COMEDIAN
Jeff Mirza
Since Winning the EMMA Award
Jeff Mirza is a British Pakistani Stand-Up Comedian and Actor who in 2003 performed his show Walking with Muslims at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The show coincided with the 2003 Iraq War and as a result, he gained worldwide acclaim for his performance as Saddam Hussein, who was on the run at the time.
Jeff is regularly involved with interfaith dialogue between different communities and is often called to lighten up and moderate contentious debates between multi-faith conservatives.
In 2018, he was Awarded a BEFFTA Legends Award. He also went on to star in mainstream films such as 2013’s Hummingbird, 2019’s Blinded by the Light, 2021’s Eternals and 2022’s What’s Love Got to Do with It?
Throughout his career, Jeff has dominated both the Asian and general comedy markets. He is also the first British Muslim comic to perform stand-up comedy in Saudi Arabia.
Background (Before 2001)
Born to Pakistani parents and raised in the East End of London, Jeff Mirza developed a passion for making people laugh when he was 14 years old.
His career as a comedian started while he was studying for a Master’s Degree in Engineering, when he joined a comedy group called “The Men from ChaCha.” He was a finalist in the BBC Open Mic Award for The Stand-Up Show. Since his initial success, Jeff gave up his job as a structural engineer and began working as a full-time stand-up comedian.
After being awarded the Hackney Empire East West Quest, he immediately stormed the stand-up circuit. Mirza has written magazine columns and starred in the 1995 classic Haggis & Curry alongside Brian Higgins.
