Russell Brand

This is the 107th post in our Celebrity of the Day series.



Russell Edward Brand was born in 1975 in England. He first got into acting at the age of 15 when he was cast as Fat Sam in his school production of Bugsy Malone. He was accepted into the Italia Conti Academy with the Essex council founding his first year with the potential to fund three more years. Unfortunately it was during his first year that Russell became bulimic and started experimenting with drugs. He was expelled from the academy.

He got small acting roles here and there but in 1995 he applied to the Drama Centre London and was accepted. He was still doing drugs and alcohol but lasted until his final year when he was expelled for smashing glass over his head and repeatedly stabbing himself because of a poor reaction to his performance.

Then in 2000 he made significant strides to make a name for himself as a comedian when he came in fourth in the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year. His placing gained him the attention of an agent and that year he made his comic debut as part of Pablo Diablo's Cryptic Triptych.

In 2002 he earned roles in the TV shows Cruise of the Gods and White Teeth.

In 2004, he performed a one man show at the Edinburgh festival entitled Better Now which told of his battle with heroin. He returned the following year with a show called Eroticised Humor. And by 2006 he was on tour with his show Shame which told embarrassing incidents from his life and his battles with the press. He went on tour with all new shows in 2007 and 2009 as well.

In 2007 Russell also got his first major film role as Flash Harry in St. Trinians. But his breakout role was playing Aldous Snow in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. He also starred alongside Adam Sandler in Bedtime Stories.

In 2010 he once again be playing Aldous Snow but in the movie Get me to The Greek, he will also be playing Drop Dead Fred in the movie Drop Dead Fred in 2011, along with a number of other films.

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