Jim Jefferies

Jim Jefferies Headshot

Comedian • Actor • Writer

Birth Date: February 14, 1977

Age: 47 years old

Birth Place: Sydney, Australia

Historically, Australian comedians have struggled to find success with American audiences, but stand-up performer Jim Jefferies bucked the trend with a popular HBO special and his own comedy series, "Legit" (FXX 2013-14). The comic's predilection for hot-button topics - his own avowed atheism and stories about various forms of chemical-induced misbehavior - made him a favorite on the college and festival circuits in the United Kingdom and America. A 2009 HBO comedy special solidified his rising popularity in the States, which was soon followed by his first television series, "Legit." The show, which followed a fictionalized version of Jefferies as he navigated the more eccentric corners of Los Angeles, offered plenty of raw drug- and sex-related gags, but surprised many with its unvarnished portrayal of characters with disabilities, many played by real-life actors with various physical and mental issues. The success of the show and Jefferies' continued rise on the international comedy scene indicated that his star had yet to reach its highest point in the entertainment industry.

Born Geoff James Nugent on February 14, 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, he initially trained as an opera singer before moving into stand-up comedy. Billing himself as Jim Jeffries and then "Jefferies" to avoid confusion with another performer by the same name, he began performing in clubs before working his way up to the festival circuit. There, his caustic brand of humor, which touched on issues of religion, sex and drugs, won him a following in the United Kingdom, where he appeared on various comedy-driven television shows. In 2007, he made international news when a fan assaulted him on stage after taking umbrage at a comment Jefferies made to an intrusive heckler. The exposure from the event appeared to give a boost Jefferies' profile, and he soon completed a sold-out, week-long run at the 2007 Just for Laugh festival in Montreal, Canada before appearing with Denis Leary at the New York Comedy Festival that same year. Paramount Television offered him a pilot series in 2008, but he found greater success with his first HBO special, "I Swear To God" (2009). A comedy album, "Alcoholocaust," followed in 2010, as did a popular podcast, "Jim and Eddie Talking Sh*t" with fellow comic Eddie Ifft. Jefferies departed the podcast in 2012 to focus on his first American television series, "Legit." Jefferies served as producer of the series as well as its star, playing a broad version of himself as a shiftless Australian comedian in America. The series drew praise from critics for its unsentimental portrayal of individuals with disabilities, from series co-star DJ Qualls as a man with muscular dystrophy, to actors with Down Syndrome and dwarfism.

Credits

The 1% Club

Host
Show
2023

Jim Jefferies: High & Dry

Self
Show
2023

Access Daily With Mario & Kit

Guest
Show
2022

So Dumb It's CriminalStream

Guest
Talk
2022

On Tour/On Course

Self
Show
2022

Overserved With Lisa VanderpumpStream

Self
Reality
2021

Celebrity Wheel of FortuneStream

Guest
Game Show
2021

Extinct

Voice
Burnie
Movie
2021

Best of Stand-Up 2020

Actor
Show
2020

I Can See Your VoiceStream

Guest
Game Show
2020

Just for Laughs: Uncut

Guest
Show
2020

Jim Jefferies: Intolerant

Actor
Show
2020

Feeding America Comedy Festival

Actor
Show
2020

Jim Jefferies @ JFL (Volume Two)

Host
Show
2020

Jim Jefferies @ JFL (Volume One)

Host
Show
2020

Lights Out With David SpadeStream

Guest
Talk
2019

Jim Jefferies: This Is Me Now

Actor
Show
2018

Jim Jefferies: This Is Me Now

Executive Producer
Show
2018

Jim Jefferies: This Is Me Now

Screenwriter
Show
2018

Daily Blast Live

Guest
Show
2017

The Sunday Project

Guest
Show
2017

The Jim Jefferies Show

Executive Producer
Show
2017

The Jim Jefferies Show

Host
Show
2017

The Goddamn Comedy Jam

Actor
Show
2016

Jim Jefferies: Freedumb

Actor
Show
2016

Jim Jefferies: Freedumb

Executive Producer
Show
2016

Jim Jefferies: Freedumb

Screenwriter
Show
2016

ChelseaStream

Guest
Talk
2016
41%

Not Safe With Nikki Glaser

Guest
Show
2016

Dying Laughing

Self
Movie
2016

And Punching the Clown

Actor
Charlie
Movie
2016

Jay Leno's GarageStream

Self
Reality
2015

At Midnight With Chris HardwickStream

Guest
Game Show
2015

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

Guest
Talk
2015

World's Funniest FailsStream

Guest
Reality
2015

Me and My Mates vs. The Zombie Apocalypse

Actor
Joel
Movie
2015

The LibrariansStream

Guest Star
British Santa
Series
2014

Bad Judge

Guest Star
Series
2014
20%

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonStream

Guest
Talk
2014

The Pete Holmes Show

Guest
Show
2013

At Midnight With Chris Hardwick

Guest
Show
2013

LegitStream

Actor
Jim
Series
2013
94%

LegitStream

Creator
Series
2013
94%

LegitStream

Executive Producer
Series
2013
94%

LegitStream

Writer
Series
2013
94%

Jim Jefferies: Fully Functional

Self
Show
2012

Jim Jefferies: Contraband

Actor
Show
2012

Jim Jefferies: Contraband

Screenwriter
Show
2012

CBS This Morning: Saturday

Guest
Show
2012

Jim Jefferies: Alcoholocaust - Live From London

Actor
Show
2011

Jim Jefferies: Alcoholocaust

Actor
Show
2010

ConanStream

Guest
Talk
2010

Lopez Tonight

Actor
Show
2009

The Project

Guest
Show
2009

Grouchy Young Men

Actor
Show
2009

Jim Jefferies: I Swear to God

Actor
Show
2009

Jim Jefferies: I Swear to God

Writer
Show
2009

Down & Dirty With Jim Norton

Guest
Show
2008

Live at Gotham

Host
Show
2006

8 Out of 10 Cats

Self
Show
2005

Real Time With Bill MaherStream

Guest
Talk
2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

Guest
Talk
2003

Last Call With Carson Daly

Guest
Talk
2002

Just for Laughs

Guest
Show
1996

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