Call Me Russell: Inside the Outside
This candid memoir chronicles the life of comedian Russell Peters from his humble beginnings in the suburbs of Toronto, where he was a scrawny, brown, bullied kid with ADD, to his remarkable rise as one of the world's most beloved, top-earning comics.Russell's inspirational story starts with his Anglo-Indian working-class roots, his parents' emigration from India in 1965, and their arrival in Canada with $100, a ten-month-old son, and no one to turn to. He reveals the surprising level of racism that still existed in the 1970s and '80s and how it stopped his father from realizing his dreams of becoming a journalist. That same racism forever changed a five-year-old Russell—making him eternally aware of the color of his skin and the fact that he was somehow different from everybody else.In school, Russell was the kid who teachers thought would never amount to much in life. But like his father, Russell was a born fighter. He quickly learned how to stick up for himself—in school, in the boxing ring, and later, in comedy clubs and arenas around the world.An aimless nineteen-year-old smartass, Russell turned to comedy. A few faint giggles from an otherwise uninterested crowd at an open-mic night were all he needed. Russell was hooked and a dream was born.A mere sixteen years after his first time on stage and immediately following the death of his father, Russell's career exploded. Thanks to YouTube, the Internet, and his belief in his father's guiding hand from the beyond, a legion of loyal fans fell in love with his unique take on race, culture, and tales of his family. From Boston to Beirut, and from San Francisco to Singapore, Russell Peters became the voice of a changing, post-9/11, multicultural world.Here, for the first time, Russell shares everything from heartfelt memories of his family and childhood to his early, fumbling relationships with women to becoming a father. From family photos that date from the 1920s to baby pictures, class photos, and never-before-seen early set lists, Russell opens up his life and his heart to his fans.This book is an honest account of a comic's life on the road, backstage, and in the back rooms of Hollywood. Frank, revealing, and sometimes shocking, Call Me Russell is a must-read—a deeply inspirational story for aspiring artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone with big dreams for a better future. Russell Peters is living proof that if you have hope, work hard, and persevere, those dreams will come true.