The stand-up comedy legend, Russell Peters, who holds court in Los Angeles yet hails from Canada, has voiced his unwavering confidence that he won't face deportation under Donald Trump's administration. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter during a pit stop in Amsterdam on his global "Relax" tour, the Anglo-Indian Canadian comedian quipped, "Frankly, given the mountains of taxes I contribute to that nation, deporting me would be sheer foolishness. It's poor business acumen, and since the nation is being steered like a corporation, such a move would be downright idiotic."
Peters, whose previous tours such as "Outsourced," "Red, White and Brown," "The Green Card Tour," and "The Deported" have delved into the contentious topic of immigration, isn't perturbed about being expelled from the U.S. as a legal immigrant during Trump's second tenure. He quipped, "What exactly are they going to do? Ship me back to Canada? Big deal! It's their loss, not mine. I get to return home. That's precisely how I see it," added the native of Brampton, Ontario. In July, Peters will grace Canada once again for the esteemed Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal.
The once-preeminent stand-up comedy showcase for Hollywood, under new ownership by ComediHa! and having undergone financial realignment and a brief hiatus due to the cancellation of the 2024 event, is poised for a triumphant return. "It's the cream of the crop. It was, and remains, the grandest and finest comedy festival of all time. Let's just say it took a sabbatical. Now, it's back, hopefully better than ever or at least as splendid as it's always been," Peters enthused to THR.
Originating in the 1980s, the annual Just for Laughs festival was a launching pad where talent scouts from Los Angeles and New York unearthed the next big stars for Hollywood sitcoms and film roles. However, the ascendancy of the internet and social media as platforms for comedians to self-promote gradually sidelined JFL as a crucible for budding comedy talent.
Instead, taking to the road or leveraging TikTok and YouTube to hone their craft and cultivate a fan base, with an eye on global stand-up tours, has emerged as the pinnacle of the comedy profession. This shift has led to lucrative concert tours for global talents like Peters, allowing them to transcend the comedy club stage and showcase their comedy's resonance with audiences to studio scouts, streaming executives, and club bookers who converge at JFL each July.
While JFL wasn't the catalyst for Peters' rise to fame—he broke through in 2004 when his set on Canada's "Comedy Now!" series went viral—he has been a mainstay at the Montreal comedy festival over three decades, appearing a dozen times. He recalls a pivotal stand-up performance at JFL in 2000 when the late Jerry Stiller came backstage to commend his act and prophesy that he would become a major star one day. "He [Stiller] assured me of my success. And I believe that was the first time someone esteemed in this industry bestowed positive words about my career upon me. It truly meant the world," Peters reminisced.
In 2016, Peters encountered Jerry Stiller's son, Ben Stiller, and his wife at a Los Angeles restaurant. Knowing that the "Zoolander" and "Night at the Museum" star prefers privacy in public, Peters still approached their table. "I said, 'Hey, sorry to disturb your dinner. I just want to share something about your dad.' I conveyed the message, and he responded, 'Oh, thanks for that. I appreciate hearing that.' He was incredibly gracious. At least I got to tell him while his dad was still alive," Peters recounted of the chance encounter, noting the error in his earlier statement about Stiller's passing, which actually occurred in 2020 at the age of 92.
