Russell Brand no longer seems to be in demand in Hollywood. He has found some modest work in recent years, but nothing compared to the late 2000s and the early 2010s when Brand was considered to be the next big thing. Brand found work with comedy legend Judd Apatow up until 2012 and he won over children’s hearts as Dr. Nefario in the Despicable Me / Minion franchise. In the 2010s, Brand became a tabloid favorite during his brief marriage and well-publicized divorce from Katy Perry.
But Brand’s acting career seems to have been sidelined over the past couple of years. This does not mean the comedian is short on cash by any means, but one has to wonder, as his credit list plateaus, is Russell Brand done with acting?
9 His Solo Projects Tended To Flop
Although Brand gained a reputation in America thanks to his role in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, his starring roles were not as lucrative. The semi-sequel starring his character, Get Him To The Greek, underperformed despite producers' high expectations, and Brand alienated a large chunk of both industry heads and American audiences after he bombed while hosting the 2008 MTV Music Video Awards. But the ultimate failure would be his remake of the Dudely Moore classic, Arthur, which only grossed a measly $12 million. His 2012 FX talk show BRAND X, was canceled after only one year.
8 He Stepped Back From Acting To Try Some Vlogging
While still finding work here and there, mostly as a voice actor thanks to Despicable Me, Brand’s acting career began to slow down around 2015 after he began his first YouTube channel, The Truews, which is short for "the True News". Eventually, being the fickle one he is, Brand grew tired of this project and retired from the show in 2017.
7 He Has Only Had 3 Film Roles Since 'Ballers' Ended
Brand had a recurring role on the HBO series Ballers starring Dwyane Johnson, but the show ended in 2019. Since then, Brand has only added three more film credits to his resume and just a handful of TV cameos. The only two films he has coming out in the next year are Minions: The Rise of Gru, a prequel to Despicable Me, and Death on the Nile, a remake of the Agatha Christie classic, in which he has a supporting role. Both films aren’t set for release until 2022.
6 He Doesn't Need The Money
When speculating about Russell Brand’s career, it's important to remember that one reason he might not be working as much as other actors is because he doesn't need to. In his divorce from Katy Perry, Brand landed at least $20 million because the two never had a prenup. Brand still boasts a net worth of $18 million.
5 He’s Become A Prolific Writer Since 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'
His 2014 book, Revolution, was a bestseller and so was his 2017 book Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions. In 2019, Brand released another book, Mentors: How to Help and Be Helped. He has also branched into children’s and young adult literature with his retelling of a classic fairytale, The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Before any of these, Brand had also written a memoir, My Booky Wook, which was released in 2007 and saw a sequel in 2010 with Booky Wook 2.
4 His Podcast Is Thriving
Brand returned to Youtube and began podcasting with his new program Under The Skin in 2017. Much like The Joe Rogan Experience, Brand often has on controversial figures and listeners argue whether or not the host is giving his approval to problematic politics (more on this later). Brand also has a second podcast, Football Is Nice, where he talks about his soccer obsession with other fans of the sport.
3 His Stand Up Tours Don't Feature A Lot Of Stand Up Anymore
Brand rose to fame as a stand-up comic, and he is still touring. However, his shows have evolved and are now less of a stand-up special and are more like book tours and motivational speeches where Brand advocates for transcendental meditation, nonviolent revolution, and spirituality.
2 He’s Now A Part Of The Controversial Anti-Vax Movement
While Brand claims he is not anti-vaccine, he has begun to alienate members of his audience by sharing rhetoric used by anti-vaxxers. He is now sharing conspiracy theories about CDC head Dr. Fauci and is perpetuating unsubstantiated rumors about the COVID-19 virus and vaccines. Brand has even begun comparing vaccine mandates to Nazism, much to the offense of several Jews and Holocaust survivors. Most controversially, Brand sided with Joe Rogan and his use of Ivermectin (a horse medication) to treat his COVID.
1 People Are Not Hiring Brand
While he alienates himself thanks to this new obsession with vaccine conspiracies, Brand has also burned several bridges in the Hollywood and UK film industries. He was booted from his UK tv show in the early 2000s for doing a bit dressed as Osama Bin Laden and his US show Brand X only aired for one year. Judd Apatow has not put him in a film since 2012 and Brand doesn’t seem to have many friends left in Hollywood. This could be because many in Hollywood have not forgiven him for divorcing Katy Perry, which he did via text. Between his alienating behaviors, his poor box office draws, and his success in new mediums, Brand might be on his way out of Hollywood for good.