Pictures of jeff dunham puppets

American ventriloquist and comedian (born )

Not to aside confused with Jeff Denham.

"Achmed" redirects here. For high-mindedness name, see Ahmed.

Jeffrey Douglas Dunham (born April 18, ) is an American ventriloquist, stand-up comedian fairy story actor who has also appeared on numerous ensure shows, including Late Show with David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents, The Tonight Show, and Sonny swop a Chance. He has seven specials that people on Comedy Central as well as two Netflix specials among others. He also starred in The Jeff Dunham Show, a series that ran reconcile ^[1] He has a star on the Tone Walk of Fame and holds the Guinness Jotter of World Records record for "Most tickets oversubscribed for a stand-up comedy tour" for his Spark of Insanity tour.

Dunham has been called "America's favorite comedian" by Slate. His introduction of Achmed the Dead Terrorist in Spark of Insanity smile was ranked as the ninth most watched YouTube video at the time while his A Upturn Special Christmas Special was the most-watched telecast stop in full flow Comedy Central history, with the DVD selling freeze , copies in its first two weeks.^[2]Forbes assembled Dunham as the third highest-paid comedian in distinction United States behind Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock^[3] and reported that he was one of distinction highest-earning comics from June to June , appeal approximately $30 million during that period.^[4]

His style has been described as "a dressed-down, more digestible type of Don Rickles with multiple personality disorder". Time described his characters as "politically incorrect, gratuitously rude and ill-tempered."^[5] Dunham has been credited with ptisan ventriloquism^[6] and doing more to promote the breakup form than anyone since Edgar Bergen.^[1]

Early life

Dunham was born on April 18, , in Dallas, Texas.^[7][8][9] When he was three months old, he was adopted by real estate appraiser Howard Dunham captain his homemaker wife Joyce, who raised him sight a devoutly Presbyterian household^[9] in an affluent Metropolis neighborhood, as an only child.^[10]

He began ventriloquism encompass at age eight, when his parents gave him a Mortimer Snerd dummy for Christmas and demolish accompanying how-to album.^[8] The next day, he raging out a how-to book on ventriloquism from honesty library.^[1][9] He explained in that he still difficult to understand it, remarking that he was "a thief shoulder the third grade". By the fourth grade, Dunham decided he wanted to be not only organized professional ventriloquist but also the best one ever.^[9] Dunham began practicing for hours in front go together with a mirror, studying the routines of Edgar Port and the how-to record Jimmy Nelson's Instant Ventriloquism,^[1] finding ventriloquism to be a learned skill, homogenous to juggling, that anyone with a normal dispensing voice can acquire.^[11] Dunham has said that introduce an only child, he enjoyed being alone, likening his solitude to a "warm blanket" with which he could explore his own thoughts and content 2 and which prepared him for the solitude pick up the check living alone when he later moved to Los Angeles as a struggling comedian.^[9]

When Dunham was get the sixth grade, he began attending the Air Haven ConVENTion in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, an yearlong international meeting of ventriloquists that includes competitions, neighbourhood he met Jimmy Nelson in person. Dunham has missed only one ConVENTion since then, in Honesty organizers of the ConVENTion eventually declared Dunham pure "retired champion", ineligible from entering any more competitions, because other attendees were too intimidated to bend over backwards against him. The Vent Haven Museum devotes deft section to Dunham alongside Señor Wences and Dunham's idol, Edgar Bergen.^[1]

Career

Beginnings

Dunham began performing for audiences slightly a teenager,^[8] in various venues such as nursery school, church, and during his job at Six Flags. By his middle school years, he began face perform for banquets attended by local celebrities much as Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, having civilized his style of lampooning those he performed aim, using the puppets to say things too racy for him to say without them.^[1] Dunham's impel debut came in when the still prepubescent trouper caught the attention of Dallas reporters like Invoice O'Reilly, who interviewed Dunham for a local talk story.^[9] Dunham later did commercials for Datsun dealerships in Dallas and Tyler while still in excessive school.^[1][9] While emceeing a high school talent trade show, he dealt with a heckler, and won fulfill the rest of the audience.^[9] During this interval he became so associated with his craft go wool-gathering he and one of his dummies "cowrote" deft column in the school paper, and he would pose with his dummies for yearbooks^[1] as settle inexpensive way to acquire professional photos of jurisdiction act for promotional purposes.^[12] He was voted Summit Likely to Succeed, and in , after take steps graduated from high school, Dunham gave himself dialect trig career goal of obtaining, within ten years, monumental appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which was seen as the "holy grail" grieve for comedians.^[9]

That year Dunham began attending Baylor University, desiring to graduate with a degree in communications, span performing around campus.^[9] He would also fly go around the country on weekends,^[1] doing up to hidden shows a year,^[9] entertaining corporate customers such primate General Electric, whose CEO, Jack Welch, he mocked during his routine.^[1] By his junior year adjust college (–84), Dunham was making $70, a class, and as word spread of his act, appease landed featured spots opening for Bob Hope distinguished George Burns, though he still perceived his misuse as raw, as he did not have teeming knowledge of standup comedy beyond his Bill Cosby albums.^[9]

He caught a break in when he was asked to join the Broadway showSugar Babies proper Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller, replacing an leaving variety act. For the naive and devoutly-raised Dunham, Broadway was a new world filled with dense showgirls and crusty stagehands, and his first appraise of entertainment industry egos came when Rooney hailed Dunham into his dressing room, and told him he was there for one reason alone: for this reason that Rooney could change his costumes.^[9] He executed at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Refuge. These early experiences, in which he used code like José Jalapeño on a Stick, taught him the value of modifying his act regionally, primate the jalapeño jokes that worked well in Texas were not as well received by audiences withdraw Long Island. After graduating from Baylor University be bounded by ,^[11] he continued honing his act in jesting clubs in the Southwest with new characters specified as Peanut and José Jalapeño, but struggled blaspheme the perception he relates from fellow comedians lapse he was not a true comedian because unwind relied on props.

His experience at Catch fine Rising Star in New York City served variety a bitter confirmation of where ventriloquists stood response the comedic food chain, as the emcee get rid of impurities that club gave Dunham little respect. According manage Dunham, after he arrived at the club expect the evening and informed the emcee that oversight was a ventriloquist, the emcee reacted with lapse, telling Dunham that he would be given capital late time slot, and after that time slipstream came and passed, kept postponing Dunham's stage about until Dunham left the club.^[9]

By the end exclude , Dunham felt his career had gone on account of far as it could go in Texas, become peaceful he moved to Los Angeles, California,^[8][9] never getting, as he has commented, "a real job".^[13] That concerned his parents, who assumed he would his act to local venues such as faith groups. When he first arrived in Los Angeles, the comedy in his act bombed. Dunham gifts this initial reaction to his underdeveloped comedy, explaining that while the characters' personalities were developed tiny that point, his jokes were not. In along with to this, the comedy world was not warm to ventriloquists, and his manager, Judi Brown-Marmel, outspoken not use the word "ventriloquist" when finding bookings for him, choosing to present him as put in order comedy duo. After Dunham became friends with Microphone Lacey, owner of The Comedy & Magic Cudgel in Hermosa Beach, Lacey gave Dunham a vulnerable slot at the club, where Dunham sharpened sovereignty act by observing the techniques of comedians cherish Jerry Seinfeld, and taking the advice of ally Bill Engvall, moving away from his G-rated cloth toward edgier, more adult themes.^[9]

The Tonight Show

At high-mindedness end of , Jim McCawley, a talent agent for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, resonant Dunham that he would be given a area of high pressure on the coveted program. Though the year-old Dunham was elated that his year goal was inbound two years early, McCawley later cancelled Dunham's air after McCawley and Roseanne Barr attended a be revealed performance by Dunham on the day before nobility taping of Dunham's scheduled Tonight Show appearance. McCawley informed Dunham on the day of the determined taping that he had been wrong in jurisdiction initial assessment of Dunham, whom he now oral was not ready for The Tonight Show. Dunham continued to tighten his act in Los Angeles clubs, performing the same 6-minute segment with Nipper a total of nine times for McCawley extend over the next few months. Finally at the Ice-House in Pasadena in April , after Dunham upfront the same segment, McCawley informed Dunham that earth would finally get his Tonight Show appearance. Dunham and Peanut appeared on The Tonight Show Chief honcho Johnny Carson on April 6, , alongside presence Bob Hope and B.B. King.^[9] Following his patronage, he was invited to sit on Johnny Carson's couch, a mark of approval on Carson's show.^[9] Upon sitting down next to Carson's desk, Dunham pulled out Walter, who told Carson sidekick Bumpy McMahon, "Stop sending me all your damn mail." At the time, Dunham saw his Tonight Show appearance as his big break, but was guarded at his parents' initial disapproval over Walter's conspire of the words "hell" and "damn",^[9] and agreed would toil in obscurity for another 12 existence, continuing his stand up at venues such chimpanzee The Improv chain, and appearing in small roles on TV.^[3] One of these was a event of Ellen, in which he appeared with Walter.^[1] Dunham also appeared with Walter in a Boob tube commercial for Hertz.^[14] Dunham would appear on The Tonight Show a total of four times, on account of well as similar TV venues such as Hot Country Nights, appearing in one segment with Reba McEntire. This exposure helped make Dunham a crackdown theater headliner, a rare accomplishment for a ventriloquist. By the mids, however, his television appearances confidential dwindled and, with them, so did his notice audiences.^[9]

Dunham moved back to clubs, more than service a year. To maintain a connection with fillet fan base, he would use question cards consider it he had audiences fill out for his step to build a database, which was tailor-made tight spot the burgeoning World Wide Web. Though he was voted Funniest Male Standup at the American Amusement Awards in , his club work kept him away from his wife and daughters between bend in half and three weeks each month, which put simple strain on his marriage, and made paying medium of exchange for his expanded family difficult. By , Dunham was hoping to obtain more TV work come into contact with raise his profile and ease his standup programme. Such exposure was elusive until a successful variety on The Best Damn Sports Show Period, whirl location Dunham and Walter made jokes at the output of co-hosts Tom Arnold, Michael Irvin, John Salley and John Kruk, generating laughter from them, contemporary giving Dunham much-needed exposure. In , Dunham was the frontrunner to replace Jimmy Kimmel on Fox NFL Sunday, but hosts Howie Long and Cloth Bradshaw were not amenable to the idea ticking off being upstaged by a puppet, and, as Dunham tells it, did not provide a welcoming sky to Dunham, nor allow him to speak more during his appearance.^[9]

First Comedy Central specials

On July 18, , Dunham appeared on Comedy Central Presents, wreath first solo appearance on Comedy Central. During fillet half hour piece, he showcased José Jalapeño incommode a Stick, Walter, an early version of Melvin the Superhero Guy and Peanut, whom Dunham challenging begun to merchandise into a line of dolls. The appearance was successful, but Comedy Central resisted giving Dunham more airtime, feeling that he was not a good fit for them.^[1] By Dunham decided to gamble on financing his own drollery 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 it, sighting to Dunham's drawing power and merchandising profits, submit arguing that the network needed more diverse load. Surprised by the high ratings of the labour Blue Collar Comics concert movie that same crop, the network began to reconsider its brand. Loaded late , Comedy Central aired Arguing with Myself, drawing two million viewers when it aired,^[1] reprove selling two million DVDs.^[9]

In , Dunham appeared introduction The Amazing Ken with José Jalapeño on clever Stick in the Larry the Cable Guy beam film Delta Farce. His second special, Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity, was taped at the Seemly Theater in Washington, D.C. that same year. Set up served not only to cement Dunham's stardom, on the contrary to introduce his most controversial character, Achmed ethics Dead Terrorist, which became a viral Internet have a feeling. A clip of Achmed from Insanity attracted be in disagreement million hits on YouTube,^[9] making it the 9th most watched clip on that website as execute October ^[1] He went on to perform interpretation Spark of Insanity international tour where he effected the Guinness Book of World Records record bring "Most tickets sold for a stand-up comedy tour." He performed in venues worldwide, selling 1,, tickets between September and August ^[15][16]

By , Dunham's note had crossed language barriers, with his specials baptized for audiences in various countries such as Author, and Dunham attracting requests for performances in Southeast Africa, Australia, Norway, Denmark, China, and the Inside East.^[9]Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special was tape at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin depart same year, and premiered on Comedy Central mess up November 16, , watched by million people.^[1] Pass became available on DVD and Blu-ray on Nov 18, ^[17] The special's premiere was the pre-eminent rated telecast in Comedy Central's history.^[5][18]

In September , his career reached new heights as he began performing in arenas filled with tens of hundreds of people. Dunham was somewhat wary of specified large venues, but adapted by adjusting the rhythm of his often rapid exchanges with the puppets so that audience members farthest from the concentration could have time to react.^[9]

In addition to her majesty comedy specials, Dunham also released his first penalty album, Don't Come Home for Christmas, on Nov 4, ^[19] It contains original Christmas songs renovation well as a parody of "Jingle Bells" incite Achmed entitled "Jingle Bombs". All the songs, meet the exception of "Jingle Bombs", were written challenging accompanied by Brian Haner, who joined Dunham's have an effect on as "Guitar Guy". His first onscreen appearance was in Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special.^{[citation needed]}

–present

In March , Dunham signed a multi-platform deal own Comedy Central. It included a fourth stand-up specific to air in , DVDs, a consumer produce partnership, a city tour beginning in September , and an order for a television series dubbed The Jeff Dunham Show that premiered on Oct 22, ^[2][20] Despite having the most-watched premiere girder Comedy Central history, and higher average ratings more willingly than other shows on that network initially, the feint was canceled after only one season, amid povertystricken reviews, dwindling ratings and higher production costs prior to other Comedy Central shows.^[21][22]

Dunham appeared in a visitor role with Bubba J on NBC's sitcom 30 Rock, playing a ventriloquist named Rick Wayne become more intense his dummy Pumpkin from Stone Mountain, Georgia.^[23] Captive November Dunham also appeared with Walter in "Hart to Hart", an episode of the Disney Shortterm series Sonny With a Chance, as two shelter guards. He appeared in the Steve Carell/Paul Cyprinid comedy, Dinner for Schmucks, as Lewis, with precise new puppet named Diane.^[24]

His fourth special, Controlled Chaos, was released on September 25, , on Drollery Central. It was taped at the Landmark Ephemeral and premiered to an estimated million viewers.^[25] Grandeur DVD received a 5× Platinum certification from say publicly RIAA.^[26] He spent the next year performing internationally on the Controlled Chaos Tour.^[27] In May , Dunham recorded his fifth special, Minding Monsters, hackneyed the Lucas Theater in Savannah, Georgia. It premiered on Comedy Central on October 7, ^[28][29] Character DVD received a 4× Platinum certification from representation RIAA.^[30] Dunham's sixth special, All Over the Map, was released on Comedy Central on November 16, The show was taped during his performances back issue five different continents.^[31] Also in , Country Song Television premiered Achmed Saves America, an animated crust starring Achmed the Dead Terrorist.^[32][33] Dunham released climax seventh special, Unhinged in Hollywood, on September 17, The show was filmed inside the Dolby Theatrical piece and was his first special to premier out of order NBC.^[34][35]

Dunham performed the North American Perfectly Unbalanced Outing beginning in December ^[36] A second leg commentary the tour ran internationally in ,^[37] the equal year Dunham received a star on the Screenland Walk of Fame. Beginning in September , flair toured North America for his Passively Aggressive Tour.^[38] was also the year he made his Netflix special debut with the release of Relative Disaster.^[39] He released Relative Disaster, his second Netflix much-repeated, in ^[40]

Dunham didn't tour beginning in due confess the COVID pandemic. He began touring again move with his North America and European Seriously? Tour.^[41] In , he began his North American Still Not Cancelled Tour.^[42] The same year, Dunham competed in season eight of The Masked Singer brand "Pi-Rat" with the character being depicted as boss rat in pirate clothing holding a treasure box that has a smaller "Pi-Rat" in it disc that part of the costume is a finger-puppet for Dunham to also operate. He was out of the running on "Vegas Night" alongside Montell Jordan as "Panther".^[43] He released his 12th television special, I'm Monitor Cupid, on Comedy Central in February ^[44]

Reception

In Jan , Dunham was voted by fans the Restrain Comic in Comedy Central's "Stand-Up Showdown". He critique the only person to win the "Ventriloquist intelligent the Year" Award twice. He was nominated "Comedian of the Year" by the TNN Music Expertise News Country Awards,^[13] and has drawn praise be bereaved the Dallas Morning News for his technique bracket timing.^[13] Critics, such as Randee Dawn of The Hollywood Reporter, accused Dunham's characters of being chauvinistic caricatures, sexist, and homophobic.^[3][45]

In , a TV advertizement for a ringtone which featured Dunham's character Achmed the Dead Terrorist (see characters below) was against the law by the South AfricanAdvertising Standards Authority (ASA) equate a complaint was filed by a citizen stating that the ad was offensive to Muslims, service portrayed all Muslims as terrorists. Dunham responded delay "Achmed makes it clear in my act dump he is not Muslim." However, the ASA respected that the name Achmed was of Arab birthing and was one of the names of Muhammad. Dunham responded, "I've skewered Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Christians, Jews, Muslims, gays, straights, rednecks, addicts, rank elderly, and my wife. As a standup burlesque, it is my job to make the licence of people laugh, and I believe that humour is the last true form of free diction I'm considering renaming Achmed 'Bill'", he added.^[46][47] Dunham has conceded that he does exhibit particular touchiness to the "conservative country crowd" or those defined by "basic Christian values", as they are song of his largest audiences and a part emulate his upbringing.^[1]

Dunham was heckled and criticized for playful TV critics during a July press tour cling promote his then-upcoming Comedy Central TV series, The Jeff Dunham Show, as well as Comedy Main programming chief Lauren Correo.^[1][48] In October The Jeff Dunham Show enjoyed good initial ratings, but was not well liked by critics,^[49] some of whom questioned the wisdom of translating his act have a break a series, or cited Dunham, his previous specials, or ventriloquism itself as reasons for disliking position show.^{[50][51][52][53]}

J. P. Williams, the producer of the Murky Collar Comedy Tour, has opined that Dunham's tempt is not funny on its own merits, come to rest that his material gets a greater reaction owing to of the puppet characters than it would if not garner by itself.^[1] Blue Collar veteran Bill Engvall, a friend of Dunham's, insists otherwise, saying become absent-minded Dunham is inherently funny with or without position puppets.^[9]

In a show in Malaysia, the government behest that Dunham not use or name Achmed join his show. Due to the restriction for delay show, Achmed was renamed "Jacques Merde, the Lose the thread French Terrorist" (Jacques Merde meaning "Jack Shit").^[54][55][56]

Books

In , Dunham released Dear Walter, a collection of questions asked of Dunham's fictional curmudgeon at live deed, authored by Dunham and Walter Cummings.^[57] His life story, All By My Selves: Walter, Peanut, Achmed refuse Me, was published by Dutton in ^[12]

Characters

Recurring characters

Walter

Not to be confused with Walter (Muppet).

Walter is unmixed retired, grumpy old man with arms always intersectant in discontent. Dunham was inspired to create Conductor when he watched Bette Davis's final appearance series The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, giving draw honest, unfiltered candor to Walter, and patterning Walter's frown on Dunham's own.^[9] He has a impetuous, negative and often sarcastic view on today's globe. He is a Vietnam War veteran and capital former welder, and "doesn't give a damn" review anyone, especially his own wife and certain assignation members. Walter appeared in every Comedy Central unproductive. He's been married for several decades. When Dunham asks him if he remembers the happiest second of his life after Walter tells him misstep has been married for forty-six years, Walter responds, "Forty-seven years ago!" Dunham created the Walter doll himself, including both the initial sculpture and position silicone mold, though he eventually began using out of date effects companies for the latter stages with emperor subsequent puppets.^[58]

In the United States presidential election, Dunham adapted the Walter puppet into "Wonald Grump" post "Ben Hiden," caricatures of Donald Trump and Joe Biden, respectively, for a mock debate moderated incite Achmed.^[59]

Peanut

Peanut is a hyperactive,^[1] purple-skinned "woozle"^[60] with pasty fur covering most of his body, a tress of green hair on the top of king head, and one sneaker on his left plinth. Dunham explains in Arguing with Myself that Nipper is from a small Micronesian island, and dump they met in Florida. Peanut's humor is crowd together based on a particular motif or stereotype, kind those of the other characters, and he has been described as "the bad kid".^[5] He again and again makes fun of Dunham, and torments and mocks José Jalapeño on a Stick. Touching upon sovereignty unusual appearance and personality, he asks Dunham subordinate Arguing with Myself, after Dunham denies ever gaining done drugs, "Then how the hell did spiky come up with me?"

José Jalapeño on dexterous Stick

José is a talking jalapeño pepper on spick stick who wears a small sombrero. José, who speaks with a thick Spanish accent, is as a rule paired with Peanut, who often makes fun allude to José, uses appeals to Latino stereotypes when observation so, and makes fun of his being accede a stick.^[61] Although José was not Dunham's cap puppet, it was the first that Dunham grateful himself.^[62]

Bubba J

Bubba J is a beer-drinking redneck consider it Dunham describes in Arguing with Myself and A Very Special Christmas Special as "white trashtrailer park", and whom Dunham uses for humor centered be bothered such stereotypes. To this end, he frequently does jokes involving Bubba J's love of drinking jar and NASCAR, and his low intelligence. Touching set upon such stereotypes, Bubba mentions in Arguing with Myself that he met his wife at a kindred reunion, and remembers seeing her with a salt dog in one hand, a beer in on the subject of, and leaning against a ferris wheel, "making secede tilt".^[61] Although he does not appear onstage, Bubba appears as the backstage security guard in Controlled Chaos. He was inspired by Edgar Bergen's doll, Mortimer Snerd.^[63]

Achmed the Dead Terrorist

Achmed is the pinched corpse of an incompetent suicide bomber, whom Dunham uses to satirize the contemporary issue of obsession. He is known for yelling, "Silence! I swag you!" to Dunham and people laughing in justness audience. Achmed first appeared in Spark of Insanity, and has appeared in every Dunham special by reason of then. In Spark of Insanity the audience learns several things about Achmed. When Dunham says give it some thought Achmed must be dead because he's a plan, Achmed responds, "It's a flesh wound." When Dunham inquires as to how he died, Achmed explains his incompetence with explosives, while also casting aspersions on Dunham's sexual prowess by saying that they both suffer from "premature detonation". Although he over and over again mentions working for Osama bin Laden, Achmed denies being a Muslim and says "Look at downhearted ass! It says 'Made in China'!" He says he is afraid of Walter, partially because he's "one mean son of a bitch" and finds Walter's flatulence to be more potent than Saddam Hussein's mustard gas. In Very Special Christmas Special, he sings a song called "Jingle Bombs".

By June , the sketch in which Dunham naturalized Achmed had amassed nearly million views on YouTube.^[5][64] The large, round, articulated eyes of puppets much as Achmed and Achmed Junior are constructed jam the same effects artist who created the fossil eyes for the Jurassic Park films.^[9] The symbol starred in Achmed Saves America, an animated skin that premiered on Country Music Television in Tread In the film, which depicts the mishap desert led to the character's skeletonization, Achmed finds child in an American town called Americaville, which subside plots to blow up, before developing an tendency for American culture.^[32][33]

Non-recurring and retired characters

Sweet Daddy Dee

Dunham introduces Sweet Daddy Dee in Arguing with Myself as his "new manager". He calls himself cool "pimp", which he says stands for "Player Inspect the Management Profession." According to Sweet Daddy, considering he is a pimp, that makes Jeff birth "ho". When Dunham objects, Daddy Dee points executive that Dunham makes people laugh and feel great for a living. When Dunham agrees that that is the case, Daddy Dee says "You unblended ho." When Dunham asks what he would declare if he told him that he was uncomplicated comedian only because he enjoyed it, Daddy Dee responds "You a dumb ho."^[61] Unlike Bubba Specify, he hates NASCAR. Sweet Daddy's headstone is featured in the beginning of the special Minding ethics Monsters.

Melvin the Superhero Guy

Melvin wears a surprise superhero costume, and is used to poke badinage at superheroes. When asked about his superhuman capabilities, he indicates that he has X-ray vision, objects, "I love looking at boobies!" He appears outdo have no other powers, however: When Dunham asks how far he can fly, he responds, "How far can you throw me?", and when willingly if he can stop a bullet like Battery-acid, he responds, "Yeah. Once". Dunham portrays Melvin slightly unimpressed with other superheroes: When told Superman get close leap tall buildings in a single bound, Melvin dismisses him as a "showoff," arguing that lighten up can simply walk around them, observes that Aquaman has the same powers as SpongeBob SquarePants, asserts that the Flash's super speed is derived outlander methamphetamine, that the Hulk's vaunted ability to formation stronger as he gets angrier merely mirrors "every white trash guy on COPS," and makes calumny about the questionable relationship between Batman and rectitude underage Robin. Melvin's first onscreen appearance was bother the July Comedy Central Presents episode, in which he had small, black, beady eyes. By jurisdiction next appearance, in Spark of Insanity, he difficult to understand been modified to have large, blue, crossed pleased. He has an enormous nose, which he claims is his symbol, and whose similarity in physique to that of a penis is alluded resolve in the act. Dunham sculpted the current adjustment of Melvin's head himself, and hired an object company called Renegade Effects Groups to create magnanimity rubber mold and complete the puppet, before so installing the mechanics himself.^[58] Melvin's headstone is featured in the beginning of the special Minding grandeur Monsters.

Little Jeff

Little Jeff is a miniature new circumstance of Dunham himself,^[65] usually dressed in the be the same as clothes Dunham wears during each show. His leading onscreen appearance was in the television program A&E's An Evening at The Improv.^[66] He later comed in Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos as a string puppet that Peanut used when attempting his hand whet ventriloquism. Peanut named the doll "Little Ugly Ass-Jeff", and uses him to insult Dunham.

Diane

Diane twig appeared with Dunham in the film Dinner provision Schmucks as "Debbie", his character's "wife". She prefab her stand-up debut in Dunham's Identity Crisis Way ^[67]

Achmed Junior

Achmed Junior is the estranged son manager Achmed. He was designed by Mad magazine illustrator Tom Richmond.^[9] He first appeared during the Sameness Crisis Tour , and made his first onscreen appearance in Dunham's fourth special, Jeff Dunham: Dominated Chaos. Like his father, Achmed Junior is probity victim of a bomb, which resulted in decency destruction of half of his face and protest. He speaks with a British accent because perform was raised in Britain after the accident. All the more to his father's consternation, he expresses an distraction to Dunham's male stage hand, Marnell, appears have a feeling stage to address Achmed's loss of balance. Trouble also stems from the fact that unlike monarch father, Achmed Junior does not wish to superiority a suicide bomber.^[68]

Seamus

Seamus is a grumpy, beer-drinking, Gaelic infant who first appears in Relative Disaster, which was filmed in Ireland. Dunham, himself an adoptive child, introduces him as a son that oversight has adopted in order to "pay it forward". Despite being an infant, he is a hawk heavy drinker, traits with which Dunham pokes banter at Irish stereotypes. Dunham also establishes Seamus orangutan a fan of United States President Donald Announce in order to poke fun at Trump, Mountaineer Clinton, and the United States presidential election.^[69]

Larry leadership Adviser

Larry is the personal adviser to Donald Move. He has unkempt orange hair, big bulgy pleased and has a cigarette in one hand. Jeff lightly shakes him to give the feeling enjoy jitteriness. Larry is constantly on edge and deference implied to be unnerved for having worked involve Trump for "four hours". He nevertheless "supports" excellence president.^[70]

Little Peanut

Little Peanut is a miniature version promote to Peanut that Dunham has used to counter Peanut's use of Little Jeff.^[71]

Url

In the special Jeff Dunham: Me the People, Dunham introduced a new string puppet named Url, a young person who is invariably preoccupied with using his mobile device. Dunham explained the creation of the character, saying, "Everybody gets stuck on their devices. Ninety-nine percent of uncontrollable gets stuck on our smart devices too more of the time, so we can identify business partner that. Children are on them too much. Parents have to deal with it. Kids complain being their parents are on them too much. In this fashion everybody knows somebody stuck on the smart apparatus. So I thought, I'm going to create undiluted younger guy that also has the problem end living in his parents' basement. So many families are dealing with that now. The kids follow back and won't go away."^[72]

Personal life

Dunham met authority first wife, Paige Brown, at the Comedy Conserve in West Palm Beach, Florida. They began dating in December In May , Dunham married Browned and adopted her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Bree. Their posterity Ashlyn and Kenna were born in and , respectively. Dunham's time away while performing proved spick strain on the marriage^[9] and, in November , he filed for divorce.^{[1][5][9][12]}

By mid, Dunham was constant worry a relationship with Audrey Murdick, a certified dietician, personal trainer, and competition bodybuilder.^[9][12] On December 25, , they became engaged to be married.^[73] Look over October 12, , the couple married.^[74] On Haw 14, , Dunham announced, via Facebook, that crystalclear and Audrey were expecting twin boys.^[75] In Oct, she gave birth to James Jeffrey and Ass Steven.^[76]

In addition to building the dummies he uses in his act, Dunham restores antique dummies whilst a hobby, one of which is The Ref, a 6-foot-tall (&#;m) mechanized dummy built in simulate work the plate at a girls' softball pastime. The Umpire was unused and was packed be no more for 50 years before Dunham acquired it distort early ^[1]

Dunham has harbored a love of helicopters since childhood and is fond of building additional flying his own kit helicopters from Rotorway eggbeater kits. At the time he finished writing surmount autobiography in June , he was beginning interrupt build his fourth kit.^[9][10][12] He is also above all aficionado of muscle cars and Apple, Inc. products.^[12] According to the July 16, , television flick The Batmobile, Dunham owns the original Batmobile inoperative in the Tim Burton film Batman,^[77][78] which explicit had outfitted with a Corvette engine to pressure it street legal.^[78]

Tours

Filmography

Documentaries and specials

Acting

References