# Whatever Happened to Yakov Smirnoff? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 5, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426 "2002-06-05T02:20:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/1 "2002-06-05T02:20:35Z")
He had an interesting story to say the least. A Jew persecuted in Communist Russia, he was lucky to escape to the United States. He is said to have honed his comedic skills watching other comics in New York nightclubs. Anyone who remembers the 1980’s remembers him well. He was famous for making jibes at the Soviet Union–and Communism in general. His famous saying was, “What a country!” He had a serious side too. I remember his comic routine on the Tonight Show around Thanksgiving. Afterwards he told the audience how thankful he was to be in this great country. Then the fall of Communism. The last time I saw him was on Hollywood Squares, making fun of Mikhail Gorbechev and his restructuring of the Soviet system. I really do wonder how he is doing now. _Does anyone know?_ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/2 "2002-06-05T02:27:07Z")
[The Internet knows.](http://www.yakov.com) ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/3 "2002-06-05T02:43:42Z")
Branson, MO is where you will find him. You can also go see Andy Williams and lots of other new names in entertainment there. ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/4 "2002-06-05T02:58:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jim B. \* > \*\*I really do wonder how he is doing now. _Does anyone know?_ 🙂 \*\* Wrong question. Does anyway _care?_ Except you of course. ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/5 "2002-06-05T04:43:25Z")
Hey, my car’s onboard navigation system comes in three languages - English, Spanish, and Yakov Smirnov. car: “In Soviet Russia, car drives YOU!” car: “In Soviet Russia, road forks YOU!” Peter: “Man that’s gettin old.” Couldn’t resist the chance to post a Family Guy reference. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/6 "2002-06-05T12:19:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hazel-rah \* > \*\*[The Internet knows.](http://www.yakov.com) \*\* That’s just scary. The man was comedian of the year in both 2000 and 2001? According to who? The people who love sucky one-trick-pony comics. I still loved the Yakov bit Ben Stiller did back on the late, lamented _Ben Stiller Show_. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/7 "2002-06-05T13:49:17Z")
Ha, America! What a country! But life here in America is different than life in Soviet Union. In America, you ask what happened to someone and they tell you. In Soviet Union, you ask what happened to someone and next week somebody asks what happened to you. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/8 "2002-06-05T14:45:57Z")
In America, you eat pizza. In Russia… pizza eat YOU! In America, you wear pants. In Russia… pants wear YOU! In America, you smoke cigar. In Russia, cigar smoke YOU! Thank God for glasnost. I mean, that guy made Carrot Top look good! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/9 "2002-06-05T16:58:26Z")
Is Bobby Hill writing for him full-time yet? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/10 "2002-06-06T12:27:07Z")
He remains quite popular in Branson, and his theater is one of the bigger draws in town. His shtick has evolved from the cracking-jokes-at-the-Soviet-Union thing of the '80’s to more observational, family-oriented comedy. Also, if you see his matinee show in Branson, you get a “Russian Lunch” with your show. Probably borscht or something, but there you have it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/11 "2002-06-06T21:29:06Z")
Wasn’t he also on Night Court a few times? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/12 "2002-06-06T21:59:44Z")
> [@](#): > > astorian says: > Thank God for glasnost. I mean, that guy made Carrot Top look good! I want what you’re smokin’. 😃 > [@](#): > > Wasn’t he also on Night Court a few times? Yes. He played a guy named…get this… Yakov! Basically, he adapted his “act” to the show’s scripts as needed. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/13 "2002-06-06T23:15:54Z")
Wow - 560 page views for Yakov Smirnoff. The people wanna _know!_ ---
**Author:** ![glilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/48db29/32.png) [@glilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glilly)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/14 "2002-06-08T01:35:08Z")
Jackoff Smearedoff. Sorry, I had to say it. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/15 "2002-06-09T01:56:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WSLer \* > \*\* > > Wrong question. > > Does anyway _care?_ > > Except you of course. \*\* I am indifferent to your Apathy, it doesn’t move the conversation forward. I loved the Part he had as ‘Security Advisor Smirnov’ to the President of the United States in ‘Buckaroo Banzaii Across the Eighth Dimension’, and I’m glad to hear he’s apparantly doing well. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-yakov-smirnoff/112426/16 "2002-06-09T03:01:07Z")
He even has brochures for his Branson show where the front is a huge picture of his face and it opens like French doors right along his nose. I have no idea if that’s supposed to symbolize anything. I’m afraid to even guess. Anyway, he runs about 8 shows a week so he must be doing something right.