Yakov Smirnoff Net Worth

$20 million

Yakov Smirnoff Net Worth: Yakov Smirnoff is a Ukraine-born American comedian, writer, and actor. After relocating to the united states in 1997, Smirnoff started performing stand-up comedy. He gained massive popularity and reached the most significant success in his mid-to-late 1980s when he appeared in various TV shows and films.

How he made his Net Worth

The 69-year-old American has done well. Smirnoff’s net worth is about $20 million. He reached his most significant success in the mid-1980s and early 1990s. He has earned this wealth through his acting career. Besides his work in both film and television, Smirnoff has also performed as a stand-up comedian, which has significantly improved his wealth.

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Early Life

Yakov Smirnoff was born in Odessa, Ukraine, on January 24, 1951. His birth name is Yakov Naumovich Phokhis. He served as an art teacher at Odessa and a comedian. He entertained mostly on the ships in the black sea, where he met Americans who described how life in the US is. It was that time when he considered moving to the US. After two years of attempting to leave, he managed to come to the US with his parents in 1977.

By the time they arrived in the US, none of them could speak English. Yakov spend his early time in the US working as a bartender and busboy ay Grossinger hotel and living in the employee dormitory.

Career Life

Before Yakov began his career as a comedian, he worked as a bartender at Grossinger’s Hotel in New York. He started doing stand-up comedy in US in the late 1970s. In the early 1980s, Smirnoff relocated to Los Angeles to further his comedian career. He appeared in a renowned club in Los Angeles, The Comedy Store. After gaining some fame, he got his break with a small role in the 1984 film Moscow of the Hudson. He subsequently appeared in other motion pictures like Buckaroo Banzai in 1984, Brewster Millions in 1985, and Money Pit in 1986.

Besides, he made appearances in several TV shows: Smirnoff was featured in the 1986 hit sitcom The Night Court, he has a significant role in the 1986 sitcom, What a Country. Smirnoff continues to be a sensation, having appeared in the most successful show As Long We Both Shall Laugh. He has a famous theatre in Branson, Missouri, where he regularly performs throughout the year. There is no end to Smirnoff’s abilities as he teaches The Business of Laughter at Missouri State and Drury University.

Personal Life

Yakov Smirnoff became a US citizen on July 4, 1986. He has a wife, Linda, but they divorced in 1999. The couple had two children; Natasha(daughter), born in 1990, and Alexander(son), born in 1992.

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Common Asked Questions about Yakov Smirnoff

Is Yakov Smirnoff Married?

Smirnoff had married Linda, but they broke up in 1999.

Where was Smirnoff born?

Odessa, Ukraine

What is Smirnoff’s net worth?

This Ukrainian born American stand-up comedian and actor has an estimated net worth of $20 million.

Conclusion

Yakov became famous in 1980. He used his comic persona of a naïve immigrant from the Soviet Union to satirize American consumerism and mock life under communism.