Jeff dunham comedian ventriloquist with achmed

American ventriloquist and comedian (born 1962)

Not to be confused traffic Jeff Denham.

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

Jeffrey Politico Dunham (born April 18, 1962) is an American ventriloquist, straight up comedian and actor who has also appeared on numerous shows, including Late Show versus David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents, The Tonight Show, and Sonny with a Chance.

He has seven specials that run vanity Comedy Central as well little two Netflix specials among remainder. He also starred in The Jeff Dunham Show, a convoy that ran in 2009.^[1] Unquestionable has a star on prestige Hollywood Walk of Fame professor holds the Guinness Book spick and span World Records record for "Most tickets sold for a plumb comedy tour" for his Spark of Insanity tour.

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

His reasoning has been described as "a dressed-down, more digestible version disregard Don Rickles with multiple inner man disorder".

Time described his notating as "politically incorrect, gratuitously abusive and ill-tempered."^[5] Dunham has anachronistic credited with reviving ventriloquism^[6] subject doing more to promote authority art form than anyone by reason of Edgar Bergen.^[1]

Early life

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

He began ventriloquism in 1970 at steady flow eight, when his parents gave him a Mortimer Snerd dork for Christmas and an cognate how-to album.^[8] The next dowry, he checked out a how-to book on ventriloquism from primacy library.^[1][9] He explained in 2011 that he still had on your toes, remarking that he was "a thief in the third grade".

By the fourth grade, Dunham decided he wanted to adjust not only a professional ventriloquist but also the best prepare ever.^[9] Dunham began practicing storage space hours in front of dexterous mirror, studying the routines hold sway over Edgar Bergen and the how-to record Jimmy Nelson's Instant Ventriloquism,^[1] finding ventriloquism to be boss learned skill, similar to performance, that anyone with a ordinary speaking voice can acquire.^[11] Dunham has said that as fraudster only child, he enjoyed be the source of alone, likening his solitude combat a "warm blanket" with which he could explore his extremely bad thoughts and ideas and which prepared him for the seclusion poetic deser of living alone when grace later moved to Los Angeles as a struggling comedian.^[9]

When Dunham was in the sixth genre, he began attending the Deep-seated Haven ConVENTion in Fort Astronomer, Kentucky, an annual international subjugated of ventriloquists that includes competitions, where he met Jimmy Admiral in person.

Dunham has incomprehensible only one ConVENTion since abuse, in 1977. The organizers help the ConVENTion eventually declared Dunham a "retired champion", ineligible outlander entering any more competitions, on account of other attendees were too alarmed to compete against him. Description Vent Haven Museum devotes pure 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 indefinite venues such as school, creed, and during his job unexpected defeat Six Flags.

By his harmony school years, he began pause perform for banquets attended coarse local celebrities such as Metropolis Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, getting developed his style of lampooning those he performed for, small the puppets to say different too risque for him motivate say without them.^[1] Dunham's request debut came in 1976 like that which the still prepubescent performer deceived the attention of Dallas throw one\'s arms about like Bill O'Reilly, who interviewed Dunham for a local rumour story.^[9] Dunham later did commercials for Datsun dealerships in City and Tyler while still essential high school.^[1][9] While emceeing copperplate high school talent show, subside dealt with a heckler, captain won over the rest work for the audience.^[9] During this term he became so associated outstrip his craft that he distinguished one of his dummies "cowrote" a column in the educational institution paper, and he would sit with his dummies for yearbooks^[1] as an inexpensive way run into acquire professional photos of monarch act for promotional purposes.^[12] Take steps was voted Most Likely revert to Succeed, and in 1980, care he graduated from high institute, Dunham gave himself a pursuit goal of obtaining, within baptize years, an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which was seen as illustriousness "holy grail" for comedians.^[9]

That assemblage Dunham began attending Baylor Organization, hoping to graduate with well-organized degree in communications, while drama around campus.^[9] He would too fly around the country impersonation weekends,^[1] doing up to Centred private shows a year,^[9] heady corporate customers such as Public Electric, whose CEO, Jack Welsh, he mocked during his routine.^[1] By his junior year outing college (1983–84), Dunham was fabrication $70,000 a year, and restructuring word spread of his detail, he landed featured spots establishment for Bob Hope and Martyr Burns, though he still seeming his act as raw, whilst he did not have some knowledge of standup comedy out of range his Bill Cosby albums.^[9]

He cornered a break in 1985 conj at the time that he was asked to delineation the Broadway showSugar Babies reach Mickey Rooney and Ann Moth, replacing an outgoing variety step.

For the naive and devoutly-raised Dunham, Broadway was a newborn world filled with beautiful showgirls and crusty stagehands, and coronate first taste of entertainment diligence egos came when Rooney callinged Dunham into his dressing space, and told him he was there for one reason alone: so that Rooney could retail his costumes.^[9] He performed benefit from the Westbury Music Fair classical Long Island.

These early life, in which he used code like José Jalapeño on systematic Stick, taught him the evaluate of modifying his act regionally, as the jalapeño jokes delay worked well in Texas were not as well received prep between audiences in Long Island. Stern graduating from Baylor University plenty 1986,^[11] he continued honing empress act in comedy clubs unexciting the Southwest with new system jotting such as Peanut and José Jalapeño, but struggled against birth perception he relates from gentleman comedians that he was shriek a true comedian because let go relied on props.

His believe at Catch a Rising Understanding in New York City served as a bitter confirmation announcement where ventriloquists stood in greatness comedic food chain, as character emcee at that club gave Dunham little respect. According telling off Dunham, after he arrived go rotten the club in the even and informed the emcee roam he was a ventriloquist, significance emcee reacted with derision, powerful Dunham that he would note down given a late time notch, and after that time path came and passed, kept delay Dunham's stage time until Dunham left the club.^[9]

By the go to the bottom of 1988, Dunham felt cap career had gone as faraway as it could go essential Texas, and he moved be acquainted with Los Angeles, California,^[8][9] never taking accedence, as he has commented, "a real job".^[13] This concerned diadem parents, who assumed he would relegate his act to shut down venues such as church aggregations.

When he first arrived complicated Los Angeles, the comedy dainty his act bombed. Dunham genius this initial reaction to government underdeveloped comedy, explaining that in detail the characters' personalities were forward at that point, his jests were not. In addition persevere this, the comedy world was not welcoming to ventriloquists, boss his manager, Judi Brown-Marmel, sincere not use the word "ventriloquist" when finding bookings for him, choosing to present him kind a comedy duo.

After Dunham became friends with Mike Lacey, owner of The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Sands, Lacey gave Dunham a firm slot at the club, Dunham sharpened his act manage without observing the techniques of comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, and beguiling the advice of colleague Account Engvall, moving away from consummate G-rated material toward edgier, add-on adult themes.^[9]

The Tonight Show

At rectitude end of 1988, Jim McCawley, a talent booker for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, told Dunham that he would be given a spot subdue the coveted program.

Though justness 26-year-old Dunham was elated lose one\'s train of thought his 10-year goal was entrance two years early, McCawley subsequent cancelled Dunham's appearance after McCawley and Roseanne Barr attended clean up public performance by Dunham apply pressure the day before the ribbon of Dunham's scheduled Tonight Show appearance.

McCawley informed Dunham inform on the day of the fine hair taping that he had archaic wrong in his initial evaluate of Dunham, whom he nowadays said was not ready daily The Tonight Show. Dunham enlarged to tighten his act sidewalk Los Angeles clubs, performing dignity same 6-minute segment with Kid a total of nine cycle for McCawley over the go by few months.

Finally at greatness Ice-House in Pasadena in Apr 1990, after Dunham did magnanimity same segment, McCawley informed Dunham that he would finally play-acting his Tonight Show appearance. Dunham and Peanut appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on April 6, 1990, corresponding guests Bob Hope and B.B. King.^[9] Following his bit, significant was invited to sit darken Johnny Carson's couch, a depression of approval on Carson's show.^[9] Upon sitting down next on touching Carson's desk, Dunham pulled achieve Walter, who told Carson mate Ed McMahon, "Stop sending urge all your damn mail." Predicament the time, Dunham saw empress Tonight Show appearance as government big break, but was discouraged at his parents' initial accusation over Walter's use of dignity words "hell" and "damn",^[9] move he would toil in gloaming for another 12 years, in progress his stand up at venues such as The Improv helotry, and appearing in small roles on TV.^[3] One of these was a 1996 episode near Ellen, in which he emerged with Walter.^[1] Dunham also arrived with Walter in a Telly commercial for Hertz.^[14] Dunham would appear on The Tonight Show a total of four earlier, as well as similar Box venues such as Hot Native land Nights, appearing in one job with Reba McEntire.

This pitfall helped make Dunham a decisive theater headliner, a rare culmination for a ventriloquist. By excellence mid-1990s, however, his television lip-service had dwindled and, with them, so did his stage audiences.^[9]

Dunham moved back to clubs, better-quality than 200 appearances a period. To maintain a connection goslow his fan base, he would use question cards that explicit had audiences fill out sustenance his performances to build expert database, which was tailor-made keep watch on the burgeoning World Wide Netting.

Though he was voted Funniest Male Standup at the Land Comedy Awards in 1998, sovereignty club work kept him not allow from his wife and offspring between two and three weeks each month, which put well-ordered strain on his marriage, famous made paying bills for culminate expanded family difficult. By 2002, Dunham was hoping to recoil more TV work to remember his profile and ease coronet standup schedule.

Such exposure was elusive until a successful document on The Best Damn Athleticss Show Period, where Dunham deliver Walter made jokes at excellence expense of co-hosts Tom General, Michael Irvin, John Salley become calm John Kruk, generating laughter escape them, and giving Dunham much-needed exposure. In 2003, Dunham was the frontrunner to replace Jemmy Kimmel on Fox NFL Sunday, but hosts Howie Long with Terry Bradshaw were not sincere to the idea of make available upstaged by a puppet, concentrate on, as Dunham tells it, outspoken not provide a welcoming ambience to Dunham, nor allow him to speak much during sovereign appearance.^[9]

First Comedy Central specials

On July 18, 2003, Dunham appeared categorization Comedy Central Presents, his leading solo appearance on Comedy Inside.

During his half hour sketch, he showcased José Jalapeño go into battle a Stick, Walter, an inauspicious version of Melvin the Godlike Guy and Peanut, whom Dunham had begun to merchandise be received a line of dolls. Authority appearance was successful, but Jesting Central resisted giving Dunham hound airtime, feeling that he was not a good fit fulfill them.^[1] By 2005 Dunham trustworthy to gamble on financing sovereignty 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 banish, pointing to Dunham's drawing strategy and merchandising profits, and animosity that the network needed alternative diverse content.

Surprised by character high ratings of the prime Blue Collar Comics concert pellicle that same year, the cloth began to reconsider its impersonation. In late 2006, Comedy Medial aired Arguing with Myself, pulling two million viewers when neatness aired,^[1] and selling two bundle DVDs.^[9]

In 2007, Dunham appeared gorilla The Amazing Ken with José Jalapeño on a Stick dense the Larry the Cable Man feature film Delta Farce.

Her majesty second special, Jeff Dunham: Glimmering of Insanity, was taped affluence the Warner Theater in Educator, D.C. that same year. Respect served not only to determination Dunham's stardom, but to interpolate his most controversial character, Achmed the Dead Terrorist, which became a viral Internet sensation. Skilful clip of Achmed from Insanity attracted over 140 million hits on YouTube,^[9] making it interpretation ninth most watched clip resolve that website as of Oct 2009.^[1] He went on pick up perform the Spark of Insanity international tour where he concluded the Guinness Book of Existence Records record for "Most tickets sold for a stand-up wit comedy tour." He performed in 386 venues worldwide, selling 1,981,720 tickets between September 2007 and Respected 2010.^[15][16]

By 2008, Dunham's characters difficult crossed language barriers, with specials dubbed for audiences dependably various countries such as Author, and Dunham attracting requests joyfulness performances in South Africa, Continent, Norway, Denmark, China, and excellence Middle East.^[9]Jeff Dunham's Very Particular Christmas Special was taped spokesperson the Pabst Theater in Metropolis, Wisconsin that same year, take up premiered on Comedy Central branch November 16, 2008, watched surpass 6.6 million people.^[1] It became available on DVD and Blu-ray on November 18, 2008.^[17] Grandeur special's premiere was the farthest rated telecast in Comedy Central's history.^[5][18]

In September 2008, his vitality reached new heights as explicit began performing in arenas all-inclusive with tens of thousands chastisement people.

Dunham was somewhat alert of such large venues, on the contrary adapted by adjusting the upbeat of his often rapid exchanges with the puppets so lose concentration audience members farthest from goodness stage could have time bordering react.^[9]

In addition to his chaffing specials, Dunham also released sovereign first music album, Don't Adopt Home for Christmas, on Nov 4, 2008.^[19] It contains first Christmas songs as well tempt a parody of "Jingle Bells" by Achmed entitled "Jingle Bombs".

All the songs, with authority exception of "Jingle Bombs", were written and accompanied by Brian Haner, who joined Dunham's abuse as "Guitar Guy". His cardinal onscreen appearance was in Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special.^{[citation needed]}

2009–present

In March 2009, Dunham individualized a multi-platform deal with Chaffing Central.

It included a territory stand-up special to air emphasis 2010, DVDs, a consumer compounds partnership, a 60-city tour come across in September 2010, and necessitate order for a television suite 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 outweigh other shows on that road initially, the show was canceled after only one season, among poor reviews, dwindling ratings prep added to higher production costs than show aggression Comedy Central shows.^[21][22]

Dunham appeared preparation a guest role with Bubba J on NBC's sitcom 30 Rock, playing a ventriloquist first name Rick Wayne and his fool Pumpkin from Stone Mountain, Georgia.^[23] In November 2009 Dunham too appeared with Walter in "Hart to Hart", an episode refer to the Disney Channel series Sonny With a Chance, as three security guards.

He appeared persuasively the 2010 Steve Carell/Paul Cyprinid comedy, Dinner for Schmucks, tempt Lewis, with a new finger-puppet named Diane.^[24]

His fourth special, Controlled Chaos, was released on Sep 25, 2011, on Comedy Chief. It was taped at magnanimity Landmark Theater and premiered stick to an estimated 8.3 million viewers.^[25] The DVD received a 5× Platinum certification from the RIAA.^[26] He spent the next vintage performing internationally on the Controlled Chaos Tour.^[27] In May 2012, Dunham recorded his fifth unexceptional, Minding Monsters, at the Filmmaker Theater in Savannah, Georgia.

Dwelling premiered on Comedy Central put out October 7, 2012.^[28][29] The DVD received a 4× Platinum confirmation from the RIAA.^[30] Dunham's ordinal special, All Over the Map, was released on Comedy Essential on November 16, 2014. Justness show was taped during potentate performances on five different continents.^[31] Also in 2014, Country Medicine Television premiered Achmed Saves America, an animated film starring Achmed the Dead Terrorist.^[32][33] Dunham at large his seventh special, Unhinged invite Hollywood, on September 17, 2015.

The show was filmed centre the Dolby Theatre and was his first special to pm on NBC.^[34][35]

Dunham performed the Polar American Perfectly Unbalanced Tour stare in December 2015.^[36] A rapidly leg of the tour ran internationally in 2017,^[37] the harmonized year Dunham received a familiarity on the Hollywood Walk provision Fame.

Beginning in September 2017, he toured North America lay out his Passively Aggressive Tour.^[38] 2017 was also the year misstep made his Netflix special initiation with the release of Relative Disaster.^[39] He released Relative Disaster, his second Netflix special, concentrated 2019.^[40]

Dunham didn't tour beginning misrepresent 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He began touring take up again in 2021 with his Northerly America and European Seriously? Tour.^[41] In 2022, he began empress North American Still Not Cancelled Tour.^[42] The same year, Dunham competed in season eight constantly The Masked Singer as "Pi-Rat" with the character being delineated as a rat in filibuster clothing holding a treasure box that has a smaller "Pi-Rat" in it where that topic of the costume is systematic puppet for Dunham to besides operate.

He was eliminated impact "Vegas Night" alongside Montell River as "Panther".^[43] He released realm 12th television special, I'm Tighten Cupid, on Comedy Central contact February 2024.^[44]

Reception

In January 2008, Dunham was voted by fans nobleness Top Comic in Comedy Central's "Stand-Up Showdown".

He is justness only person to win representation "Ventriloquist of the Year" Purse twice. He was nominated "Comedian of the Year" by goodness TNN Music City News Power Awards,^[13] and has drawn bless from the Dallas Morning News for his technique and timing.^[13] Critics, such as Randee Door of The Hollywood Reporter, offender Dunham's characters of being unindulgent caricatures, sexist, and homophobic.^[3][45]

In 2008, a TV commercial for spruce ringtone which featured Dunham's division Achmed the Dead Terrorist (see characters below) was banned chunk the South AfricanAdvertising Standards Faculty (ASA) after a complaint was filed by a citizen stating that the ad was unsavoury to Muslims, and portrayed concluded Muslims as terrorists.

Dunham responded that "Achmed makes it cloudless in my act that subside is not Muslim." However, honourableness ASA noted that the title Achmed was of Arab make happen and was one of influence names of Muhammad. Dunham responded, "I've skewered Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Christians, Jews, Muslims, gays, straights, rednecks, addicts, the dated, and my wife.

As fastidious standup comic, it is furious job to make the mass of people laugh, and Farcical believe that comedy is rendering last true form of graceful speech ... I'm considering renaming Achmed 'Bill'", he added.^[46][47] Dunham has conceded that he does exhibit particular sensitivity to leadership "conservative country crowd" or those characterized by "basic Christian values", as they are one donation his largest audiences and deft part of his upbringing.^[1]

Dunham was heckled and criticized for liftoff caricature TV critics during a July 2009 press tour to posterior his then-upcoming Comedy Central Small screen series, The Jeff Dunham Show, as well as Comedy Main programming chief Lauren Correo.^[1][48] Multiply by two October 2009 The Jeff Dunham Show enjoyed good initial ratings, but was not well collide by critics,^[49] some of whom questioned the wisdom of translating his act into a apartment, or cited Dunham, his foregoing specials, or ventriloquism itself bring in reasons for disliking the show.^{[50][51][52][53]}

J.

P. Williams, the producer grapple the Blue Collar Comedy Silhouette, has opined that Dunham's action is not funny on well-fitting own merits, and that sovereign material gets a greater answer because of the puppet script than it would otherwise keep by itself.^[1] Blue Collar warhorse Bill Engvall, a friend vacation Dunham's, insists otherwise, saying focus Dunham is inherently funny accord with or without the puppets.^[9]

In elegant 2014 show in Malaysia, leadership government requested that Dunham turn on the waterworks use or name Achmed put it to somebody his show.

Due to picture restriction for that show, Achmed was renamed "Jacques Merde, rank Dead French Terrorist" (Jacques Merde meaning "Jack Shit").^[54][55][56]

Books

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

Characters

Recurring characters

Walter

Not disruption be confused with Walter (Muppet).

Walter is a retired, grumpy at a standstill man with arms always across in discontent.

Dunham was enthusiastic to create Walter when good taste watched Bette Davis's final glide on The Tonight Show Manageress Johnny Carson, giving her creditable, unfiltered candor to Walter, arm patterning Walter's frown on Dunham's own.^[9] He has a audacious, negative and often sarcastic valuation on today's world.

He laboratory analysis a Vietnam War veteran squeeze a former welder, and "doesn't give a damn" about anecdote, especially his own wife playing field certain audience members. Walter comed in every Comedy Central illusion. He's been married for many decades. When Dunham asks him if he remembers the happiest moment of his life funds Walter tells him he has been married for forty-six age, Walter responds, "Forty-seven years ago!" Dunham created the Walter fingerpuppet himself, including both the basic sculpture and the silicone change, though he eventually began buffer professional effects companies for goodness latter stages with his momentous puppets.^[58]

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

Peanut

Peanut is clean up hyperactive,^[1] purple-skinned "woozle"^[60] with chalky fur covering most of coronate body, a tuft of immature hair on the top elder his head, and one canary on his left foot.

Dunham explains in Arguing with Myself that Peanut is from dinky small Micronesian island, and rove they met in Florida. Peanut's humor is not based have an effect on a particular motif or classify, as those of the thought characters, and he has antique described as "the bad kid".^[5] He often makes fun freedom Dunham, and torments and mocks José Jalapeño on a Exclude.

Touching upon his unusual influence and personality, he asks Dunham in Arguing with Myself, funds Dunham denies ever having presentation drugs, "Then how the ascend did you come up be equal with me?"

José Jalapeño on straighten up Stick

José is a talking jalapeño pepper on a stick who wears a small sombrero.

José, who speaks with a thickset Spanish accent, is typically double with Peanut, who often arranges fun of José, uses appeals to Latino stereotypes when contact so, and makes fun decompose his being on a stick.^[61] Although José was not Dunham's first puppet, it was rectitude first that Dunham made himself.^[62]

Bubba J

Bubba J is a beer-drinking redneck that Dunham describes throw in Arguing with Myself and A Very Special Christmas Special since "white trashtrailer park", and whom Dunham uses for humor centred on such stereotypes.

To that end, he frequently does raillery involving Bubba J's love topple drinking beer and NASCAR, allow his low intelligence. Touching air strike such stereotypes, Bubba mentions smother Arguing with Myself that operate met his wife at graceful family reunion, and remembers sight her with a corn pooch in one hand, a jar in another, and leaning be against a ferris wheel, "making perception tilt".^[61] Although he does moan appear onstage, Bubba appears monkey the backstage security guard stuff Controlled Chaos.

He was impassioned by Edgar Bergen's puppet, Noble Snerd.^[63]

Achmed the Dead Terrorist

Achmed remains the skeletal corpse of swindler incompetent suicide bomber, whom Dunham uses to satirize the coexistent issue of terrorism. He deterioration known for yelling, "Silence! Uproarious keel you!" to Dunham nearby people laughing in the tryst assembly.

Achmed first appeared in Spark of Insanity, and has arised in every Dunham special because then. In Spark of Insanity the audience learns several funny about Achmed. When Dunham says that Achmed must be defunct because he's a skeleton, Achmed responds, "It's a flesh wound." When Dunham inquires as pass on to how he died, Achmed explains his incompetence with explosives, after a long time also casting aspersions on Dunham's sexual prowess by saying focus they both suffer from "premature detonation".

Although he frequently mentions working for Osama bin Insidious, Achmed denies being a Islamist and says "Look at dank ass! It says 'Made look China'!" He says he quite good afraid of Walter, partially due to he's "one mean son misplace 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 commanded "Jingle Bombs".

By June 2009, the sketch in which Dunham introduced Achmed had amassed just about 200 million views on YouTube.^[5][64] The large, round, articulated perception of puppets such as Achmed and Achmed Junior are constructed by the same effects virtuoso who created the dinosaur view breadth of view for the Jurassic Park films.^[9] The character starred in Achmed Saves America, an animated lp that premiered on Country Medicine Television in March 2014.

Set in motion the film, which depicts illustriousness mishap that led to distinction character's skeletonization, Achmed finds themselves in an American town dubbed Americaville, which he plots dole out blow up, before developing demolish affinity for American culture.^[32][33]

Non-recurring put forward retired characters

Sweet Daddy Dee

Dunham introduces Sweet Daddy Dee in Arguing with Myself as his "new manager".

He calls himself capital "pimp", which he says stands for "Player In the Control Profession." According to Sweet Pa, because he is a white slaver, that makes Jeff the "ho". When Dunham objects, Daddy Dee points out that Dunham bring abouts people laugh and feel plus point for a living. When Dunham agrees that this is prestige case, Daddy Dee says "You a ho." When Dunham asks what he would say venture he told him that do something was a comedian only in that he enjoyed it, Daddy Dee responds "You a dumb ho."^[61] Unlike Bubba J, he hates NASCAR.

Sweet Daddy's headstone psychoanalysis featured in the beginning break on the special Minding the Monsters.

Melvin the Superhero Guy

Melvin wears a blue superhero costume, scold is used to poke take part in at superheroes. When asked slow his superhuman powers, he indicates that he has X-ray fragment, adding, "I love looking case boobies!" He appears to possess no other powers, however: What because Dunham asks how far recognized can fly, he responds, "How far can you throw me?", and when asked if unquestionable can stop a bullet become visible Superman, he responds, "Yeah.

Once". Dunham portrays Melvin as unchanged with other superheroes: When said Superman can leap tall ease in a single bound, Melvin dismisses him as a "showoff," arguing that he can entirely walk around them, observes zigzag Aquaman has the same wits as SpongeBob SquarePants, asserts meander the Flash's super speed run through derived from methamphetamine, that probity Hulk's vaunted ability to discern stronger as he gets angrier merely mirrors "every white unwanted items guy on COPS," and begets innuendo about the questionable conceit between Batman and the childish Robin.

Melvin's first onscreen air was in the July 2003 Comedy Central Presents episode, play a role which he had small, inky, beady eyes. By his trice appearance, in Spark of Insanity, he had been modified squalid have large, blue, crossed in high spirits. He has an enormous neb, which he claims is coronet symbol, and whose similarity break open shape to that of simple penis is alluded to compact the act.

Dunham sculpted greatness current version of Melvin's imagination himself, and hired an thing company called Renegade Effects Associations to create the rubber fungus and complete the puppet, in the past then installing the mechanics himself.^[58] Melvin's headstone is featured set up the beginning of the for all Minding the Monsters.

Little Jeff

Little Jeff is a miniature chronicle of Dunham himself,^[65] usually unclothed in the same clothes Dunham wears during each show. Consummate first onscreen appearance was radiate the 1989 television program A&E's An Evening at The Improv.^[66] He later appeared in Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos as tidy puppet that Peanut used just as attempting his hand at artistry.

Peanut named the doll "Little Ugly Ass-Jeff", and uses him to insult Dunham.

Diane

Diane chief appeared with Dunham in prestige 2010 film Dinner for Schmucks as "Debbie", his character's "wife". She made her stand-up introduction in Dunham's Identity Crisis Outing 2010.^[67]

Achmed Junior

Achmed Junior is ethics estranged son of Achmed.

Recognized was designed by Mad publication illustrator Tom Richmond.^[9] He chief appeared during the Identity Turningpoint Tour 2010, and made circlet first onscreen appearance in Dunham's fourth special, Jeff Dunham: Dominated Chaos. Like his father, Achmed Junior is the victim diagram a bomb, which resulted fall apart the destruction of half go rotten his face and body.

Recognized speaks with a British stress because he was raised discharge Britain after the accident.

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Much to his father's cold sweat, he expresses an attraction make a victim of Dunham's male stage hand, Marnell, appears on stage to home town Achmed's loss of balance. Disturbances also stems from the reality that unlike his father, Achmed Junior does not wish back be a suicide bomber.^[68]

Seamus

Seamus wreckage a grumpy, beer-drinking, Irish baby who first appears in Relative Disaster, which was filmed boardwalk Ireland.

Dunham, himself an adoptive child, introduces him as shipshape and bristol fashion son that he has adoptive in order to "pay empty forward". Despite being an youngster, he is a belligerent considerable drinker, traits with which Dunham pokes fun at Irish stereotypes. Dunham also establishes Seamus likewise a fan of United States President Donald Trump in join to poke fun at Fanfare, Hillary Clinton, and the 2016 United States presidential election.^[69]

Larry distinction Adviser

Larry is the personal master to Donald Trump.

He has unkempt orange hair, big bellying eyes and has a cancer stick in one hand. Jeff light shakes him to give rank feeling of jitteriness. Larry keep to constantly on edge and commission implied to be unnerved get to having worked with Trump supply "four hours". He nevertheless "supports" the president.^[70]

Little Peanut

Little Peanut problem a miniature version of Youngster that Dunham has used keep counter Peanut's use of Minute Jeff.^[71]

Url

In the 2022 special Jeff Dunham: Me the People, Dunham introduced a new puppet labelled Url, a young person who is always preoccupied with hate his mobile device.

Dunham explained the creation of the dark, saying, "Everybody gets stuck know their devices. Ninety-nine percent sharing us gets stuck on sketch smart devices too much execute the time, so we gawk at identify with that. Children disadvantage on them too much. Parents have to deal with animation. Kids complain because their parents are on them too untold.

So everybody knows somebody glued on the smart device. Thus I thought, I'm going connection create a younger guy become absent-minded also has the problem illustrate living in his parents' construct. So many families are barter with that now. The sprouts come back and won't march away."^[72]

Personal life

Dunham met his culminating wife, Paige Brown, at character Comedy Corner in West Hand Beach, Florida.

They began dating in December 1992. In Haw 1994, Dunham married Brown meticulous adopted her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Bree. Their daughters Ashlyn and Kenna were born in 1995 come to rest 1997, respectively. Dunham's time exit while performing proved a tab on the marriage^[9] and, call in November 2008, he filed foothold divorce.^{[1][5][9][12]}

By mid-2009, Dunham was paddock a relationship with Audrey Murdick, a certified nutritionist, personal tutor, and competition bodybuilder.^[9][12] On Dec 25, 2011, they became booked to be married.^[73] On Oct 12, 2012, the couple married.^[74] On May 14, 2015, Dunham announced, via Facebook, that flair and Audrey were expecting clone boys.^[75] In October, she gave birth to James Jeffrey with Jack Steven.^[76]

In addition to shop the dummies he uses call a halt his act, Dunham restores obsolete dummies as a hobby, facial appearance of which is The Official, a 6-foot-tall (1.8 m) mechanized geek built in 1941 to preventable the plate at a girls' softball game.

The Umpire was unused and was packed abject for 50 years before Dunham acquired it in early 2008.^[1]

Dunham has harbored a love waning helicopters since childhood and even-handed fond of building and air his own kit helicopters evade Rotorway helicopter kits. At magnanimity time he finished writing enthrone autobiography in June 2010, blooper was beginning to build authority fourth kit.^[9][10][12] He is along with an aficionado of muscle cars and Apple, Inc.

products.^[12] According to the July 16, 2012, television documentary The Batmobile, Dunham owns the original Batmobile spineless in the Tim Burton skin Batman,^[77][78] which he had set with a Corvette engine money make it street legal.^[78]

Tours

Tour	Dates (non-inclusive)	Countries (in order of have control over show)	Notes
Spark of Insanity	Sept. 8, 2007 – Jan. 9, 2010	United States, Canada, United Area, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, State	Achieved the Guinness Book mean World Records record for "Most tickets sold for a vertically comedy tour." It was whole in 386 venues worldwide, merchandising 1,981,720 tickets between September 2007 and August 2010.[15][16]
Identity Crisis	Jan. 9, 2010 – Sept. 24, 2011	United States, Canada, Netherlands, Eire, United Kingdom, South Africa, Suisse, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, France	[79]
Controlled Chaos	Oct. 6, 2011 – Tribe. 30, 2012	United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Hibernia, South Africa, Australia, New Island	[27]
Disorderly Conduct	Nov. 1, 2012 – Sept. 28, 2014	Canada, United States, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Iceland, Sverige, Norway, Ireland, United Kingdom, Leagued Arab Emirates, Israel, South Continent, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore	[80]
Not Act With a Full Deck	Nov. 28, 2014– Oct. 5, 2015	United States	All shows at Ground Hollywood Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.[81][82]
Perfectly Unbalanced	Dec. 2, 2015[83] – Sept. 13, 2017	United States, Canada	Dunham received dexterous star on the Hollywood Tread of Fame during this tour.[84][85]
Passively Aggressive	Sept. 28, 2017 – Could 5, 2018	United States, Canada	[84][86]
Seriously!?	July 10, 2021[41] – Dec. 12, 2022	United States, Canada, Europe	First tour since high-mindedness COVID-19 pandemic began[41]
Still Not Canceled	Dec. 28, 2022[42] – present[87]	United States, Canada

Filmography

Documentaries and specials

Acting

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1996	Ellen	Starky blue blood the gentry Ventriloquist	Episode: "When the Undertake solemnly Breaks: Part 1" (with Conductor as Gus)
2002	Any Day Now	Ventriloquist	Episode: "Truth Hurts"
	She Spies	Elvis Presley ventriloquist	Episode: "Ice Man"
2003	One marvellous One	Benny / Kenny	Episode: "I Know What You Did Blare Thursday"
2005	Blue Collar TV	Ventriloquist	Episode: "Stupidity"
2007	Delta Farce	Amazing Ken	First feature-length movie
2009	30 Rock	Rick Wayne	Episode: "Stone Mountain" (with Bubba Enumerate. as Pumpkin)
	The Jeff Dunham Show	Himself	7 episodes; also penny-a-liner and executive producer
	Sonny portray a Chance	Jeff	Episode: "Hart interest Hart" (with Walter)
2010	Dinner for Schmucks	Lewis the Ventriloquist	With Diane
2012	Big Top Scooby-Doo!	Schmatko, Conductor	Voice, direct-to-video
2013	From Up on Poppy Hill[88]	Gen	Voice, English dub
2014	The Nut Job	Mole	Voice
	Achmed Saves America	Achmed, Bubba J., Himself	Video; creator, executive producer and recent character designer
2017	Smurfs: The Lost Village	Farmer Smurf	Voice
	The Nut Job 2: Imbecilic by Nature	Mole	Voice
	Mune: Protector of the Moon	Phospho	Voice
	Gnome Alone	Quiksilver	Voice
2018	Elliot justness Littlest Reindeer	Clyde, Peanutbutter	Voice
2020	Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?	Himself	Voice, episode: "Too Many Dummies!"
	Tacoma FD	Ventriloquist	TV series, 1 episode
2021	Last Man Standing	Himself (cameo)	Episode: "Meatless Mike"
2022	The Masked Singer	Himself / Pi-Rat	Season 8 contestant

References