Russell Brand in New York City


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Can Russell Brand be famous in America? With his Comedy Central special debuting on Sunday night (03/08/09), the British comedian sure hopes the answer to that question is yes. Wildly popular in the UK for his stand-up, hosting gigs, and…er…extra-curricular activities, Brand isn’t exactly a household name in the US. At least not yet. The man who won The Sun’s prestigious “Shagger of the Year” award three years straight is probably best known here for two things: stealing nearly every scene in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and a controversial gig hosting the VMAs.

However, neither of those brought Brand the prominence he seeks. Stating that his personality “doesn’t really work without fame,” Brand is on an all-out mission to conquer the American audience. The question is: Will the US be interested in Brand? Sure, he’s smart, hilarious, and pretty easy on the eyes –- but there are loads of British exports, from comedy to music to film, that just don’t take off when they cross the pond. Sometimes the States just don’t get it.

But, I think if ever there was a time for Brand to hit it off in the US, it’s now. The Comedy Central special, which looks to be a nice showcase for his rapid-fire stand-up, should put the comedian in front of a crowd that actually will get it. Sure, his VMAs gig was widely panned, but let’s face it –- all the cool kids stopped watching MTV ages ago. And Americans do love a good scandal, something Brand –- fresh off a swirl of controversy leading to his BBC radio show’s cancellation –- is no stranger to.

If you want to know more about Brand’s scandalous past, I’d highly recommend checking out his autobiography, My Booky Wook, released in the US on March 10. I’ll admit, I’m not often one for all that reading stuff, but when I saw the first line of this one — “On the morning of April Fools Day 2005, I woke up in a sexual addiction treatment centre in a suburb of Philadelphia.” –- I knew I’d actually finish it.

The book’s a good read, but at the very least, do yourself a favor and check out Brand’s Comedy Central special this Sunday at 10:00pm. We don’t have anybody quite like this here – find out why it’s time we should.