Yakov Smirnoff

Books mentioned

1. 

   His Needs, Her Needs

   Willard F. Harley Jr.

   Mentioned by Yakov Smirnoff · at 00:23:35 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)

   Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)

Timestamps are segment start times from the podscripts.co transcript of the audio release (includes ad reads), so they may differ from the video by a few minutes.

Comedian Yakov Smirnoff discusses his career journey from Soviet comedy to American success, including his childhood in the USSR, emigration, and rise at The Comedy Store. He also talks about his move to Branson, psychology studies, and reflections on comedy styles and fellow performers.

What they talked about

• Mural painted at Ground Zero
• Moving to Branson after Soviet collapse
• Using comedy to study relationships and divorce
• Master's degree in psychology on marriage needs
• Escaping the Soviet Union via visa deal
• Learning English and starting stand-up in the U.S
• Writing jokes for Reagan's Moscow speech
• History of the Comedy Store and Mitzi Shore

• Comedy & Entertainment
• History
• Psychology & Self-Help

Data last updated Oct 2, 2026 · Report a mistake · How we source this: mentions are pulled from public transcripts and episode descriptions, partly with AI-assisted extraction, so details and timestamps can be off.