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Joe Rogan Experience #2557 - Yakov Smirnoff – Transcript
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- Yakov Smirnoff experienced an abrupt collapse in his standup career when the Soviet Union fell.
- Willie Nelson suggested that Yakov Smirnoff go to Branson, Missouri, during a Farm Aid concert.
- Yakov Smirnoff earned a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate from Pepperdine.
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Joe Rogan podcast. Check it out. >> The Joe Rogan Experience. >> TRAIN BY DAY. JOE ROGAN PODCAST BY NIGHT. All day. >> Let's go, Yakov. What's happening, baby? How are you? >> I'm good. >> Good to see you.
>> Nice to see you. >> I know. Jamie snucking up on us. Bam. Just turn it on. Bam. >> That way you don't have a chance to freak out. >> Um, thank you. >> What's in the bag? What you got in there? >> Okay, so there are a couple of things. Uh, oh, a couple things.
>> One, yeah, one is, uh, it's a mir mural piece of the mural that I painted at the ground zero, and I thought it would be interesting for you to have >> You painted a mural at ground zero. >> Yeah. >> Oh, wow.
>> Yeah. So, that that was something. And I actually sent them Paul Harvey did a um the rest of the story about that and I I sent them a video if they wanted to. >> Yeah. Don't know if we could play that unfortunately. I think it's got like a copyright to it.
>> Actually, I was >> We were told Jamie, that's Isn't that what they said? >> It would be tough. >> Yeah. >> Right. >> And >> so there's the mural. There's a photo of the mural. >> Right. Right. And uh it was I was in touch with Paul Harvey Jr. asking if that would be okay and they said it's fine and they'll send >> Yeah. But I don't think they own it. You know what I'm saying?
>> They own his voice. So, >> right. But it's probably if it's on Paul Harvey's television show, right? >> No, no, no. Radio. Yeah. >> Right. If it's on Paul Harvey's radio show, it's probably copyritten. Did we have a problem when we played the Taylor Sheridan one? Remember we played that whole thing?
>> It's just I would >> It's just an issue. It's an issue. >> It's an issue. >> Don't sweat it. We don't want >> So anyway, you had a mural. >> Yeah, that's that's And >> there was a couple of other little bur. >> You got to talk into the microphone. >> Sorry. >> That's all right.
>> Yeah. You wear headphones if you want. That way you can hear yourself. >> Yes. >> You don't have to. >> This is this is real. This >> this is real. What do you mean? >> No. Like I watch you and I'm in such an awe of what you were able to your your career, your trajectory, how you were able to sustain that longevity and then
transition to this amazing voice. Um, it's just it's been an honor to know you and be here. So, I'm I'm a little nervous. >> Well, don't be nervous. Uh, cuz listen, it's all just dumb luck.
There's a a giant percentage of it that's dumb luck. That's a fact. I mean, I'm very persistent. That helps. But, uh, this thing, this the podcast is a lot of it is luck. You know how people like talk about like having a vision board. Oh, I had a vision board. I imagined. And people say that to me all the time. Like, I'm sure you did that with this show. I'm like, I didn't do anything of the sort. I just kept doing it and it got big. But it's uh just people talking. Simple. Just like you and I talk in the green room.
Yes. >> We're talking here. It's no big deal. It's just a bunch of people get to listen to it. >> Yes. Yes. >> It's nothing that spectacular. The spectacular thing is my guests. That's the fortunate thing. I'm the fortunate one cuz I get to talk to >> so many cool people. Look at you with your [ __ ] American flag on your on your uh phone cover. Look at that. Yeah.
>> Don't get fooled by the accent, ladies and gentlemen. Um, you know, we were talking about your story in the green room and I was like, we have to do a podcast because your your story is so crazy how when the wall fell, so did your career.
>> Yes. >> Like you had this massive career. I remember you from the Tonight Show. I I remember you all the time, you know, in Russia. You always had these jokes about Russia >> and it was great because like you were a Russian comedian doing standup in the United States.
>> Yes. >> And then once once the Soviet Union fell. >> Yes. The Leatherman uh David Letterman had a top 10 list of things that will now change that the Soviet Union is no longer there. And I made number one on the list. Yakov Smeirnov will be out of work. And I thought it was humorous because I was living in Pacific
Palisades next to Tom Hanks and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I mean I thought American dream will never end. And all the sudden it six months later none of my contracts in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno, Tahoe, none of them were renewed. And I could not find work.
Literally I mean I tried back to clubs and they wouldn't have me either. >> What? Yeah, it was um the comparison uh there was uh Van Meter uh that was impersonator of John F. Kennedy um he was um um an an impersonator. It was very popular at that time and then after
the assassin assassination his career went nowhere right away. And so somewhat in in some ways it was similar to that that uh I was associated with the Soviet Union and my humor was associated with that and it was helping I was helping um President Reagan write
jokes for his speeches for when he would go to Moscow. Um, you have a picture somewhere, Jamie, of I mean, it was amazing. All of the sudden I was like a joke supplier for the White House and it was my career was just growing higher and higher and all of the sudden it was gone and I
>> It doesn't make any sense. I mean, you still had great jokes. >> Yeah. >> And I'm sure people still wanted to see you. That's what didn't make any sense. >> It wasn't I guess I wasn't relevant because they associated me so much with that. And so I started after not having work uh and not be able to pay mortgage.
I start looking for a place where they did not know that the Soviet Union collapsed and I ended up in Branson, Missouri. I joke about this in my show, but it's was a blessing in disguise because I was all of a sudden my f uh my humor was family friendly and this town is very much like that and
they embraced me and I I mean it wasn't right away but it grew and grew and grew. >> Wow. And what what is Branson like? cuz I would always hear about it like it was always like we we would hear about it in LA that it was this like freaky Bible town that it's like creationist museums and stuff like that like here's a reconstruction of the ark like that's what the kind of stuff that you would hear. I obviously I never went so I
don't know. >> Yeah. Um I didn't want to go to Branson. Okay. I was living in LA. I didn't I mean I >> Did you move to Missouri? >> Eventually I had to. Yeah. Because I I had to sell my house. I mean, the whole thing went Yeah.
>> So, uh, what happened is I didn't have >> I didn't know where to go. I mean, it literally was scary. I have two little kids at that time and I can't find work.
So, my agent calls me and he said, "Uh, Willie Nelson is doing this, uh, farm aid concert and um, would you like to co-host with him?" And I didn't have it, you know, I said, "Sure." But I don't think farmers would know who I am. And I got there 50,000 people. I did my SAT and they gave me a standing ovation and I went like, "Wow, this is I didn't
expect that." So I go to say goodbye and say thank you to Willie and I open the door and the smoke comes out and will and I was proud to say that I you know I I I didn't do drugs but after I opened that door I couldn't say that anymore. So I through this through the smoke he goes Yakob you should go to Branson they'll love you
there. And I was like, "Okay, I heard about it, but I was not sure." So, I go to Branson just to check it out. And it's um March of 2000, it's 1993.
Um, and I've been struggling now for two years after the Soviet Union collapsed. And I go in and and I walk into one of the shows and it was Soji Tabuchi show.
It was a a Japanese fiddle player uh that was just playing uh country music. I didn't know about him. And I walk in and it's a matinea and there are 2,000 people in that room.
>> Whoa. >> And I'm going, what is going on? And right, this is crazy. I was in Vegas at university. Right. So then I go Andy Williams uh show and it's the same thing. 2,000 people full. And I'm going, well, if if they can do this, I can do it as well. And so I in May I rented the small theater and I just set
my shop there, put my name on the wall, and I got first show 17 people came in. And I'm going, "Oh boy, I I I don't have a place to go, but this is not gonna work." But then I start doing I I was pretty creative. I started I said, "I'm going to serve breakfast in this in the showroom. I I I I'll call it yak in a