Russell Brand
Born 1975 · Age 50
English comedian, actor, author, podcaster and media personality known for stand-up, TV & radio presenting, film roles, political activism and later online commentary.
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Life & Career Timeline
Parents separate
Parents separated when Brand was six months old; raised primarily by his mother.
Born in Grays, Essex
Russell Edward Brand born at Orsett Hospital, Grays, Essex, only child of Barbara Elizabeth (Nichols) and Ronald Henry Brand.
Mother diagnosed with uterine cancer
His mother was diagnosed with uterine cancer when Brand was eight.
Mother diagnosed with breast cancer
A year after the uterine cancer diagnosis, Brand's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Developed bulimia nervosa
Brand developed bulimia nervosa during early teens.
Left home and accepted to Italia Conti Academy
Left home due to disagreements with his mother's partner and was accepted to the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts (tuition for first year funded by Essex County Council).
Expelled from Italia Conti
Expelled during his first year at Italia Conti for illegal drug use and poor attendance; later said he was sexually abused by a tutor.
Early TV acting roles
Appeared in episodes of The Bill and the children's adventure series Mud.
Stand-up breakthrough & MTV role
Performed at Hackney Empire New Act of the Year final (finished fourth) and debuted at Edinburgh Fringe as part of Pablo Diablo's Cryptic Triptych; began first presenting role at MTV UK as a video journalist, presenting Dancefloor Chart and Select.
Fired by MTV after 9/11 stunt
Dismissed from MTV after turning up dressed as Osama bin Laden the day after the 11 September attacks and bringing his drug dealer to the studios.
RE:Brand series & rehab
Starred in/wrote RE:Brand on UK Play (2002) and was marched into rehab by his agent; he got clean in December 2002 at Focus 12 residential rehab.
Big Brother's Big Mouth host and Edinburgh solo debut
Took role hosting Big Brother's Eforum/Big Brother's Big Mouth on E4 (began hosting 2004) and debuted his one-man show Better Now at the Edinburgh Festival detailing his heroin addiction.
Edinburgh: Eroticised Humour
Returned to Edinburgh Fringe with his show Eroticised Humour.
NME Awards feud with Bob Geldof
Public spat with Bob Geldof at NME Awards (Brand called out Geldof publicly after Geldof insulted him).
Launched tour 'Shame' and moved to BBC Radio 2
Launched his first nationwide tour 'Shame'. Began hosting The Russell Brand Show on BBC Radio 6 Music in April and moved to BBC Radio 2 in November 2006 (weekend show that attracted ~400,000 listeners).
First major film role: St Trinian's
Played Flash Harry in the British comedy St Trinian's (2007), his first major film role.
Co-hosted Teenage Cancer Trust gig
Co-hosted an evening of Teenage Cancer Trust gigs with Noel Fielding.
Published 'My Booky Wook' (autobiography)
Released his first autobiography, My Booky Wook, to largely favourable reviews.
Royal Variety Performance
Performed in front of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as part of the 2007 Royal Variety Performance.
Breakout Hollywood role: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Achieved American fame playing Aldous Snow in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008); role led to further Hollywood opportunities.
Signed £1.8m two-book deal with HarperCollins
Signed a two-book contract worth £1.8 million with HarperCollins (June 2008).
Hosted MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) — controversy
Hosted the 2008 MTV VMAs (Sep 2008) and sparked controversy with on-stage comments (including about George W. Bush and Britney Spears), prompting death threats and major media attention.
Published 'Articles of Faith'
Published Articles of Faith (16 Oct 2008) — collection of columns and interviews, part of his HarperCollins deal.
Sachsgate prank calls broadcast
Recording of lewd phone messages to actor Andrew Sachs was broadcast on The Russell Brand Show (18 Oct 2008), later triggering thousands of complaints.
BBC fined and Brand resigns
Following Sachsgate, Brand resigned from the BBC; Ofcom later fined the BBC £150,000 and the BBC Trust called the calls a 'deplorable intrusion' (BBC Trust statement published 21 Nov 2008).
Comedy special & Scandalous tour
Recorded and aired Russell Brand in New York (Comedy Central special, March 2009) and toured with Russell Brand: Scandalous (Jan–Apr 2009), performing large arena dates.
Met Katy Perry and became engaged
Met Katy Perry during work on Get Him to the Greek and later became engaged (engagement reported on New Year's Eve in India, Dec 31, 2009).
Starred in Get Him to the Greek and other films
Reprised Aldous Snow in Get Him to the Greek (2010); also appeared in The Tempest (2010) and voiced Dr. Nefario in Despicable Me (2010).
Published 'Booky Wook 2: This Time It's Personal'
Released his second autobiography (30 Sep 2010 under HarperCollins deal).
Arrest at LAX
Arrested and charged with suspected battery after an altercation with a photographer at Los Angeles International Airport (16 Sep 2010); held overnight and posted bail, charge later dropped.
Married Katy Perry
Married singer Katy Perry in a traditional Hindu ceremony in Rajasthan, India (23 Oct 2010).
Founded Branded Films
Established production company 'Branded Films' with Nik Linnen operating from Warner Bros. studios to develop films for Brand to star in (2011).
Guest hosted Saturday Night Live
Guest-hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live (12 Feb 2011).
Deported from Japan
Deported by Japanese immigration officials while accompanying Katy Perry on tour (May 2011), reportedly for historic legal offences.
Filed for divorce from Katy Perry
Filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences (divorce finalised in 2012).
Appeared before Home Affairs Select Committee
Gave evidence to the UK Commons Home Affairs select committee on drug and alcohol addiction (April 2012), advocating decriminalisation and compassion for addicts.
FX late-night show 'Brand X with Russell Brand'
Hosted Brand X with Russell Brand on FX in 2012; show ran two seasons and was cancelled in 2013.
Arrest warrant over New Orleans incident
Alleged incident in New Orleans (March 2012) involving a paparazzo led to an arrest warrant; Brand tweeted about the incident and it drew attention.
Messiah Complex tour
Presented and toured his stand-up show Messiah Complex, tackling advertising, addiction and portrayals of public figures.
Gave evidence on TV and guest-edited New Statesman (political turn)
Guest-edited an edition of New Statesman (2013) and became more publicly political, gaining profile as an activist and campaigner.
Launched The Trews YouTube series & published 'Revolution'
Launched political-comedy web series The Trews on YouTube and published the book Revolution (Oct 2014); also appeared in the documentary The Emperor's New Clothes.
Documentary 'Brand: A Second Coming' released
A biographical documentary, Brand: A Second Coming, was released (March 2015), chronicling his career and transformation.
Voice role in 'Trolls' and film 'Army of One'
Voiced villain Creek in Trolls (2016) and played a role (portrayed God) in Army of One (2016).
Announced Re:Birth tour (debut April 2017) and returned to radio
Announced the Re:Birth comedy tour (debuted April 2017) and returned to radio on Radio X from 2 April 2017 with Matt Morgan and Mr Gee (11am–1pm Sunday slot).
Married Laura Gallacher
Married Laura Gallacher (reportedly on 26 August 2017) and later had children with her.
Published 'Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions'
Macmillan published Brand's book Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions (September 2017).
Recorded 'Re:Birth' standup film for Netflix
Russell Brand: Re:Birth filmed in London (April 2018) and later released as a standup film on Netflix on 4 Dec 2018.
Cancelled remaining Re:Birth tour dates after mother's accident
Cancelled remaining dates of Re:Birth tour after his mother was critically injured in a hit-and-run (30 Apr 2018).
Published 'Mentors: How To Help and Be Helped'
Published Mentors (Jan 2019), a book about people who influenced his life and the value of mentorship.
Increased online activity during COVID-19 pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic his YouTube output and audience increased and his political direction shifted; accused of promoting COVID denialism and conspiracy theories.
Controversial COVID content and widening online following
Criticism grew over anti-vaccine/anti-establishment messaging; videos advising how to circumvent safety measures gained attention; Elon Musk publicly defended some of his content.
Films: Death on the Nile & Minions: The Rise of Gru
Played Linus Windlesham in Kenneth Branagh's Death on the Nile (2022) and returned as the voice of Dr. Nefario in Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022).
Moved some content to Rumble and launched 'Stay Free' series
One of his videos was removed from YouTube for medical misinformation, prompting migration of some content to Rumble and launch of Stay Free with Russell Brand.
Stand-up special 'Brandemic' released
Released a stand-up special titled Brandemic (2023).
Metropolitan Police investigation begins
London's Metropolitan Police announced investigations into allegations following the Sept 2023 reporting; additional allegation of a 2003 assault was later reported.
Allegations publicised by Times, Sunday Times & Channel 4 Dispatches
A joint investigation (The Times, The Sunday Times, Channel 4 Dispatches) published allegations by five women accusing Brand of sexual assault and sexual/emotional abuse concerning incidents between 2006 and 2013 (Sept 2023); Channel 4 broadcast Russell Brand: In Plain Sight.
Promoted 'magic amulet' product
Promoted a 'magic amulet' claimed to protect against 'evil energies' and 'lethal signals' including Wi‑Fi—claims not supported by scientific evidence (2024).
YouTube & social subscribers milestone (approx.)
By March 2025 Russell Brand's main YouTube channel reported ~6.83 million subscribers (figure from Wikipedia snapshot March 2025).
Charged by Crown Prosecution Service / Metropolitan Police
CPS authorised charges relating to alleged non-recent offences between 1999 and 2005 involving four women; Metropolitan Police notified Brand and he was told to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on 2 May 2025 (coverage Apr 2025).
Civil action filed in New York state reported
News outlets reported a civil action filed in New York state accusing Brand of sexual assault while intoxicated during filming of Arthur (2010); the case also named Warner Bros. Discovery and others (reported 7 Apr 2025).
Key Achievement Ages
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