Dunham has nine record-breaking comedy specials to his credit two were Comedy Centrals most viewed specials of their respective years (Minding the Monsters, 2012; Controlled Chaos, 2011), and his Jeff Dunhams Very Special Christmas Special, 2008; remains the networks highest rated program of all time. He is the only person ever to win the "Ventriloquist of the Year" Award twice. to Dunham and people laughing in the audience. Sweet Daddy's headstone is featured in the beginning of the special Minding the Monsters. Jos even sings the theme song to, He does it again later when Jeff is forced to put him back in his box due to him singing. He speaks with a British accent because he was raised in Britain after the accident. Jeff Dunham discusses his latest stand-up special, "Me the People," navigating the modern world of cancel culture, crafting a new character, and more. Jeff Dunham: Sure, I used to say that comedy was the last form of free speech, but obviously in the last few years, that's been trod upon greatly. You can also make your own version of this greatest Jeff Dunham roles list by re-ranking it and putting it in your own order. Walter is a squinty-eyed, "get off my lawn"-type old man who continually grouses about his wife. All structured data from the file namespace is available under the. Comedian Jeff Dunham Goes After Biden in this Hilarious - LifeZette Achmed Finds a Wife in the Holy Land: Jeff Dunham - YouTube To children, hes cute and funny. What the hell is that?!" A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Also, when I wrote this, and then of course when I performed it, and then in the editing, I have 7-year-old twin boys, and I wanted them to be able to sit down and watch it without any worries. He appears to have no other powers, however: When Dunham asks how far he can fly, he responds, "How far can you throw me? Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Way back in 2015 while still in his college days, Grant got his start in the entertainment journalism industry with creator-friendly site Moviepilot until it shuttered nearly three years later. . With headline-generating performances in over 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, China, South Africa, and the Middle East, Dunham understands what connects people regardless of culture, gender, age or political beliefs. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. About - Jeff Dunham The Vent Haven Museum devotes a section to Dunham, alongside Seor Wences and Dunham's idol, Edgar Bergen. The characters are ordered by the number of votes from funny folks like you, so only the greatest roles played by Jeff Dunham are at the top of the list. Everyone knows someone like this in your own family, or where you work. I have to come up with a voice that I can repeat over and over again, so you can tell my voices they come from the same bucket, just like Frank Oz, because he does Miss Piggy, he does Fozzie, he does Yoda, you can all kind of tell they're Frank Oz. I don't get nervous anymore, when I go on stage, it's more trepidation, there's a real responsibility to give those people a great evening of fun, because they spent a lot of money, and a lot of time, to get there. http://bit.ly/JeffDunham_RDLike me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JeffDunhamSubscribe to my YouTube: http://bit.ly/SubscribeDunhamFollow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JeffDunham\u0026 Follow me on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/JeffDunham#JeffDunham #Walter #StayHome #WithMe #TogetherAtHome-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-Click here to watch: \"Behind the Scenes! Be the first to find out about upcoming shows, new Jeff Dunham gear and more! [54], Other characters that Dunham has voiced include Little Peanut, a miniature version of Peanut that Dunham has used to counter Peanut's use of Little Jeff;[55] and an unseen worm inside a bottle of tequila, both of which he has used, for example, in his appearance on A&E's An Evening at The Improv. This image is a derivative work of the following images: Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. [5] Forbes ranked Dunham as the third highest-paid comedian in the United States behind Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock[4] and reported that he was one of the highest-earning comics from June 2008 to June 2009, earning approximately $30 million during that period. [11], That year Dunham began attending Baylor University, hoping to graduate with a degree in communications, while performing around campus. Would you say that there's any one character whose voice you find is the hardest to continue to recreate after all this time? [Chuckles] But I don't do that, I've always said, and as you probably were hinting at, I've always said that if you're offending a tiny percentage, maybe three 3-5 percent of the audience, that you're probably on the right track, because whatever it is that those people are upset about is what everybody else is laughing the hardest at. The new guy (an idiot trying to practice) is the reason why he's a skeleton. [52], Seamus is a grumpy, beer-drinking, Irish infant who first appears in Relative Disaster, which was filmed in Ireland. I love that the new special tackles a lot of modern culture, in terms of comedy and politics. Jos is a calming force among the suitcase gang, maybe because hes always tired. Comedy Central, or Paramount, the big company, has their say-so in things. In 2003, Dunham was the frontrunner to replace Jimmy Kimmel on Fox NFL Sunday, but hosts Howie Long and Terry Bradshaw were not amenable to the idea of being upstaged by a puppet, and, as Dunham tells it, did not provide a welcoming atmosphere to Dunham, nor allow him to speak much during his appearance. [5][20] Despite having the most-watched premiere in Comedy Central history, and higher average ratings than other shows on that network initially, the show was canceled after only one season, amid poor reviews, dwindling ratings and higher production costs than other Comedy Central shows. Dunham was inspired to create Walter when he watched Bette Davis's final appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, giving her honest, unfiltered candor to Walter, and patterning Walter's frown on Dunham's own. The free speech thing is there's just so many conflicts with how people handle that, and how they interpret it, it seems to be there's a lot of, "It's free speech, unless you say something that I don't like, then you can't say that," well that doesn't make any sense. [11] Dunham began practicing for hours in front of a mirror, studying the routines of Edgar Bergen, and the how-to record Jimmy Nelson's Instant Ventriloquism,[1] finding ventriloquism to be a learned skill, similar to juggling, that anyone with a normal speaking voice can acquire. I think the most difficult one physically right now is Achmed, because he screams a lot. Comedian Jeff Dunham's puppets include the old curmudgeon Walter, Achmed the Dead Terrorist, Jose Jalapeno on a Stick, the high energy Peanut and redneck Bubba J, as of 2015. Votes: 4,076. Once". https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Walter_(Jeff_Dunham_Character,_2007).jpg. However, the ASA noted that the name Achmed was of Arab origin and was one of the names of Muhammad. The appearance was successful, but Comedy Central resisted giving Dunham more airtime, feeling that he was not a good fit for them. Jeff Dunham: Well, it's a bit like a rock band. [58] On May 14, 2015, Dunham announced, via Facebook, that he and Audrey were expecting twin boys. It included a fourth stand-up special to air in 2010, DVDs, a consumer products partnership, a 60-city tour beginning in September 2010, and an order for a television series called The Jeff Dunham Show that premiered on October 22, 2009. Jos knew that hope lay just beyond the U.S.- Mexico border, so he began to hop north. In the film, which depicts the mishap that led to the character's skeletonization, Achmed finds himself in an American town called Americaville, which he plots to blow up, before developing an affinity for American culture.[27][28]. [11], Dunham moved back to clubs, more than 200 appearances a year. [27][28], Dunham's seventh special, Unhinged in Hollywood, premiered on September 17, 2015. He has been married to Audrey Dunham since 12 October 2012. You go to see a rock band, there's a couple of hits that they better play, or you're gonna be upset. "Dear Walter, why is it that I gag when I brush my tongue but not when I give my boyfriend oral sex? Such exposure was elusive until a successful appearance on The Best Damn Sports Show Period, where Dunham and Walter made jokes at the expense of co-hosts Tom Arnold, Michael Irvin, John Salley and John Kruk, generating laughter from them, and giving Dunham much-needed exposure. According to the concert industry publication Pollstar, he is the top-grossing standup act in North America and among the most successful acts in Europe as well. [1][2][11][14] By mid-2009, Dunham was in a relationship with Audrey Murdick, a certified nutritionist, personal trainer, and competition bodybuilder,[11][14] and on December 25, 2011 they became engaged. And he didn't realize he was dead until Jeff told him. So that's how I came up with that. I love it. [11] Following his bit, he was invited to sit on Johnny Carson's couch, a mark of approval on Carson's show. So, it's the same way with me, all my characters are a little bit similar, but I try and make them a little bit different. His own father wasnt the best, though it was more out of confusion than any malice. Walter, in a shot from a 2007 performance. [I go] back all the way to comedians like Will Rogers, Bob Hope, and Carson and Leno, where they made fun of whoever was in office and whatever was going on. Jeff Dunham - Wikipedia He was inspired by Edgar Bergen's puppet, Mortimer Snerd.[47]. [1][33] In October 2009 The Jeff Dunham Show enjoyed good initial ratings, but was not well liked by critics,[34] some of whom questioned the wisdom of translating his act into a series, or cited Dunham, his previous specials, or ventriloquism itself as reasons for disliking the show. Jeff Dunham: You know, physically, when I come up with a new character and a new voice, there is a certain range that I have to stay in, so I don't kill myself, because I can do a whole bunch of different voices that are crazy voices. But I think this is one of the more safe ones where people can sit down and listen to it with grandma and the kids and not worry about it, but at the same time will still be entertained by some contemporary stuff. Famed ventriloquist Jeff Dunham has mastered this skill, and his appearances with characters like Peanut, Walter and Achmed the Dead Terrorist have earned him legions of fans. The technical thing that I pat myself on the back for is this new guy, he actually has a phone, and during the show, while I'm talking to him, he's typing on the phone. This is a list of Jeff Dunham characters and puppets, ranked from best to worst along with clips when available. The Daily Show doesn't have any politics that line up with whatever I do, but I don't try and pick a side. So I, again, just try and do what I've always done, but it is a landmine right now that you have to traverse very carefully, because even if you say you don't care, you still need to care, because you can't say inflammatory things that really get people upset. But he has on typical clothing, and stuff, and not a big tuft of hair like a troll would. In late 2006, Comedy Central aired Arguing with Myself, drawing two million viewers when it aired,[1] and selling two million DVDs. Dunham sculpted the current version of Melvin's head himself, and hired an effects company called Renegade Effects Groups to create the rubber mold and complete the puppet, before then installing the mechanics himself. Jeff Dunham's 2022 tour is bringing him to Wichita's - KSN-TV "[45] Unlike Bubba J, he hates NASCAR. [6] Dunham also does occasional acting roles. The ability to play any kind of role is what makes an actor or actress great, and the diversity of the characters listed below is a testament to that. Surprised by the high ratings of the first Blue Collar Comics concert movie that same year, the network began to reconsider its brand. Jeff and his characters Walter, Peanut, Jos Jalapeo, Bubba J, and Sweet Daddy Dee for a live show. [7][8], Dunham was born on April 18, 1962, in Dallas, Texas. I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: Add a one-line explanation of what this file represents. In May 1994, Dunham married Brown and adopted her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Bree. [11], At the end of 1988, Dunham was told by James McCawley, a talent booker for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, that Dunham would be given a spot on the coveted program. Dun-HAM. Grant Hermanns is a News Editor, Interviewer and Hiring Manager for Screen Rant, having joined the team in early 2021. He has a brash, negative and often sarcastic view on today's world. Like his father, Achmed Junior is the victim of a bomb, which resulted in the destruction of the half of his face and body. [4] One of these was a 1996 episode of Ellen, in which he appeared with Walter. [4][30], In 2008, a TV commercial for a ringtone which featured Dunham's character Achmed the Dead Terrorist (see Characters below) was banned by the South African Advertising Standards Authority after a complaint was filed by a citizen stating that the ad was offensive to Muslims, and portrayed all Muslims as terrorists. [25][26] His sixth special, All Over the Map, which was taped in various international cities, premiered on Comedy Central on November 16, 2014. Dunham's time away while performing proved a strain on the marriage,[11] and in November 2008, he filed for divorce. or "What are the top Jeff Dunham performances of all time?" Search instead in Creative? The vehicle for his humor is ventriloquism, and he's very talented. Jeff Dunham: Years ago, this was back in 2015, I came up with the idea of having an internet troll. With standing ovations across cultures (winning audiences in Israel and Saudi Arabia on consecutive concert nights), Dunham has become arguably the most successful comedian over the past three decades. Dunham portrays Melvin as unimpressed with other superheroes: When told Superman can leap tall buildings in a single bound, Melvin dismisses him as a "showoff," arguing that he can simply walk around them, observes that Aquaman has the same powers as SpongeBob SquarePants, asserts that the Flash's super speed is derived from methamphetamine, that the Hulk's vaunted ability to get stronger as he gets angrier merely mirrors "every white trash guy on COPS," and makes innuendo about the questionable relationship between Batman and the underage Robin. With Insults", "200910 TV Scorecard: The Best and Worst Shows and Networks", "'Dunham Show' laughs are strictly for dummies", "TV Review: Comedy Central's 'The Jeff Dunham Show'", "Jeff Dunham and 'Achmed the Dead Terrorist' joke about chewing gum in first Singapore show", "Censored: Jeff Dunham puts new words in Achmed The Dead Terrorist's mouth for Malaysian audience on world tour", "Q+A: After 30 years on the road, Jeff Dunham is ready for a run at Planet Hollywood", "Comedy Review: Jeff Dunham's Not a Dummy When Laughs Are at Stake", "Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham's 'punchlines' could use a little more punch", "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Jeff Dunham: Beside Himself' on Netflix, a Puppeteer's Defense Against Political Correctness", "Jeff Dunham's satirical Biden vs. Trump debate is so funny it's almost scary", "Hey everyone! [17] The special's premiere was the highest rated telecast in Comedy Central's history. He was nominated "Comedian of the Year" by the TNN Music City News Country Awards,[15] and has drawn praise from the Dallas Morning News for his technique and timing. [1], Dunham has been called "America's favorite comedian" by Slate. Jeff_Dunham_and_Walter_(2007).jpg: Cameron Yee derivative work: User:Zscout370 (Return fire) This is a retouched picture , which means that it has been digitally altered from its original version. [11] He would also fly around the country on weekends,[1] doing up to 100 private shows a year,[11] entertaining corporate customers such as General Electric, whose CEO, Jack Welch, he mocked during his routine. [43] Melvin's headstone is featured in the beginning of the special Minding the Monsters. I don't like picking on big groups of people, I think it's okay to make fun of the one guy that's in office, and when Trump was in office, I had a lot of fun with that. "Achmed the dead terrorist and humor in popular geopolitics" by Darren Purcell, Melissa Scott Brown and Mahmut Gokmen, Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Jeff Dunham throws his voice into stardom", "Jeff Dunham and Friends have found a Home at Comedy Central signing a Multi-Platform Deal to Encompass all Areas of Entertainment", "Most tickets sold for a stand-up comedy tour", "Kevin Hart Is On Track for the Biggest Comedy Tour of All Time", "Clip of Dunham from an episode of the CMT TV series, Jeff Dunham. You mentioned that you have your fan base, but what is that like for you finding that right balance in your comedy between something that is just edgy enough to get people laughing, but also not too far that it alienates anybody? When Dunham asks him if he remembers the happiest moment of his life after Walter tells him he has been married for forty-six years, Walter responds, "Forty-seven years ago!" To adults, hes offthe- wall and wonderfully goofy, and they respect him, mainly because he has NO respect for them. [11], When Dunham was in the sixth grade, he began attending the Vent Haven ConVENTion in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, an annual international meeting of ventriloquists that includes competitions, where he met Jimmy Nelson in person. We're talking about every puppet from Walter to Peanut. Achmed was, of course, one of the ones that got me hooked on you in the first place. He's been married for several decades. No wonder the man Slate called Americas favorite comedian and TIME cited as a dressed-down, more digestible version of Don Rickles with multiple personality disorder is able to say the things you-wouldnt-dare with his cadre of characters who tap into almost every aspect of American life. Dunham shared a picture of adorable little Harrison that . [50], In the 2020 United States presidential election, Dunham adapted the Walter puppet into "Wonald Grump" and "Ben Hiden," caricatures of Donald Trump and Joe Biden, respectively, for a mock debate moderated by Achmed. Jos, who speaks with a thick Spanish accent, is typically paired with Peanut, who often makes fun of Jos, uses appeals to Latino stereotypes when doing so, and makes fun of his being on a stick. To Achmed Junior, although AJ isn't above making cracks and practical jokes at his expense. 1 / 0. The characters are ordered by the number of votes from funny folks like you, so only the greatest roles played by Jeff Dunham are at the top of the list. Jeff dunham Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Melvin wears a blue superhero costume, and is used to poke fun at superheroes. I love that this special is going to come out around Thanksgiving, where a lot of families are getting together and trying to find something on TV they can watch together right before they go into a food coma. Then the actual new new character, I try and create things that people can relate to and respond to, and we all are stuck on our smart devices a little too much of the time. Bubba J likes to say that he has two loves: his country, his beer, and NASCAR. Check out these \"best of\" moments from your favorite opinionated, gray-haired grump in the trunk. Next: The 10 Best Stand-Up Specials On Netflix, According To Rotten Tomatoes. The organizers of the ConVENTion eventually declared Dunham a "retired champion", ineligible from entering any more competitions, as other attendees were too intimidated to compete against him. Dunham was inspired to create Walter when he watched Bette Davis's final appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, giving her honest, unfiltered candor to Walter, and patterning Walter's frown on Dunham's own. Walter appeared in every Comedy Central special. By his middle school years, he began to perform for banquets attended by local celebrities such as Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, having developed his style of lampooning those he performed for, using the puppets to say things too risque for him to say without them. [11] Dunham's manager, Judi Brown-Marmel, lobbied the network to air it, pointing to Dunham's drawing power and merchandising profits, and arguing that the network needed more diverse content. If the file has been modified from its original state, some details may not fully reflect the modified file. With Jeff Dunham. |Source=*, Flash did not fire, compulsory flash suppression. ", "How Jeff Dunham's offensive puppets became the voice of Trump's America", "Jeff Dunham extends his Las Vegas residency four more months", "Q+A: Jeff Dunham brings 'Not Playing With a Full Deck' to Planet Hollywood", "Comedian Jeff Dunham Announces Perfectly Unbalanced Tour", "Famed Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham Announces 60-City Passively Aggressive Tour: Exclusive", "Walk of Fame Honoree Jeff Dunham Opens Up About His Constant Reinvention", "Jeff Dunham brings his 'Passively Aggressive' tour to Yum Center", "Comic ventriloquist Dunham bringing 'Seriously?' O. King. While Jeff Dunham doesn't look like your typical grandpa, he certainly fits the stereotype of being incredibly proud of his new grandson. He's been married for several decades. ", and when asked if he can stop a bullet like Superman, he responds, "Yeah. At the time he finished writing his autobiography in June 2010, he was beginning to build his fourth kit. [46], Bubba J is a beer-drinking redneck that Dunham describes in Arguing with Myself and A Very Special Christmas Special as "white trash trailer park", and whom Dunham uses for humor centered on such stereotypes. Hes frenzied and fast, naughty but lovable, manic and unendingly energetic. He caught a break in 1985 when he was asked to join the Broadway show Sugar Babies with Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller, replacing an outgoing variety act. @audreymurdick and I are now married and I'm the luckiest guy on the planet! His fifth special, Minding the Monsters, which was taped in Savannah, premiered on Comedy Central on October 7, 2012. It's notably the only time Walter is genuinely afraid of something that doesn't have anything to do with his wife (and even with his wife, he still fires off plenty of barbs at her expense). Despite being an infant, he is a belligerent heavy drinker, traits with which Dunham pokes fun at Irish stereotypes. jeff dunham, jeff dunham walter, bones funny - Pinterest Walter | Jeff Dunham Wiki | Fandom "WHAA-AAT? Dunham attributes this initial reaction to his underdeveloped comedy, explaining that while the characters' personalities were developed at that point, his jokes were not. I think by the time you're, you know, if you're offending 60 percent of your audience, then clearly you don't care about your own future, and you don't care about the audience. Jos Jalapeo on a Stick came to the United States by stick. Jeffrey Douglas Dunham (born April 18, 1962) is an American ventriloquist, stand-up comedian and actor who has also appeared on numerous television shows, including Late Show with David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents, The Tonight Show and Sonny With a Chance. A. Comedy Central, they want people that will create ratings for them, and I have some great records there, and I think I might not be their first choice in brand of entertainment, but I think they have some executives in there now who recognize that numbers are numbers, and it doesn't matter where those numbers are coming from. Laugh-out-loud funny: Jeff Dunham's take on Joe Biden Please welcome my old friend, Walter! [1] Blue Collar veteran Bill Engvall, a friend of Dunham's, insists otherwise, saying that Dunham is inherently funny with or without the puppets. To teenagers, hes cool, hip, and irreverent. ", "Jeff Dunham Welcomes Sons Jack Steven and James Jeffrey Moms & Babies Celebrity Babies and Kids", "Comedian Jeff Dunham Interview: He Owns a Batmobile?! He achieved the Guinness Book of World Records record for "Most tickets sold for a stand-up comedy tour" for his Spark of Insanity tour, performing in 386 venues worldwide. We recorded him, and that night, they said, "Everything was just great.". Dunham explains in Arguing with Myself that Peanut is from a small Micronesian island, and that they met in Florida. Original file (508 760 pixels, file size: 83 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg). Proud grandpa Jeff Dunham posted a picture of his new grandson Harrison that has everyone talking about the baby's resemblance to his puppet Walter. So yeah, there were many conscious decisions on what the material was, and when it was going to play on both Comedy Central's part and mine. [1], Dunham began performing for audiences as a teenager,[10] in various venues such as school, church, and during his job at Six Flags. Whether the cranky old man Walter, who doubled as Wonald Grump and Ben Hiden during the last election, the hyperactive and crazy Peanut, the self-explanatory Jose the Jalapeno on a Stick, the redneck clich NASCAR-loving Bubba J, the utterly befuddled Achmed the Dead Terrorist, and Url, the basement dwelling social media smart-phone addict , Dunham allows each to speak their mind, regardless of how much they embarrass their co-star in the process.