Jim Jefferies
Jefferies performing in April 2012
Born
Geoff James Nugent

February 1977 (1977-02) (age 47)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actor
  • writer
Spouse
Tasie Lawrence
​
​
(m. 2020)​
Children2
Websitejimjefferies.com

Geoff James Nugent (born February 1977), known professionally as Jim Jefferies, is an Australian comedian, actor, and writer who holds dual Australian and American citizenship. He created and starred in the American FX sitcom Legit (2013–2014) and the Comedy Central late-night show The Jim Jefferies Show (2017–2019).

Early life

Jefferies was born Geoff James Nugent in Sydney, Australia[1][2][3] in February 1977,[4] the son of a mother who worked as a substitute teacher[5] and a father who was a cabinet maker and maintenance worker.[6] His father was from Roma, Queensland.[6] Jefferies grew up in Sydney before moving to Perth to study musical theatre and classical music at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts,[7][8] though he left several months before graduating.[6] He has two older brothers: Scott, an investment banker,[9] and Daniel, an inspector in the New South Wales Police Force's Public Order and Riot Squad.[10]

Career

Stand-up

Jefferies began his stand-up comedy career after dropping out of university,[6] initially returning to his native Sydney before relocating to the United Kingdom.[5] He took the stage name "Jim Jeffries", but amended the last name to "Jefferies" to avoid confusion with a similarly named American performer. He initially began performing stand-up with one-liners. He changed to anecdotal humour when he began doing hour-long sets.[11] He first achieved international attention in 2007, when he was attacked onstage while performing at the Manchester Comedy Festival.[12][13] Footage of the incident was incorporated into his act and can be seen on his 2008 DVD Contraband. He became known in the United States in 2009, after the release of his debut HBO special I Swear to God.[14]

Jefferies has performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Just for Laughs, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Reading and Leeds Festivals, and Glastonbury Festival.[citation needed] He has also performed routines on The World Stands Up, Comedy Blue and Edinburgh and Beyond for Comedy Central.[citation needed] Following the release of his Netflix special Freedumb in July 2016, he began The Unusual Punishment Tour with all-new material,[15] and filmed his new special This Is Me Now at the Hammersmith Apollo in London in January 2018.[16] On 17 December 2018, he completed his Night Talker Tour with the final performance in Melbourne.

Legit

Jefferies' comedy series Legit premiered on 17 January 2013 on FX. A second season premiered on 26 February 2014, having been moved to FXX.[17] The series received positive attention among the disabled community for its portrayal of people with mental and physical disabilities.[18] The series was cancelled after two seasons.[19]

The Jim Jefferies Show

On 3 March 2017, Comedy Central announced The Jim Jefferies Show, a new ten-episode weekly series,[20] that premiered on 6 June 2017.[21] Jefferies, hosting the show, takes a look on culture and politics behind his desk, and travels around the world to tackle the week's top stories and most controversial issues. On 25 July 2017, the first season was extended with ten additional episodes,[22] that completed airing on 21 November 2017. On 15 January 2018, Comedy Central renewed the series for a twenty-episode second season,[23] which premiered on 27 March 2018.[24] The network renewed the show for a third season in January 2019, which premiered on 19 March 2019. The series concluded on 19 November 2019, after the end of its third season.[25]

Other work

From November 2010 to November 2012, Jefferies co-hosted the podcast Jim and Eddie Talkin' Shit with his fellow comedian and former roommate, Eddie Ifft. Jefferies had to quit because of his busy work schedule.[26][27]

Jefferies appeared on comedy panel shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You, The Heaven and Earth Show and 8 Out of 10 Cats, the US comedy panel show The Green Room with Paul Provenza and Comedy Central's @midnight. He has also been featured on various radio programmes, including BBC Radio 5 Live's Saturday morning sports show, Opie and Anthony, and Fighting Talk.[28]

In 2015, he starred in Australian film Me and My Mates vs the Zombie Apocalypse with comedians Greg Fleet and Alex Williamson.[29] It premiered on 25 July and was released on DVD and Vimeo in Australia and New Zealand in late 2015,[30] and in the UK, Ireland, and the US in 2016.[citation needed]

In 2019, Jefferies and Suzanne Martin developed the sitcom Jefferies for NBC, in which Jefferies will star as a fictionalized version of himself.[31]

Jeffries has hosted the I Don't Know About That podcast alongside Kelly Blackheart, Forrest Shaw, and Jack Hackett since May 2020.[32][33]

Personal life

Jefferies lives in Studio City, California.[34] He was previously in a relationship with actress Kate Luyben.[35] Their son was born in 2012.[36] He married English actress Tasie Lawrence in September 2020.[37][38] Their son was born in 2021.

Jefferies is an atheist.[39] He believes he is autistic and states he only found out at the age of 36.[40] In 2018, he became a naturalized American citizen.[41]

In July 2023, Jefferies' nephew, Lt. Maxwell Nugent, was killed in a helicopter crash during a military training exercise.[42][43]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2014 Me and My Mates vs the Zombie Apocalypse Joel
2016 Punching Henry Charlie
2017 Killing Hasselhoff Tommy
2021 Extinct Bernie Voice role

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2004 The Last Chancers Whoppit Episode: 1x01
2007 Comedy Cuts Various
2008 Jim Jefferies: Contraband Himself Stand-up special
2009 Jim Jefferies: I Swear to God Stand-up special
2010 Jim Jefferies Alcoholocaust Stand-up special
2012 Jim Jefferies: Fully Functional Stand-up special
2013 Tainted Love Priest
2013–14 Legit Jim Jefferies Also creator, writer and executive producer; 26 episodes
2014 Bad Judge Keith Episode: "The Cat's Out of the Bag"
The Librarians British Santa Episode: "And Santa's Midnight Run"
Jim Jefferies: Bare Himself Stand-up special
2016 Not Safe with Nikki Glaser Guest (2 episodes)
Jim Jefferies: Freedumb Stand-up special
2017–2019 The Jim Jefferies Show Host; also creator, writer and executive producer; 57 episodes
2018 Jim Jefferies: This Is Me Now Stand-up special
2020 Jim Jefferies: Intolerant Stand-up special
2021 History of Swear Words 5 episodes
2023 Jim Jefferies: High & Dry Stand-up special
2023 The 1% Club Host Game show

Discography

References

  1. ^ "Jim Jefferies, comedian news : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  2. ^ Roe, Jon (23 October 2014). "Five facts about Jim Jefferies" (Press release). Swerve Management via Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016. Jim Jefferies (born Geoff James Nugent) is a 37-year-old Australian comedian.
  3. ^ The Jim Jefferies Show Podcast - Kaepernick, Chickens & Fisting. ART19. 27 September 2017. Event occurs at 31:29. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  4. ^ Valys, Phillip (20 March 2017). "Jim Jefferies: 'I'm just trying to hold it together'". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020. When Jim Jefferies turned 40 in February...
  5. ^ a b Fitzmaurice, Larry (22 June 2017). "Jim Jefferies Hated Going to School with His Mother". Vice. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d Bell, Steve (26 March 2015). "At Least A Million People In Australia Fucking Hate Me!". themusic.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  7. ^ Northover, Kylie (25 March 2015). "Controversial comic Jim Jefferies promises to offend". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  8. ^ Bodey, Michael (12 April 2014). "Comedian Jim Jefferies finally finds success at home". The Australian (paywalled). Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  9. ^ "Funnyman Jim Jefferies turns best man for brother's big day". The West. December 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  10. ^ Going on a Ride-Along with the Australian Police - The Jim Jefferies Show. YouTube. 23 October 2019. Event occurs at 01:30. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021.
  11. ^ Frances-White, Deborah; Shandur, Marsha (2016). Off The Mic:The World's Best Stand-Up Comedians Get Serious. Bloomsbury. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-4725-2638-0. I learned to tell stories...[prior to this,] I did little jokes
  12. ^ "Comic attacked on stage". Chortle.co.uk. 16 April 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  13. ^ "Jim Jeffries: How I got a scar on the back of my head" (Podcast). Boston, Massachusetts: WZLX-FM. 6 September 2011. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  14. ^ "Jim Jefferies: I Swear to God". HBO. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  15. ^ "Jim Jefferies Announces The Unusual Punishment Tour". Jim Jefferies. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  16. ^ "Jim Jefferies: The Unusual Punishment". Time Out London. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  17. ^ "Legit on FXX". Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  18. ^ Couch, Aaron (22 March 2013). "How FX's 'Legit' Became the Darling of the Disabled Community". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  19. ^ Pedersen, Erik (14 May 2014). "FXX's 'Legit' & FX's 'Chozen' Cancelled". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  20. ^ "Jim Jefferies Brings Inquisitive and International Point of View to Comedy Central in New Weekly Late Night Series". Comedy Central Press. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  21. ^ "The Jim Jefferies Show Debuts Tuesday 6 June at 1030 PM". Comedy Central Press. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  22. ^ Otterson, Joe (25 July 2017). "Comedy Central Orders More 'President Show,' 'Jim Jefferies Show'". Variety. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  23. ^ Petski, Denise (15 January 2018). "'The Jim Jefferies Show' Renewed For Second Season By Comedy Central". Deadline. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  24. ^ "Video: A Valentine's Day Message from Jim Jefferies - Season 2 of "The Jim Jefferies Show" Premieres 27 March on Comedy Central". TheFutonCritic.com. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  25. ^ Haring, Bruce (6 November 2019). "'The Jim Jefferies Show' To End Run On Comedy Central After 3 Seasons". Deadline. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  26. ^ "Jim Jefferies on Twitter - Starting Jim and Eddie Talkin' Shit". 16 November 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  27. ^ "Jim Jefferies on Twitter - Leaving Jim and Eddie Talkin' Shit". 30 November 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  28. ^ BBC Radio 5 live – Fighting Talk. BBC Online. Retrieved on 5 April 2012.
  29. ^ "Me and My Mates vs. The Zombie Apocalypse (2015)". IMDb. 14 April 2015.
  30. ^ "Me And My Mates vs The Zombie Apocalypse". Titan View. 2015. Archived from the original on 28 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  31. ^ Porter, Rick (23 January 2020). "Jim Jefferies to Star in NBC Comedy". The Hollywood Reporter.
  32. ^ "I Don't Know About That on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Archived from the original on 10 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  33. ^ "Aussie Comedian Jim Jefferies Upgrades to Brand New House in Studio City (EXCLUSIVE)". 5 June 2018.
  34. ^ The Jim Jefferies Show Podcast - Prohibition, Clowns & Dr. Zeus. ART19. 4 October 2017. Event occurs at 24:38. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  35. ^ Randall, Lee (6 August 2012). "Interview: Jim Jefferies, comedian". The Scotsman. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  36. ^ Sanders, Krystal; Collins, Simon (26 September 2020). "Perth comedian Jim Jefferies ties the knot to Tasie Lawrence". The West Australian.
  37. ^ "Tasie Lawrence on Instagram: "Married my best friend ❤️"".
  38. ^ Jefferies, Jim [@jimjefferies] (23 December 2015). "I'm an atheist who loves Christmas it's a very confusing time of year for me" (Tweet) – via Twitter.[dead link]
  39. ^ "Comedian Jim Jefferies on his Autism Diagnosis and Vaccines". 2 August 2016.
  40. ^ Jefferies, Jim (20 November 2018). "Jim Jefferies Writes About Becoming a U.S. Citizen for His Season Finale". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  41. ^ "Comedian Jim Jefferies' nephew Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent feared dead in helicopter crash". 31 July 2023.
  42. ^ https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/releases/2023-08-01/statement-behalf-family-lieutenant-maxwell-nugent

External links

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