What is Russell Brand?
{{Infobox comedian | name = Russell Brand | image = Arthur Russell Brand (5622506846).jpg | caption = Brand in 2011 | pseudonym = | birth_name = Russell Edward Brand | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|6|4|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Grays]], [[Essex]], [[England]], UK | medium = [[Stand up comedy|Stand-up]], [[television]], [[Movie|film]], [[radio]] | nationality = [[English people|English]] | spouse = [[Katy Perry]]<br>(m. 2010–2012, [[divorce]]d) | years_active = 1994–present | module = {{Infobox comedian|embed=yes | genre = [[Observational comedy]], [[black comedy]], [[blue comedy]], [[improvisational comedy]] | influences = [[Richard Pryor]],<ref name=legends>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/04/comedians-portfolio200904?slide=3|title=Laughing Matter: Comedy’s New Legends|magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|date=April 2009|accessdate=2009-03-10}}</ref> [[Bill Hicks]],<ref name=legends/><br>[[Peter Cook]], [[Lenny Bruce]],<br>[[Tony Hancock]], [[Jack Kerouac]] | influenced = | website = http://www.russellbrand.tv/ }} }} '''Russell Edward Brand''' (born 4 June 1975) is an [[English people|English]] [[comedian]], [[actor]], [[television presenter]], [[Presenter|radio host]] [[author]] and [[activist]]. He is best known for playing Dr. Nefario in the [[films]] ''[[Despicable Me]]'' (2010), ''[[Despicable Me 2]]'' (2013) and ''[[Minions: The Rise of Gru]]'' (2022). == Career == In 2004, he presented [[Big Brother (British TV series)|''Big Brother's Big Mouth'']], a side-show of [[Big Brother (British TV series)|''Big Brother UK'']]. In 2006, he started presenting a radio show, ''[[The Russell Brand Show]]'', on [[BBC Radio 6 Music]]. In 2007 the show was moved to [[BBC Radio 2]]. He was involved in a [[controversy]] over a [[prank phone call]] with [[Jonathan Ross]] in 2008. After this Brand quit his job at the BBC. He presented ''[[Russell Brand's Ponderland]]'' in 2007 and 2008. He wrote a [[book]] in 2007 about