Yakov Smirnoff
Stand-up comedian · Branson, MO

Yakov Smirnoff

Who Yakov Smirnoff is

Yakov Smirnoff is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer born in Odesa, then in the Soviet Union, who worked as a comedian on Black Sea cruise ships before emigrating to the United States in 1977, speaking no English. He became a regular at the Comedy Store, made his debut on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1985, played Yakov Korolenko on Night Court, starred in the sitcom What a Country! and had film roles in Moscow on the Hudson, The Money Pit and Heartburn, his act built around the catchphrase "What a country!".

Since 1993 he has performed at his own theatre in Branson, Missouri; he holds a master's degree in positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate from Pepperdine University, and in 2016 he produced and starred in the PBS special Happily Ever Laughter.

Yakov Smirnoff tour dates 2026–27

6 shows from 11 November 2026 to 21 February 2027 in University City, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Tampa and 1 more city.

Lineups belong to the rooms and the comedians, and can change; each listing has the last word. Their nights on the Comedy Calendar →

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Yakov Smirnoff online

Official site ↗Instagram ↗TikTok ↗Facebook ↗YouTube ↗

At a glance

Born
1951
Based in
Branson, MO
Talks about
immigration and culture
Came up through
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Comedy Store
Stand-up specials
Happily Ever Laughter: The Neuroscience of Romantic Relationships
Podcasts
Yakov's Comedy Couch Podcast
Books
America on Six Rubles a Day
On screen
Night Court, What a Country!, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and 5 more
Next on stage
11 November 2026 — Delmar Loop, University City, MO
Official site
yakov.com ↗

Specials, shows and podcasts

Stand-up specials

On screen

Podcasts

Books and writing

Where they got their start

Came up the same way

Other comedians in SUCDb who came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Comedy Store:

The Launching Pads: the shows the comedians came through →

Comedians like Yakov Smirnoff

Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.

Six Degrees of Komic Bacon: how they connect to anyone →

Every stand-up comedian with a page, A to Z →

Career timeline

  1. 1951Born
  2. 1984Moscow on the Hudson (Lev, film, 1984) On screen
  3. 1985The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (guest, from 1985) On screen
  4. 1985Brewster's Millions (Vladimir, film, 1985) On screen
  5. 1986What a Country! (Nikolai Rostapovich, lead, 1986–1987) On screen
  6. 1986The Money Pit (Shatov, film, 1986) On screen
  7. 1986Heartburn (Contractor Laszlo, film, 1986) On screen
  8. 1987America on Six Rubles a Day (book, 1987) Book
  9. 2016Happily Ever Laughter: The Neuroscience of Romantic Relationships (2016, PBS) Special

Questions and answers

Where is Yakov Smirnoff performing next?

Wednesday 11 November 2026, 6:00 PM — with Aidan McCluskey, Cameron Esposito, Casey Rocket, David Cross, Dean Delray, Janelle Draper, Jason Choi, Katherine Blanford, Kiry Shabazz, Leslie Liao, Libbie Higgins, Opey Olagbaju, Randy Sklar, Reggie Conquest, Roy Wood Jr. and Willie Simon (Wristbands • Flyover Comedy Festival 2026) at Delmar Loop, University City, MO, then 5 more dates on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar. Each show's own listing has the last word.

Are they on tour in 2026–27?

Yes: 6 shows from 11 November 2026 to 21 February 2027 in University City, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Tampa and Naples.

What stand-up specials have they released?

Happily Ever Laughter: The Neuroscience of Romantic Relationships.

What podcast do they host?

Yakov's Comedy Couch Podcast.

Have they written a book?

Yes:America on Six Rubles a Day.

What TV shows and films are they in?

Night Court, What a Country!, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Moscow on the Hudson and Brewster's Millions, among 8 credits.

Where did they get their start?

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (guest, from his debut) and The Comedy Store (a regular there before his 1985 Tonight Show debut; a paid regular).

Where are they based?

Branson, MO, as their record gives it.

When were they born?

In 1951.

Who are some comedians like them?

Andy Kaufman (also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson), Byron Allen (also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson), David Letterman (also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson), Elayne Boosler (also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson) and Jay Leno (also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson).

Are you Yakov Smirnoff?

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The full SUCDb record

The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with a button to add them to your D.O.C., your twelve.

Their SUCDb record →Their own site ↗

Sources

Updated 10 October 2026 · the record checked 29 September 2026