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CommentsWhat It Feels Like...
(page 8 of 17)
… To Make Johnny Carson Laugh
Yakov Smirnoff, 56
Branson might claim proud ownership of this Russian funnyman, but we can’t forget where he started out. Before he had billboards all over southern Missouri, he was a hit as a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
BY YAKOV SMIRNOFF,
AS TOLD TO JACOB HARPER
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I came to this country in 1977 and started doing comedy in 1979, although I wasn’t very successful because I didn’t speak English, and the crowds didn’t speak Russian. So getting on Johnny Carson’s show was a long process. I wanted to be on right away, but the producer said that would happen when hell froze over. I kept watching the weather report from hell, but the temperature never dropped. All in all, getting on the show took me about six years.
I did a Miller Lite commercial in 1984 where I said, “In America, you find a party, but in Soviet Russia, the Party finds you!” Carson saw it and liked it. The same producer contacted me. I said I wanted to perform on Thanksgiving night in 1984 because I had so much to be thankful for at the time, and they said, “Oh no, we’ll tell you when you’re going to be here.” Eventually, I got to have my way.
Usually Johnny didn’t invite people to “sit on the couch” until after they’d been on before, but the performance went so well that I got a chance to do it immediately. Also, they normally prepare something to talk about, but I had nothing, so I just had to wing it. So I just said, “This country’s so nice, you have things like warning shots here.” And Johnny fell of the chair.
Soon after, I got a sitcom called What a Country that did 26 episodes, and I was on Johnny Carson’s show six times after that. Johnny and I were really friendly. I started teaching him Russian, and we kept in touch. When I moved to Branson, he sent me a nice letter in my native language. That was really special for me.
Reader Comments:
I came to this site after reading another story on this "What it feels like..." set of articles. I must say, to read that Mr. Pitt (Doug) is working with his brother in an effort to raise money for relief in Africa, I am rather charmed. Not to sound terribly snide but we expect celebrities to do something with the fame they have, we don't often see "normal" people doing the same. Though I appreciate that life with a brother such as this cannot exactly be normal as I would understand it but it is a step closer than what his brother experiences and it would be much easier to just leave the "dirty work" to his brother. My respect goes to this man, I'm glad I read through the articles, this was an impressive one to read. ~Emily