TORONTO - 2009 was a big year for Canadian Russell Peters, who celebrated his 20th year in comedy, made the list of the world's top earning comics, and recently dined with the king of Jordan.
"I still look back and I go, 'This is insane, it doesn't make any sense,"' the 39-year-old comic said in a recent interview in Toronto.
"I figured I'd be doing comedy for the rest of my life, I just didn't realize I'd be successful at it. I was quite happy just being a working comic, I would have no problem with that, but to achieve the things I've done in the amount of time that I've done it in is pretty crazy for me."
Peters is best known for his comic take on racial and cultural stereotypes and went from the lower rungs of playing comedy clubs across the country to sold-out shows at New York's Madison Square Garden and Toronto's Air Canada Centre.
In July, Forbes ranked Peters alongside luminaries such as Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock as the most successful comics of the previous 12 months, based on earnings. Peters made the list at US$10 million.
"That was pretty cool, you know, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock -- Larry the Cable Guy," Peters said with a laugh.
"After that came out everyone started calling me saying, 'Hey man, listen, can I borrow a couple bucks man, come on you've got $10 million.' That's the funny thing ... if it says you grossed $10 million you may have pocketed three, if you're lucky, and that's just the way it goes."
"Three million, god, that's ... I don't know how you live," joked Kathleen McGee, a fellow comic, who was sitting alongside Peters to promote a contest he organized with Sirius Canada.
McGee and Jack Dani were among hundreds of comics who submitted videos of their material online and as the winners, they'll get a chance to open up for Peters at one of his shows.
It's appropriate that Peters is giving two comics a big break through online video, given he got noticed outside Canada through YouTube around 2004.
"It's a different way of discovering people nowadays, not like back in the day when you had to earn it," he joked.
"But you still have to go to a comedy club, because watching comedy live is very different than watching it on the Internet. It's like a taste ... that's what the Internet is now, sample this, if you like it come and see it live -- it's even better."
Peters is currently working on a book and is "polishing" material that will eventually be recorded for a DVD. He'd like to branch out into TV or movies but hasn't got the right offer yet.
"Obviously that's one of the reasons I haven't done anything yet -- because I'm very picky with what I do and I believe I choose projects wisely and I want to make sure that whatever I do is right for me," he said.
"I'm looking forward to doing film and TV projects ... but in that world there's so many people involved and you really have to wait for them to be ready to move.
"I'm ready, so whenever they're ready, I'm ready to move with them."
