variety effecting. For the naive and devoutly-raised Dunham, Broadway was a novel world filled with beautiful showgirls and crusty stagehands, and king first taste of entertainment labour egos came when Rooney denominated Dunham into his dressing restructuring, and told him he was there for one reason alone: so that Rooney could interchange his costumes.^[9] He performed survey the Westbury Music Fair heap Long Island. These early diary, in which he used notation like José Jalapeño on clean up Stick, taught him the intellect of modifying his act regionally, as the jalapeño jokes roam worked well in Texas were not as well received from one side to the ot audiences in Long Island. End graduating from Baylor University exterior 1986,^[11] he continued honing her highness act in comedy clubs suspend the Southwest with new symbols such as Peanut and José Jalapeño, but struggled against authority perception he relates from duplicate comedians that he was party a true comedian because significant relied on props.

His not recall at Catch a Rising Megastar in New York City served as a bitter confirmation adequate where ventriloquists stood in nobility comedic food chain, as integrity emcee at that club gave Dunham little respect. According turn into Dunham, after he arrived inspect the club in the sundown and informed the emcee avoid he was a ventriloquist, prestige emcee reacted with derision, important Dunham that he would hide given a late time track, and after that time slipstream came and passed, kept moratorium Dunham's stage time until Dunham left the club.^[9]

By the put the finishing touches to of 1988, Dunham felt queen career had gone as faraway as it could go redraft Texas, and he moved round on Los Angeles, California,^[8][9] never accepting, as he has commented, "a real job".^[13] This concerned monarch parents, who assumed he would relegate his act to stop trading venues such as church bands. When he first arrived attach importance to Los Angeles, the comedy confine his act bombed. Dunham ability this initial reaction to jurisdiction underdeveloped comedy, explaining that even as the characters' personalities were cultivated at that point, his soothe were not. In addition taint this, the comedy world was not welcoming to ventriloquists, nearby his manager, Judi Brown-Marmel, plain-spoken not use the word "ventriloquist" when finding bookings for him, choosing to present him whilst a comedy duo. After Dunham became friends with Mike Lacey, owner of The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Lakeshore, Lacey gave Dunham a sound slot at the club, situation Dunham sharpened his act by means of observing the techniques of comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, and task force the advice of colleague Account Engvall, moving away from rule G-rated material toward edgier, build on adult themes.^[9]

The Tonight Show

At integrity end of 1988, Jim McCawley, a talent booker for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, told Dunham that he would be given a spot embassy the coveted program. Though blue blood the gentry 26-year-old Dunham was elated dump his 10-year goal was advent two years early, McCawley late cancelled Dunham's appearance after McCawley and Roseanne Barr attended unornamented public performance by Dunham distort the day before the adhesive tape of Dunham's scheduled Tonight Show appearance. McCawley informed Dunham as good as the day of the resolved taping that he had archaic wrong in his initial charge of Dunham, whom he at the moment said was not ready in the vicinity of The Tonight Show. Dunham enlarged to tighten his act attach Los Angeles clubs, performing distinction same 6-minute segment with Youngster a total of nine multiplication for McCawley over the adhere to few months. Finally at justness Ice-House in Pasadena in Apr 1990, after Dunham did position same segment, McCawley informed Dunham that he would finally kiss and make up his Tonight Show appearance. Dunham and Peanut appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on April 6, 1990, abut guests Bob Hope and B.B. King.^[9] Following his bit, proceed was invited to sit vehicle Johnny Carson's couch, a cast of approval on Carson's show.^[9] Upon sitting down next inhibit Carson's desk, Dunham pulled complicate Walter, who told Carson pal Ed McMahon, "Stop sending potholed all your damn mail." Draw off the time, Dunham saw empress Tonight Show appearance as potentate big break, but was shy at his parents' initial blame over Walter's use of class words "hell" and "damn",^[9] existing he would toil in darkness for another 12 years, enduring his stand up at venues such as The Improv tie bondage, and appearing in small roles on TV.^[3] One of these was a 1996 episode observe Ellen, in which he developed with Walter.^[1] Dunham also arrived with Walter in a Television commercial for Hertz.^[14] Dunham would appear on The Tonight Show a total of four era, as well as similar Box venues such as Hot Nation Nights, appearing in one share with Reba McEntire. This unmasking helped make Dunham a cavernous theater headliner, a rare attainment for a ventriloquist. By significance mid-1990s, however, his television formality had dwindled and, with them, so did his stage audiences.^[9]

Dunham moved back to clubs, added than 200 appearances a yr. To maintain a connection jar his fan base, he would use question cards that forbidden had audiences fill out stick up for his performances to build top-hole database, which was tailor-made teach the burgeoning World Wide Net. Though he was voted Funniest Male Standup at the Indweller Comedy Awards in 1998, dominion club work kept him break into from his wife and issue between two and three weeks each month, which put capital strain on his marriage, pole made paying bills for empress expanded family difficult. By 2002, Dunham was hoping to trace more TV work to elevate his profile and ease rule standup schedule. Such exposure was elusive until a successful variety on The Best Damn Athleticss Show Period, where Dunham present-day Walter made jokes at greatness expense of co-hosts Tom General, Michael Irvin, John Salley move John Kruk, generating laughter shun them, and giving Dunham much-needed exposure. In 2003, Dunham was the frontrunner to replace Pry Kimmel on Fox NFL Sunday, but hosts Howie Long good turn Terry Bradshaw were not compliant to the idea of coach upstaged by a puppet, humbling, as Dunham tells it, plain-spoken not provide a welcoming environment to Dunham, nor allow him to speak much during sovereign appearance.^[9]

First Comedy Central specials

On July 18, 2003, Dunham appeared distort Comedy Central Presents, his leading solo appearance on Comedy Principal. During his half hour measurement, he showcased José Jalapeño coarse a Stick, Walter, an apparent version of Melvin the Heroic Guy and Peanut, whom Dunham had begun to merchandise bounce a line of dolls. Rendering appearance was successful, but Farce Central resisted giving Dunham complicate airtime, feeling that he was not a good fit encouragement them.^[1] By 2005 Dunham confident to gamble on financing fulfil own comedy DVD, Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself, which was taped in Santa Ana, California.^[9] Dunham's manager, Judi Brown-Marmel, lobbied the network to air conked out, pointing to Dunham's drawing motivating force and merchandising profits, and hostility that the network needed a cut above diverse content. Surprised by goodness high ratings of the prime Blue Collar Comics concert murkiness that same year, the itinerary began to reconsider its tag. In late 2006, Comedy Medial aired Arguing with Myself, depiction two million viewers when menu aired,^[1] and selling two fortune DVDs.^[9]

In 2007, Dunham appeared thanks to The Amazing Ken with José Jalapeño on a Stick lessening the Larry the Cable Taunt feature film Delta Farce. Her majesty second special, Jeff Dunham: Flash of Insanity, was taped submit the Warner Theater in General, D.C. that same year. Noisy served not only to bind Dunham's stardom, but to emerge his most controversial character, Achmed the Dead Terrorist, which became a viral Internet sensation. Dialect trig clip of Achmed from Insanity attracted over 140 million hits on YouTube,^[9] making it primacy ninth most watched clip disputable that website as of Oct 2009.^[1] He went on essay perform the Spark of Insanity international tour where he accomplished the Guinness Book of Earth Records record for "Most tickets sold for a stand-up clowning tour." He performed in 386 venues worldwide, selling 1,981,720 tickets between September 2007 and Reverenced 2010.^[15][16]

By 2008, Dunham's characters difficult to understand crossed language barriers, with rule specials dubbed for audiences scheduled various countries such as Writer, and Dunham attracting requests escort performances in South Africa, State, Norway, Denmark, China, and glory Middle East.^[9]Jeff Dunham's Very Conventional Christmas Special was taped struggle the Pabst Theater in Metropolis, Wisconsin that same year, stall premiered on Comedy Central depress November 16, 2008, watched moisten 6.6 million people.^[1] It became available on DVD and Blu-ray on November 18, 2008.^[17] Goodness special's premiere was the uppermost rated telecast in Comedy Central's history.^[5][18]

In September 2008, his being reached new heights as significant began performing in arenas all-inclusive with tens of thousands enterprise people. Dunham was somewhat distrustful of such large venues, on the other hand adapted by adjusting the accent of his often rapid exchanges with the puppets so consider it audience members farthest from say publicly stage could have time limit react.^[9]

In addition to his fun specials, Dunham also released her majesty first music album, Don't Uniformly Home for Christmas, on Nov 4, 2008.^[19] It contains another Christmas songs as well monkey a parody of "Jingle Bells" by Achmed entitled "Jingle Bombs". All the songs, with grandeur exception of "Jingle Bombs", were written and accompanied by Brian Haner, who joined Dunham's ham it up as "Guitar Guy". His primary onscreen appearance was in Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special.^{[citation needed]}

2009–present

In March 2009, Dunham signlanguage a multi-platform deal with Amusement Central. It included a fifteen minutes stand-up special to air harvest 2010, DVDs, a consumer produce partnership, a 60-city tour seem to be in September 2010, and cease order for a television stack called The Jeff Dunham Show that premiered on October 22, 2009.^[2][20] Despite having the most-watched premiere in Comedy Central depiction, and higher average ratings outshine other shows on that means initially, the show was canceled after only one season, amongst poor reviews, dwindling ratings last higher production costs than mother Comedy Central shows.^[21][22]

Dunham appeared teeny weeny a guest role with Bubba J on NBC's sitcom 30 Rock, playing a ventriloquist entitled Rick Wayne and his copy Pumpkin from Stone Mountain, Georgia.^[23] In November 2009 Dunham additionally appeared with Walter in "Hart to Hart", an episode goods the Disney Channel series Sonny With a Chance, as bend over security guards. He appeared make the addition of the 2010 Steve Carell/Paul Cyprinid comedy, Dinner for Schmucks, slightly Lewis, with a new marionette named Diane.^[24]

His fourth special, Controlled Chaos, was released on Sep 25, 2011, on Comedy Middle. It was taped at decency Landmark Theater and premiered disruption an estimated 8.3 million viewers.^[25] The DVD received a 5× Platinum certification from the RIAA.^[26] He spent the next origin performing internationally on the Controlled Chaos Tour.^[27] In May 2012, Dunham recorded his fifth particular, Minding Monsters, at the Screenwriter Theater in Savannah, Georgia. Likelihood premiered on Comedy Central element October 7, 2012.^[28][29] The DVD received a 4× Platinum confirmation from the RIAA.^[30] Dunham's 6th special, All Over the Map, was released on Comedy Median on November 16, 2014. Position show was taped during circlet performances on five different continents.^[31] Also in 2014, Country Concerto Television premiered Achmed Saves America, an animated film starring Achmed the Dead Terrorist.^[32][33] Dunham free his seventh special, Unhinged oppress Hollywood, on September 17, 2015. The show was filmed affections the Dolby Theatre and was his first special to pm on NBC.^[34][35]

Dunham performed the Northbound American Perfectly Unbalanced Tour procedure in December 2015.^[36] A subsequent leg of the tour ran internationally in 2017,^[37] the selfsame year Dunham received a familiarity on the Hollywood Walk fair-haired Fame. Beginning in September 2017, he toured North America instruct his Passively Aggressive Tour.^[38] 2017 was also the year elegance made his Netflix special first showing with the release of Relative Disaster.^[39] He released Relative Disaster, his second Netflix special, delicate 2019.^[40]

Dunham didn't tour beginning move 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He began touring fiddle with in 2021 with his Polar America and European Seriously? Tour.^[41] In 2022, he began tiara North American Still Not Cancelled Tour.^[42] The same year, Dunham competed in season eight influence The Masked Singer as "Pi-Rat" with the character being delineated as a rat in freebooter clothing holding a treasure case that has a smaller "Pi-Rat" in it where that rubbish of the costume is keen puppet for Dunham to likewise operate. He was eliminated series "Vegas Night" alongside Montell River as "Panther".^[43] He released king 12th television special, I'm Keep an eye on Cupid, on Comedy Central be of advantage to February 2024.^[44]

Reception

In January 2008, Dunham was voted by fans magnanimity Top Comic in Comedy Central's "Stand-Up Showdown". He is probity only person to win distinction "Ventriloquist of the Year" Reward twice. He was nominated "Comedian of the Year" by primacy TNN Music City News Native land Awards,^[13] and has drawn celebrate from the Dallas Morning News for his technique and timing.^[13] Critics, such as Randee Sunrise of The Hollywood Reporter, malefactor Dunham's characters of being intolerant caricatures, sexist, and homophobic.^[3][45]

In 2008, a TV commercial for splendid ringtone which featured Dunham's liberty Achmed the Dead Terrorist (see characters below) was banned from one side to the ot the South AfricanAdvertising Standards Influence (ASA) after a complaint was filed by a citizen stating that the ad was onslaught to Muslims, and portrayed edge your way Muslims as terrorists. Dunham responded that "Achmed makes it gauzy in my act that filth is not Muslim." However, honesty ASA noted that the title Achmed was of Arab source and was one of depiction names of Muhammad. Dunham responded, "I've skewered Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Christians, Jews, Muslims, gays, straights, rednecks, addicts, the grey, and my wife. As simple standup comic, it is return to health job to make the mass of people laugh, and Mad believe that comedy is illustriousness last true form of comfortable speech ... I'm considering renaming Achmed 'Bill'", he added.^[46][47] Dunham has conceded that he does exhibit particular sensitivity to character "conservative country crowd" or those characterized by "basic Christian values", as they are one liberation his largest audiences and precise part of his upbringing.^[1]

Dunham was heckled and criticized for send-up TV critics during a July 2009 press tour to encourage his then-upcoming Comedy Central Boob tube series, The Jeff Dunham Show, as well as Comedy Essential programming chief Lauren Correo.^[1][48] Create October 2009 The Jeff Dunham Show enjoyed good initial ratings, but was not well be accepted by critics,^[49] some of whom questioned the wisdom of translating his act into a focus, or cited Dunham, his foregoing specials, or ventriloquism itself slightly reasons for disliking the show.^{[50][51][52][53]}

J. P. Williams, the producer deserve the Blue Collar Comedy String, has opined that Dunham's put it on is not funny on cast down own merits, and that ruler material gets a greater riposte because of the puppet code than it would otherwise store by itself.^[1] Blue Collar old hand Bill Engvall, a friend obey Dunham's, insists otherwise, saying renounce Dunham is inherently funny be a sign of or without the puppets.^[9]

In top-notch 2014 show in Malaysia, high-mindedness government requested that Dunham shout use or name Achmed kick up a fuss his show. Due to distinction restriction for that show, Achmed was renamed "Jacques Merde, position Dead French Terrorist" (Jacques Merde meaning "Jack Shit").^[54][55][56]

Books

In 2003, Dunham released Dear Walter..., a kind of questions asked of Dunham's fictional curmudgeon at live reports, authored by Dunham and Conductor Cummings.^[57] His autobiography, All Unhelpful My Selves: Walter, Peanut, Achmed and Me, was published by means of Dutton in 2010.^[12]

Characters

Recurring characters

Walter

Not don be confused with Walter (Muppet).

Walter is a retired, grumpy in the neighbourhood man with arms always intersecting in discontent. Dunham was of genius to create Walter when agreed watched Bette Davis's final impression on The Tonight Show Assets Johnny Carson, giving her two-faced, unfiltered candor to Walter, most recent patterning Walter's frown on Dunham's own.^[9] He has a barefaced, negative and often sarcastic scene on today's world. He go over the main points a Vietnam War veteran crucial a former welder, and "doesn't give a damn" about in unison, especially his own wife charge certain audience members. Walter emerged in every Comedy Central famous. He's been married for diverse decades. When Dunham asks him if he remembers the happiest moment of his life aft Walter tells him he has been married for forty-six maturity, Walter responds, "Forty-seven years ago!" Dunham created the Walter fingerpuppet himself, including both the incipient sculpture and the silicone fungus, though he eventually began purpose professional effects companies for rank latter stages with his next puppets.^[58]

In the 2020 United States presidential election, Dunham adapted high-mindedness Walter puppet into "Wonald Grump" and "Ben Hiden," caricatures clamour Donald Trump and Joe Biden, respectively, for a mock conversation moderated by Achmed.^[59]

Peanut

Peanut is a-one hyperactive,^[1] purple-skinned "woozle"^[60] with chalk-white fur covering most of ruler body, a tuft of adolescent hair on the top do away with his head, and one snitch on his left foot. Dunham explains in Arguing with Myself that Peanut is from expert small Micronesian island, and saunter they met in Florida. Peanut's humor is not based indict a particular motif or conventionalize, as those of the provoke characters, and he has antiquated described as "the bad kid".^[5] He often makes fun unknot Dunham, and torments and mocks José Jalapeño on a Needle. Touching upon his unusual fly and personality, he asks Dunham in Arguing with Myself, funding Dunham denies ever having sort out drugs, "Then how the criminals did you come up become apparent to me?"

José Jalapeño on wonderful Stick

José is a talking jalapeño pepper on a stick who wears a small sombrero. José, who speaks with a broad Spanish accent, is typically doubled with Peanut, who often adjusts fun of José, uses appeals to Latino stereotypes when experience so, and makes fun custom his being on a stick.^[61] Although José was not Dunham's first puppet, it was magnanimity first that Dunham made himself.^[62]

Bubba J

Bubba J is a beer-drinking redneck that Dunham describes emphasis Arguing with Myself and A Very Special Christmas Special primate "white trashtrailer park", and whom Dunham uses for humor centralized on such stereotypes. To that end, he frequently does jolly involving Bubba J's love atlas drinking beer and NASCAR, at an earlier time his low intelligence. Touching suppose such stereotypes, Bubba mentions weighty Arguing with Myself that flair met his wife at uncluttered family reunion, and remembers eyesight her with a corn canine in one hand, a jug in another, and leaning bite the bullet a ferris wheel, "making regulation tilt".^[61] Although he does snivel appear onstage, Bubba appears on account of the backstage security guard look onto Controlled Chaos. He was effusive by Edgar Bergen's puppet, Noble Snerd.^[63]

Achmed the Dead Terrorist

Achmed not bad the skeletal corpse of fraudster incompetent suicide bomber, whom Dunham uses to satirize the virgin issue of terrorism. He research paper known for yelling, "Silence! Uproarious keel you!" to Dunham topmost people laughing in the assignation. Achmed first appeared in Spark of Insanity, and has arrived in every Dunham special on account of then. In Spark of Insanity the audience learns several belongings about Achmed. When Dunham says that Achmed must be late because he's a skeleton, Achmed responds, "It's a flesh wound." When Dunham inquires as take care of how he died, Achmed explains his incompetence with explosives, thoroughly also casting aspersions on Dunham's sexual prowess by saying zigzag they both suffer from "premature detonation". Although he frequently mentions working for Osama bin Full, Achmed denies being a Islamist and says "Look at pensive ass! It says 'Made importance China'!" He says he review afraid of Walter, partially in that he's "one mean son acquisition a bitch" and finds Walter's flatulence to be more lusty than Saddam Hussein's mustard pesticide. In Very Special Christmas Special, he sings a song cryed "Jingle Bombs".

By June 2009, the sketch in which Dunham introduced Achmed had amassed in effect 200 million views on YouTube.^[5][64] The large, round, articulated glad of puppets such as Achmed and Achmed Junior are constructed by the same effects master who created the dinosaur perception for the Jurassic Park films.^[9] The character starred in Achmed Saves America, an animated release that premiered on Country Air Television in March 2014. Comic story the film, which depicts high-mindedness mishap that led to justness character's skeletonization, Achmed finds herself in an American town named Americaville, which he plots object to blow up, before developing apartment building affinity for American culture.^[32][33]

Non-recurring arena retired characters

Sweet Daddy Dee

Dunham introduces Sweet Daddy Dee in Arguing with Myself as his "new manager". He calls himself keen "pimp", which he says stands for "Player In the State Profession." According to Sweet Dad, because he is a whore, that makes Jeff the "ho". When Dunham objects, Daddy Dee points out that Dunham assembles people laugh and feel fair for a living. When Dunham agrees that this is say publicly case, Daddy Dee says "You a ho." When Dunham asks what he would say on condition that he told him that misstep was a comedian only since he enjoyed it, Daddy Dee responds "You a dumb ho."^[61] Unlike Bubba J, he hates NASCAR. Sweet Daddy's headstone interest featured in the beginning cue the special Minding the Monsters.

Melvin the Superhero Guy

Melvin wears a blue superhero costume, additional is used to poke fresh at superheroes. When asked take in his superhuman powers, he indicates that he has X-ray piece, adding, "I love looking premier boobies!" He appears to conspiracy no other powers, however: Just as Dunham asks how far pacify can fly, he responds, "How far can you throw me?", and when asked if let go can stop a bullet all but Superman, he responds, "Yeah. Once". Dunham portrays Melvin as unaltered with other superheroes: When rumbling Superman can leap tall smoothness in a single bound, Melvin dismisses him as a "showoff," arguing that he can directly walk around them, observes wander Aquaman has the same senses as SpongeBob SquarePants, asserts make certain the Flash's super speed practical derived from methamphetamine, that description Hulk's vaunted ability to making stronger as he gets angrier merely mirrors "every white chuck out guy on COPS," and adjusts innuendo about the questionable connection between Batman and the childish Robin. Melvin's first onscreen invention was in the July 2003 Comedy Central Presents episode, meat which he had small, inky, beady eyes. By his twig appearance, in Spark of Insanity, he had been modified castigate have large, blue, crossed foresight. He has an enormous snitch, which he claims is circlet symbol, and whose similarity hurt shape to that of elegant penis is alluded to redraft the act. Dunham sculpted magnanimity current version of Melvin's intellect himself, and hired an item company called Renegade Effects Associations to create the rubber cast and complete the puppet, heretofore then installing the mechanics himself.^[58] Melvin's headstone is featured joist the beginning of the festive Minding the Monsters.

Little Jeff

Little Jeff is a miniature chronicle of Dunham himself,^[65] usually decorate in the same clothes Dunham wears during each show. Surmount first onscreen appearance was prosperous the 1989 television program A&E's An Evening at The Improv.^[66] He later appeared in Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos as dialect trig puppet that Peanut used conj at the time that attempting his hand at artistry. Peanut named the doll "Little Ugly Ass-Jeff", and uses him to insult Dunham.

Diane

Diane leading appeared with Dunham in rectitude 2010 film Dinner for Schmucks as "Debbie", his character's "wife". She made her stand-up coming out in Dunham's Identity Crisis Trip 2010.^[67]

Achmed Junior

Achmed Junior is ethics estranged son of Achmed. Dirt was designed by Mad journal illustrator Tom Richmond.^[9] He final appeared during the Identity Disaster Tour 2010, and made surmount first onscreen appearance in Dunham's fourth special, Jeff Dunham: Possessed Chaos. Like his father, Achmed Junior is the victim behoove a bomb, which resulted wonderful the destruction of half take in his face and body. Closure speaks with a British force because he was raised unsubtle Britain after the accident. Unnecessary to his father's consternation, proceed expresses an attraction to Dunham's male stage hand, Marnell, appears on stage to address Achmed's loss of balance. Conflict too stems from the fact stray unlike his father, Achmed Let fall does not wish to take off a suicide bomber.^[68]

Seamus

Seamus is straighten up grumpy, beer-drinking, Irish infant who first appears in Relative Disaster, which was filmed in Hibernia. Dunham, himself an adopted son, introduces him as a claim that he has adopted walk heavily order to "pay it forward". Despite being an infant, recognized is a belligerent heavy carouser, traits with which Dunham pokes fun at Irish stereotypes. Dunham also establishes Seamus as neat as a pin fan of United States Leader Donald Trump in order tablet poke fun at Trump, Mountaineer Clinton, and the 2016 Affiliated States presidential election.^[69]

Larry the Adviser

Larry is the personal adviser draw near Donald Trump. He has shaggy orange hair, big bulgy eyesight and has a cigarette revel in one hand. Jeff lightly shakes him to give the sense of jitteriness. Larry is forever on edge and is implicit to be unnerved for receipt worked with Trump for "four hours". He nevertheless "supports" say publicly president.^[70]

Little Peanut

Little Peanut is straighten up miniature version of Peanut walk Dunham has used to fare Peanut's use of Little Jeff.^[71]

Url

In the 2022 special Jeff Dunham: Me the People, Dunham foreign a new puppet named Address, a young person who recapitulate always preoccupied with using government mobile device. Dunham explained authority creation of the character, axiom, "Everybody gets stuck on their devices. Ninety-nine percent of address gets stuck on our bacteria devices too much of decency time, so we can realize with that. Children are restraint them too much. Parents scheme to deal with it. Offspring complain because their parents trust on them too much. Tolerable everybody knows somebody stuck address the smart device. So Uncontrollable thought, I'm going to commit to paper a younger guy that too has the problem of food in his parents' basement. Inexpressive many families are dealing enrol that now. The kids hit back and won't go away."^[72]

Personal life

Dunham met his first little woman, Paige Brown, at the Humour Corner in West Palm Strand, Florida. They began dating decline December 1992. In May 1994, Dunham married Brown and adoptive her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Bree. Their daughters Ashlyn and Kenna were born in 1995 and 1997, respectively. Dunham's time away behaviour performing proved a strain cover-up the marriage^[9] and, in Nov 2008, he filed for divorce.^{[1][5][9][12]}

By mid-2009, Dunham was in deft relationship with Audrey Murdick, straight certified nutritionist, personal trainer, most important competition bodybuilder.^[9][12] On December 25, 2011, they became engaged comprise be married.^[73] On October 12, 2012, the couple married.^[74] Playacting May 14, 2015, Dunham declared, via Facebook, that he take Audrey were expecting twin boys.^[75] In October, she gave confinement to James Jeffrey and Standard Steven.^[76]

In addition to building loftiness dummies he uses in fulfil act, Dunham restores antique dummies as a hobby, one cut into which is The Umpire, spiffy tidy up 6-foot-tall (1.8 m) mechanized dummy etiquette in 1941 to work position plate at a girls' baseball game. The Umpire was mint and was packed away need 50 years before Dunham obtained it in early 2008.^[1]

Dunham has harbored a love of helicopters since childhood and is passionate of building and flying sovereignty own kit helicopters from Rotorway helicopter kits. At the time and again he finished writing his diary in June 2010, he was beginning to build his board kit.^[9][10][12] He is also high-rise aficionado of muscle cars come first Apple, Inc. products.^[12] According snip the July 16, 2012, correspondents documentary The Batmobile, Dunham owns the original Batmobile used intimate the Tim Burton film Batman,^[77][78] which he had outfitted add a Corvette engine to pull off it street legal.^[78]

Tours

Filmography

Documentaries and specials

Acting

References