A COMIC WHO WORRIES ABOUT EVERYTHING? YOU’RE KIDDING RIGHT? NOT WHEN YOU’RE DEALING WITH BRUCE SMIRNOFF. ON STAGE, BRUCE HAS A WAY OF PULLING PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE INTO HIS WORLD WHERE ANYONE CAN RELATE TO HIS TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS.

HIS STAGE PERSONA IS A CROSS-BETWEEN WOODY ALLEN AND RODNEY DANGERFIELD.COMBINING THIRTY-ONE YEARS OF WRITING AND PERFORMANCE.

SEATED ON A STOOL, SMIRNOFF’S CORDIAL MANNER ENGAGING MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE, SPEAKING TO THEM AS IF THEY WERE STILL IN HIS LIVING ROOM, IS PLEASANT AND UNFORCED! HIS DELIVERY IS AS SMOOTH AS FRESH CREAM AND IN BETWEEN THE ONE-LINERS ARE LESSONS ABOUT GRIT AND DETERMINATION THAT ARE PAINFUL, PERCEPTIVE AND POIGNANT! SMIRNOFF’S TRADEMARK VOCAL TONE WHEN DELIVERING HIS PUNCHLINES IS OFTEN MIMICKED OFF STAGE BY MANY OF TODAYS TOP COMEDIANS.

BRUCE SMIRNOFF WAS BORN IN BRIDGEPORT CT IN 1956. HIS SHOW BUSINESS CAREER BEGAN AT THE AGE OF 8 WHEN HIS PARENTS; NATHAN AND BARBARA, TOOK HIM TO GROSSINGER’S RESORT IN THE CATSKILL MOUNTAINS WHERE HE SAW THE GREAT DICK SHAWN PERFORM LIVE. SOMETHING CLICKED INSIDE BRUCE’S MIND AND HE WAS “HOOKED.” 

WHILE ATTENDING FILM SCHOOL AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY IN 1975, BRUCE BEGAN PERFORMING STAND-UP AND BECAME PART OF THE TREMENDOUS COMEDY BOOM THAT ULTIMATELY SWEPT BEAN TOWN IN THE EIGHTIES.

DURING HIS SUMMER BREAKS AT B.U., BRUCE WENT BACK TO THE CATSKILLS TO WORK ON THE SOCIAL STAFF AT THE BRICKMAN HOTEL.WHILE THERE HE MET AND BECAME FRIENDS WITH SOME OF THE TRUE COMIC FORCES IN THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING HIS FRIEND AND MENTOR, THE GREAT, JACKIE MASON.

AFTER GRADUATION, BRUCE LANDED IN LOS ANGELES AND BECAME A DOORMAN AND HOUSE EMCEE AT BUDD FRIEDMAN’S IMPROV ON MELROSE AVE.  IN HOLLYWOOD. HIS TIME THERE AND THE COMEDY EXPLOSION OF THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES PROPELLED BRUCE TO NIGHT CLUBS FROM MAINE TO ALASKA BRUCE APPEARED ON OVER TWO DOZEN NATIONAL TELEVISION PROGRAMS AND IN 1996, HE LAUNCHED HIS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, AWARD WINNING, ONE MAN SHOW, "OTHER THAN MY HEALTH I HAVE NOTHING…AND TODAY I DON'T FEEL SO GOOD." THE SHOW RAN TWO YEARS IN LOS ANGELES THEN MADE STOPS IN TORONTO, NEW YORK, CLEVELAND AND KANSAS CITY. THE NARRATIVE RECOUNTS BRUCE’S STRANGE, FUNNY, AND 100% TRUE ENCOUNTERS WITH SOME OF HOLLYWOOD’S LARGEST ICONS. IT IS 90 MINUTES OF SHOW BUSINESS DISASTER STORIES THA ONE L.A. CRITIC CALLED; “SO UNBELIEVABLE, IT’S BELIEVABLE!”

IMAGINE THIS OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME; JOHNNY CARSON MAKES A RARE APPEARANCE AT THE HOLLYWOOD IMPROV AND OWNER BUDD FRIEDMAN DECIDES TO PUT BRUCE ON FOR JOHNNY TO “DISCOVER.”  BRUCE IS SPECTACULAR FOR TWO MINUTES UNTIL A DRUNKEN, DRUGED-OUT HECKLER. (THE SON OF BRUCE’S AGENT) INTERRUPTS AND DESTROYS SMIRNOFF’S CONFIDENCE AND PERFORMANCE. BRUCE HAS TO LEAVE THE STAGE DEFEATED IN FRONT OF THE TALK SHOW ICON. A LITTLE LATER, AFTER JOHNNY HAS HAD A FEW TOO MANY COCKTAILS, BUDD MAKES BRUCE DRIVE HIM (AND A SEXY BLONDE THE STAR HAS PICKED UP) HOME ONLY TO ENCOUNTER FURTHER DISASTER UPON ARRIVING AT CARSON’S BEL-AIRE MANSION WHEN A DOZEN “HANGER-ONERS” FROM THE IMPROV BAR FOLLOW THEM TO JOHNNY’S HOUSE “TO PARTY.”

AT THE MONTREAL COMEDY FESTIVAL IN 1996, THE SHOW WAS RECEIVED WITH STANDING OVATIONS. IN 1999 BRUCE WON THE PRESTIGIOUS ADA AWARD IN LOS ANGELES, ACCEPTING IT FROM COMEDY LEGEND FRED WILLARD.

IN JAN. OF 2001, BRUCE FULFILLED A LIFELONG DREAM OF MOVING TO NEW YORK. AFTER 2 WINTERS, THE DREAM WAS OVER AND HE MOVED TO MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA.

BRUCE EARNED A B. S. IN FILM AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY.  IN L.A. HE STUDIED 4 YEARS WITH THE HARVEY LEMBECK COMEDY IMPROV WORKSHOP.

HE WORKED WITH THE REKNOWN MARK TRAVIS (A BRONX TALE) IN DEVELOPING HIS ONE MAN SHOW,

CURRENTLY, BRUCE CAN BE SEEN AT THE NATIONAL CHAINS OF THE COMEDY STOPS IN LAS VEGAS, LAUGHLIN, AND ATLANTIC CITY. WHEN IN NEW YORK YOU CAN SEE HIM AT THE COMIC STRIP AND DANGERIELDS, AND OF COURSE WHEN HE’S IN LOS ANGELES LOOK FOR HIM AT THE COMEDY STORE AND LAUGH FACTORY.

AS AN OPENING ACT HE HAS HAD THE THRILL AND HONOR OF OPENING FOR STARS LIKE THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS, PETER NERO, BARBARA MCNAIR, JULIO IGLESIAS, AND ANDREW DICE CLAY.