Jeff Dunham is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and ventriloquist, who has made appearances on many television series, most notably, The Tonight Show and Comedy Central Presents.
His performances typically leave the crowd in stitches. He is known for stretching the bounds with his jokes, getting away with harsh and biting remarks as his fools are the ones who’re typically at fault.
His acting is remarkable because of the way he effortlessly creates recognisable characters that you can’t help but root for.
His puppets can give life to even the most repulsive of characters, allowing him to get away with jokes that no one else would dare to make. As of September 2022, Jeff Dunham’s net worth is expected to be $140 Million.
Earlier Years
On April 18, 1962, Jeff Dunham entered the world in Dallas, Texas. Howard and Joyce Dunham took him in when he was just three months old. His upbringing in a strict Presbyterian household shaped his strong religious beliefs.
In 1970, when he was eight years old, he got a Mortimer Snerd dummy for Christmas and began experimenting with ventriloquism. The next day, Dunham checked a how-to book on ventriloquism out of the library and the rest is history.
By the time he was in the fourth grade, Dunham wanted to not just be a professional ventriloquist, he wanted to be the best one ever.
He trained in front of the mirror for hours, studied the routines of ventriloquist Edgar Bergan, and poured over a how-to record on the subject.
In sixth grade, Dunham began attending the yearly worldwide ventriloquists’ convention in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky called the Vent Haven ConVENTion. Dunham has attended every ConVENTion except one since 1977.
Dunham began performing in front of audiences as a teenager at school, church, and at his work at the amusement park Six Flags. In 1976, he debuted on television. While still in high school, Dunham appeared in commercials for Dallas, Texas auto dealerships.
When he was a senior in high school back in 1980, he was named Most Likely to Succeed. He decided he would make an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” within the next decade.
Dunham enrolled at Baylor University to study communications. While doing this, he was also flying all over the country on the weekends to perform in 100 private shows. In 1983–1984, his junior year in college, he was making $70,000.
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Career
He was cast in a Broadway musical starring Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller in 1985. Young comedian’s big break would come on this show. He relocated to Los Angeles in the late ’80s. His dream came true in 1988 when he finally got to appear on Johnny Carson’s The Tonight Show.
Jeff was a travelling comedian who enjoyed considerable success throughout the 1990s. He became famous with his 2003 special on Comedy Central. Jeff Dunham’s one-hour specials, Jeff Dunham.
Arguing With Myself (2006), Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity (2007), and Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special (2009) followed his appearances on Blue Collar TV, Good Morning America, and Hollywood Squares (2008).
His holiday special on Comedy Central received record viewership. In 2009, Dunham negotiated a deal with Comedy Central, giving him a chance to screen his fourth special, do a tour of sixty cities, get a partnership in consumer items, and an order for the “Jeff Dunham Show” television series (which premiered on October 22, 2009), as well as DVDs.
Despite having the most-watched debut in Comedy Central history, and higher average ratings than other shows on that network initially, “The Jeff Dunham” show was cancelled after only one season due to poor reviews, low viewership, and higher production expenses than other Comedy Central shows.
On September 25, 2011, his fourth stand-up special, “Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos,” debuted on Comedy Central. The debut of “Minding the Monsters,” his fifth special, occurred on October 7, 2012.
In March of 2014, CMT aired the first episode of the animated film “Achmed Saved America.” On November 16, 2014, Comedy Central debuted his sixth special, titled “All Over the Map.”
Dunham shifted networks for his seventh special, “Unhinged in Hollywood,” airing on NBC instead of Comedy Central. It premiered on September 17, 2015.
The Wealth of Jeff Dunham
Jeff Dunham’s wealth of $140 million was earned since the turn of the millennium. Dunham, who has been touring for years and is widely considered the best ventriloquist of all time, has made a lot of money off of his impressive performances.
As a result of his tours, merchandising, and television specials, Dunham has amassed a fortune. Even now, he continues to give performances all over the globe.
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Personal Life
Jeff Dunham just tied the knot with his personal trainer and nutritionist, Audrey Murdick. After over two years of courtship, the happy pair exchanged their wedding vows in 2012.
His wife Audrey, who is 18 years younger, had twins in October 2015; they are named James Jeffrey and Jack Steven after two of his most famous characters.
When he was on the Comedy Corner Show in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1992, he met Paige Brown, a single mother of a daughter.
They tied the knot in 1994, after dating for two years. The couple’s marriage finally ended in 2008 after a long time of separation during which they had two children, Ashlyn in 1995 and Kenna in 1997.
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