Introduction
Geoff James Nugent (born 14 February 1977), known professionally as Jim Jefferies, is an Australian stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, and writer. He is best known for his work in American television, having created and starred in the FX sitcom Legit (2013–2014) and Comedy Central's late-night comedy The Jim Jefferies Show since 2017.
Early life
Jefferies was born Geoff James Nugent on 14 February 1977 in Sydney. His father was a cabinet maker and maintenance worker from Roma, Queensland, and his mother was a substitute teacher. Jefferies grew up in Sydney, before moving to Perth to study musical theatre and classical music at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. He began his stand-up comedy career once he left the Academy, several months before completing his degree, relocating initially to Sydney and then to the UK.
Career
Stand-up
Jefferies initially 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 stand-up with short-form jokes. He moved to anecdotal humour when he began doing hour-long sets. Jefferies first achieved international attention in 2007, when he was attacked onstage while performing at the Manchester Comedy Store. Footage of the incident was incorporated into his act and can be seen on his 2008 DVD, Contraband. He became famous in the United States in 2009, after his debut HBO special, I Swear to God.
Jefferies has performed at numerous festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Just for Laughs Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Reading and Leeds Festivals and the Glastonbury Festival. Jefferies has also performed routines on The World Stands Up, Comedy Blue and Edinburgh and Beyond for Comedy Central.
Following the release of his Netflix special, Freedumb, in July 2016, Jefferies has been performing The Unusual Punishment Tour with all-new material, and filmed his most recent comedy special "This Is Me Now," at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, in January 2018. On December 17, 2018 he completed his Night Talker tour with the final performance in Melbourne, Australia.
Acting
In February 2014 he starred in a low budget Australian feature film called Me and My Mates vs the Zombie Apocalypse with Australian comedians Greg Fleet and Alex Williamson, which premiered in Australian cinemas on 25 July 2015. It was released in DVD and on Vimeo in Australia and New Zealand in late 2015, in the UK and Ireland on 2 May 2016 and was released in the US on 5 July 2016.
Jim and Eddie Talkin' Shit
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.
Legit
Jefferies's comedy series Legit premiered on 17 January 2013 on FX. A second season premiered on 26 February 2014, having been moved to FXX. The series received positive attention among the disabled community for its portrayal of people with mental and physical disabilities. The series was cancelled after two seasons.
The Jim Jefferies Show
On 3 March 2017, Comedy Central announced The Jim Jefferies Show, a new ten-episode weekly series, that premiered on 6 June 2017. 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, that completed airing on 21 November 2017. On 15 January 2018, Comedy Central renewed the series for a twenty-episode second season, which premiered on 27 March 2018.
Other work
Jefferies has 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.
Personal life
Jefferies was previously in a relationship with actress Kate Luyben. Together, they have a son named Hank, born in November 2012. Jefferies describes himself as an atheist.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Me and My Mates vs the Zombie Apocalypse | Joel | |
| 2016 | Punching Henry | Charlie | |
| 2017 | Killing Hasselhoff | Tommy |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Last Chancers | Whoppit | |
| 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 |
| 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–present | The Jim Jefferies Show | Host; also creator, writer and executive producer | |
| 2018 | Jim Jefferies: This Is Me Now | Stand-up special |
Discography
- 2008: Hell Bound (CD)
- 2008: Contraband (DVD)
- 2009: I Swear to God (video download)
- 2010: Alcoholocaust (DVD)
- 2012: Fully Functional (video download/DVD)
- 2014: Bare (video download)
- 2016: Freedumb (video download)
- 2018: This Is Me Now (Netflix)