About Yakov Smirnoff
Yakov Naumovich Pokhis (born 24 January 1951), better known as Yakov Smirnoff, is an American comedian, actor, and writer. Born in Odesa in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union, he began his career as a stand-up comedian before immigrating to the United States in 1977, not yet knowing any English. He reached his biggest success in the mid-to-late 1980s, appearing in films including Moscow on the Hudson, The Money Pit, Heartburn, and Brewster's Millions, starring in the television series What a Country!, and recurring on Night Court as Yakov Korolenko. His comic persona was a naive Soviet immigrant perpetually delighted by life in the United States, punctuated by the catchphrase "And I thought, 'What a country!'" Since 1993 he has performed at his own theater in Branson, Missouri. Smirnoff earned a master's degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 and a doctorate from Pepperdine University in 2019, and has taught a course titled "The Business of Laughter."
Videos (57)
Videos 25 to 48 of 57.
0:44Whatâs a better punchline?
6.8K views
0:52On the @KillTony podcast! Check out my website for tickets to see me live!
6.7K views
0:41How great it is to be American! #
6.7K views
0:23How boys are made.
6.2K views
0:52Russian and Ukrainian? See my show live! Get tickets at yakov.com!
6.2K views
0:31Comment if you have better ideas.
5.9K views
0:22Hunters and Gatherers
5.3K views
0:37Asking AI about Men
5.2K views
0:29How many words a day?
4.8K views
0:18What would you expect?
4.7K views
0:27Comment where you are!!!
4.5K views
0:30Itâs not my real name. I canât wait to see you all on tour! Go to yakov.com for tickets!
4.4K views
0:39Is it a kidsâ book or murder mystery??
3.9K views
0:21AI explains women. #
3.8K views
0:30The beginning of the relationship. #
3.6K views
0:25Yakov Smirnoff LIVE in Pasadena at The Ice House May 9th!
3.3K views
0:36Netflix is a Joke!! That is the name of the Festival I am performing at this weekend in Pasadena!
3.2K views
2:47Whoâs your favorite person to impersonate? Join me for my fall tour in a city near you!
3K views
0:30Come see my show! Go to my website! See if Iâm coming to a place near you!
2.9K views
1:38I had no more work. Now Iâm on tour! Get tickets at yakov.com!
2.6K views
1:50Comment some questions for my uncle!
2.5K views
1:45Check out my website if you want to see more of me!
2.3K views
0:43Come see me in a town near you and if youâre in Branson, MO, come see my show! yakov.com
2.1K views
1:10Check out to see if Iâm coming to a town near you on Yakov.com!
2K viewsGuest appearances (22)
Videos on other comedians' channels featuring Yakov Smirnoff.
Guest appearances 1 to 22 of 22.
6:36From Russia with Laughs, Yakov Smirnoff at Dangerfieldâs (1984)
Jacob Rodney Cohen
341.5K views
57:35Yakov Smirnoff: What a Country! | Whiskey Ginger
Andrew Santino
42.5K views
2:00:50Nateland | Ep - From Russia with Love, Psychology & America ft. Yakov Smirnoff
Nate Bargatze
33.4K views
0:49Coming to America | Yakov Smirnoff
Nate Bargatze
32.5K views
11:04Yakov Smirnoff | Nateland Presents: The Showcase
Nate Bargatze
25.7K views
1:24:24Pimps, Hoes And Degrees l Yakov Smirnoff, Alexander Smirnoff & Akeem Woods l IGWT l Ep 607
Godfrey
17.6K views
1:00Yakov Smirnoffâs lost in translation moment.
Nate Bargatze
16.2K views
0:47Now This is What We Call a Life Hack | Yakov Smirnoff
Nate Bargatze
15.9K views
59:48Russian Through A Great Episode with Yakov Smirnoff
Howie Mandel
12.1K views
0:46Big In TEXAS! | The Consumers Ft. Yakov Smirnoff
Nate Bargatze
6.2K views
0:51Los Angeles Origins | The Consumers Ft. Yakov Smirnoff
Nate Bargatze
5.8K views
1:13:43Miller Lite with Yakov Smirnoff | Ep. 88 The Consumers
Nate Bargatze
5.8K views
0:36How Chernobyl Affected Yakov Smirnoff | Howie Mandel Does Stuff
Howie Mandel
5.7K views
0:39How To Correctly Pronounce Yakov Smirnoffâs Name | Howie Mandel Does Stuff
Howie Mandel
3.9K views
0:53Yakov Smirnoff Had To Submit His Jokes To The Russian Government | Howie Mandel Does Stuff
Howie Mandel
3.5K views
1:43WTF - Yakov Smirnoff & Marc lived in the same house.
Marc Maron
3.5K views
0:57The Soviet Union Collapse Ended Yakov Smirnoffâs Career | Howie Mandel Does Stuff
Howie Mandel
2.6K views
0:47Yakov Smirnoff Can Kazotsky Like Nobody Else | Howie Mandel Does Stuff
Howie Mandel
2.5K views
15:53Yakov Smirnoff talks his road to success l 10 DAYS to make it!
Godfrey
2.2K views
0:29Yakov Smirnoffâs Ode To The Statue of Liberty | Howie Mandel Does Stuff
Howie Mandel
2K views
1:54Yakov Smirnoff gets relationship advice from Andrew Dice Clay
Jimmy Pardo
1.7K views
0:44Yakov Smirnoff Canât Tell Dirty Jokes | Howie Mandel Does Stuff
Howie Mandel
682 viewsChannels on this page: Jacob Rodney Cohen, Andrew Santino, Nate Bargatze, Godfrey, Howie Mandel, Marc Maron, Jimmy Pardo
Frequently asked questions
What is Yakov Smirnoff's real name?
Yakov Smirnoff was born Yakov Naumovich Pokhis on 24 January 1951 in Odesa, in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union.
When did Yakov Smirnoff come to the United States?
Smirnoff started as a stand-up comedian at home and moved to the United States in 1977, when he did not yet speak any English.
What is Yakov Smirnoff's famous catchphrase?
Yakov Smirnoff played a naive Soviet immigrant forever delighted by American life, and his catchphrase was "And I thought, 'What a country!'"
What films and TV shows was Yakov Smirnoff in?
In the mid-to-late 1980s he appeared in Moscow on the Hudson, The Money Pit, Heartburn and Brewster's Millions, starred in What a Country! and played Yakov Korolenko on Night Court.
Where does Yakov Smirnoff perform?
Since 1993 Yakov Smirnoff has performed at his own theater in Branson, Missouri.
Does Yakov Smirnoff have a degree in psychology?
Yes, he earned a master's degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 and a doctorate from Pepperdine University in 2019, and he has taught a course called "The Business of Laughter."
