How Old Is Jeff Dunham? Dunham is an American comedian and film director. Additionally, he is renowned for revolutionizing ventriloquism by advocating the art form.
His current net worth is estimated to be $140 million. He is among the world’s highest-paid entertainers. He earns between $15 and $30 million annually.
Over the years, Jeff Dunham has amassed an entertainment empire through continuous travel and innovative show production techniques.
The ventriloquist and comedian has over two million YouTube subscribers and ten million Facebook followers. He has established a notable reputation within the realm of comedy. Let’s learn more about Jeff Dunham including his age.
How Old Is Jeff Dunham
Jeff Dunham is 62 and was born in Dallas, Texas, on April 18, 1962. He is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and ventriloquist.
He is famous for his wit and acting abilities; David Dunham has made his impression on comedy with his distinctive brand of humor, which has amused audiences around the globe. His comedy specials always grace the screens as a testament to his illustrious career.
Jeff Dunham’s Early Life
He was born in Dallas, Texas and at three months, Joyce and Howard Dunham adopted him. He grew up in a household that was highly stringent Presbyterian.
At the age of eight, he attempted ventriloquism for the first time and received a Mortimer Snerd puppet for Christmas in 1970.
The following day, Dunham borrowed a book from the library on ventriloquism techniques; the rest is history.
From the fourth grade onwards, Dunham harbored aspirations beyond mere proficiency in ventriloquism.
He aspired to achieve excellence. He devoted countless hours to self-reflection in the mirror and carefully studied the renowned ventriloquist Edgar Bergan.
He appeared on Comedy Central Presents in 2003 among others. His puppets include Peanut, an elderly grouch named Walter, and José Jalapeno, a talking pepper on a pole.
His DVD “Arguing With Myself,” was released in April 2006. Jeff opens the show as the straight man, with four newcomers to his regular cast.
The cast includes Bubba J, Sweet Daddy D, Melvin the Superhero Guy, and Achmed the Dead Terrorist.
In 2009, he signed a contract with Comedy Central. This enabled him to produce his 4th special, tour sixty cities, become involved with consumer products, and receive an order for DVDs and the premiere of “The Jeff Dunham Show.”
Despite being the most-watched premiere in Comedy Central history, “The Jeff Dunham Show” was canceled because of poor reviews and higher production expenses compared costs to other Comedy Central programs.
Durham fabricated numerous personas, including Jose Jalapeno on a Stick, Little Jeff, and Sweet Daddy Dee.
Dunham is the author of two novels. “Dear Walter” was co-authored by Walter Cummings and was published in 2003.
The publication year of his autobiography, “All By My Selves: Walter, Peanut, Achmed, and Me,” was 2010.
Jeff Dunham’s Ventriloquist Puppets
Numerous individuals have criticized Dunham’s characters, claiming they embody homophobic, racist, and misogynistic stereotypes.
A resident protested in 2008 against a television advertisement for a ringtone that portrayed Achmed the Dead Terrorist, a character portrayed by Dunham.
The protest was because it was insensitive to Muslims and portrayed all Muslims as terrorists. The South African Advertising Standards Authority prohibited the ad.
Dunham responded, “Achmed makes it clear in my act that he is not Muslim.” In contrast, the Advertising Standards Authority explicitly stated that Achmed was an Arab name that formed an integral element of the given name Muhammad.
Here are some of the other puppets he uses in the show.
1. Achmed, the Dead Terrorist
Achmed, a monster puppet, unexpectedly appeared on Jeff’s program in 2006 while touring with his comedy club shows. Although it seems that Achmed was killed in a suicide explosion, he still has facial hairs that make him stand out.
Jeff is always helping him be on his feet when he shouts, “Foot! Foot!”. He made his underwear into a white bandana that he dorns on his head. His famous catch phrase is “Silence! I’ll kill you”.
As stated in “Jeff Dunham: All Over the Map,” church leaders in Malaysia requested that Jeff refrain from discussing Achmed or featuring him in his program.
Having observed that many individuals paid to see Achmed, he complied with the request by donning a beret and a goatee and nicknamed him “Jaq, the French Terrorist.
2. Jose Jalapeño (on a stick)
Jose’s persona resembles a jalapeño pepper due to his beard, hat, and use of the jesting expression “on a stick” to end his jokes.
Jeff unilaterally manipulates Jose’s mouth by placing his thumb on the reverse side of Jose’s cold stick. Jose’s inability to do much else is compensated for by his charisma, vocal voice, and, above all else, his stick.
Jeff has him in a wooden box as one of the original character storage trunks. Jose is frequently called out during Peanut’s show, and the two of them often engage in conflict, with Jeff being the mediator.
Jose has stated that he is Cuban, not Mexican, and a native of Florida. This was despite him having previously claimed to be Puerto Rican and a native of New York City.
3. Bubba J.
Jeff has created a new character named Bubba J, an avid fan of NASCAR and beer. His surname is Junior, denoted by the letter “J.”
He has a spouse and one child. The dummy’s left eye can only be moved from center to left, which is quite peculiar considering his redneck demeanor.
4. Peanut
Peanut has purple fur, one shoe, and a tuft of green hair that Dunham attributes to ostrich feathers. Unlike most of Jeff Dunham’s puppets, his brows and eyes remain stationary.
His fictional biography states that Peanut was born on an island in Micronesia near Guam in the Pacific Ocean. He has five siblings by the names of Fred, Eeny, Meeny, and Miny. He did not complete his formal education.
In 1986, he relocated to the United States. The official website states that the two met in central Texas. However, Arguing With Myself, on the other hand, says that they met in Florida.
Jeff Dunham’s Personal Life
Dunham met his first wife, Paige Brown, at the West Palm Beach comedy corner. They begun dating in December 1992.
Dunham wed Brown in May 1994 and subsequently assumed guardianship of Brown’s 1-year-old daughter, Bree. T
They also had other daughters, Ashlyn and Kenna, in 1997 and 1995, respectively. Their relationship deteriorated due to his wife’s need to perform and spend time apart from them.
He filed papers for divorce in November 2008. By mid 2009, he was seeing Audrey Murdick, a Texas-based bodybuilder, personal trainer, and certified nutritionist. The couple engaged on December 25, 2011, and married on October 17, 2012.
In addition to creating the dummies he employs in his act, Dunham also restores antiques as a hobby. An instance is The Umpire, a mechanized dummy measuring 6 feet (1.8 m) in height.
Initially designed for use at a girl’s softball game in 1941, it had been preserved for 50 years before its acquisition by Dunham in early 2008.
Since childhood, Dunham has been fascinated with helicopters, and he takes pleasure in constructing and piloting his kit helicopter.
Dunham’s Achievements
Dunham holds the Guinness World Record for “Most Tickets Sold for a Stand-up Comedy Tour.”
A portion of the proceeds from each concert ticket sold during Dunham’s nationwide tour is donated to a local organization.
Through his charitable work, Dunham assists those in need, both in times of difficulty and over time. The Jeff Dunham fund has contributed more than $1.3 million.
Based on show sales, Billboard has named David Dunham’s tour the Top Comedy Tour for three consecutive years.
Fans have had the opportunity to meet more of his comically twisted puppets. They include Achmed the Dead Terrorist, José Jalapeno, Bubba J, and Peanut at his sold-out live performances around the globe.
‘His memoir All By My Selves: Walter, Peanut, Achmed, and Me’ debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list for three consecutive weeks in 2010.
David Dunham was awarded a star-studded segment of the Hollywood Walk of Fame
on September 21, 2017.
Duham remarked, “This is truly extraordinary. You know, I was thinking this morning about how incredible it is that so many friends, close friends, sort-of friends, family members, close family members, business associates – we’ve all gathered to honor me, and it’s not because I died.
In all seriousness, this is our sole occasion for gathering. Every other gathering they’ve had was typically after you’ve passed away, so this is fairly incredible.”
Notable Facts
- Jeff Dunham was born in Texas.
- His stand-up comedy debut occurred in the late 1980s.
- David Dunham performs with seven distinct puppets. His supporters refer to them as the “suitcase posse.”
- He debuted his show in Comedy Central Presents In 2003
- He has released a Christmas album and six stand-up performances
- In 2008, Comedy Central voted his show “Stand-up Showdown,” as number one
- The Jeff Dunham Show aired on Comedy Central in 2009.
- In 2010, he published his autobiography, All By Myself: Walter, Peanut, Achmed, and Me.
Conclusion
How Old Is Jeff Dunham? Despite his age, Dunham has appeared on numerous television programs, including “Sonny With a Chance,” “The Tonight Show,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” and “The Jeff Dunham Show.”
Dunham ranks among the highest-grossing comedians in the United States. He has contributed more than anyone else since Edgar Bergen to the art of ventriloquism and increased its recognition.
Dunham developed his prowess in ventriloquism at the age of eight, when his parents presented him with his initial mannequin. He currently creates mannequins, such as Achmed the Dead Terrorist, whose YouTube channel has garnered over 150 million views.
