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Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975) is an English comedian, actor, presenter, activist, and campaigner. He has received three British Comedy Awards and nomination for a BAFTA Award. After beginning his career as a comedian and later becoming an MTV presenter in the UK, in 2004 Brand gained a role as the host of the television show Big Brother's Big Mouth, a Big Brother spin-off. Brand had his first major film role in British comedy St Trinian's (2007) before starring in the Hollywood comedies Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Get Him to the Greek (2010), Arthur (2011), and Rock of Ages (2012). He also voiced roles in the animated films Despicable Me (2010), Hop (2011), Despicable Me 2 (2013), and Trolls (2016). In 2013, he released the successful stand-up special Messiah Complex. He hosted his own radio show The Russell Brand Show (2006–2008, 2010, 2013, 2017) and also hosts the podcasts Stay Free with Russell Brand and Under the Skin with Russell Brand. In 2009, Brand attended the 2009 G20 London summit protests. Three years later, the Dalai Lama selected him to host the Buddhist leader's 2012 youth event in Manchester, due to "the power of spirituality to effect change in his own life". Brand testified in front of a parliamentary committee in April 2012, about drug addiction. He shared his BBC Three documentary, Russell Brand: From Addiction to Recovery and his view that drugs should be decriminalised. Since guest-editing an edition of British political weekly New Statesman in 2013, Brand has become known as a public activist and campaigner, and has spoken on a wide range of political and cultural issues, including wealth inequality, addiction, corporate capitalism, climate change, and media bias. In 2014, he launched his political-comedy web series The Trews on YouTube, released a book entitled Revolution, and acted in the documentary The Emperor's New Clothes. Over the course of his career, Brand has been the subject of frequent media coverage and controversy for issues such as his promiscuity, drug use, political views, provocative behaviour at various award ceremonies, his dismissal from MTV, and his resignation from the BBC amid a prank call controversy. He has incorporated many of his controversial public acts into his comedic material. In March 2015, a biographical documentary was released called Brand: A Second Coming. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brand's YouTube channel underwent an increase in activity and change in political direction, and was accused of promoting COVID denialism and conspiracy theories. In September 2023, following a joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4's documentary series Dispatches, five women publicly accused Brand of rape and sexual and emotional abuse. The allegations concern incidents between the years 2006 and 2013 and were featured in the episode Russell Brand: In Plain Sight. Following the allegations, a further report of an alleged sexual assault was made against Brand to the Metropolitan Police, dating from 2003. Brand has denied the allegations and said his relationships have always been consensual.