Jeff Mirza is a pioneering British stand-up comedian and actor of Pakistani descent. His family settled in the UK in the early 1950s, and he began his comedy career at 14, sharing stories about his summer trips to Pakistan during school assemblies.
After earning a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and a Master's in Engineering from the University of Westminster, he joined a comedy group called The Men from ChaCha. Their sketch "The Chappattidales," a parody of the Chippendales, marked his early foray into comedy.
In 1993, Mirza won the Hackney Empire East West Quest, which propelled him into a full-time comedy career. He gained further recognition as a finalist in the BBC Open Mic Award in 1995 and co-starred in "Haggis & Curry" with Scottish comedian Brian Higgins. This success led him to leave his job as a structural engineer to focus on comedy.
Mirza is known for blending stereotypical and Islamic humour, making him a prominent figure in both the Asian and mainstream comedy scenes. He has performed at major comedy clubs in London, including Jongleurs and The Comedy Store, and has toured internationally. A significant achievement was being the first British Muslim comedian to perform a sell-out show in Saudi Arabia.
Beyond stand-up, Mirza has engaged in interfaith initiatives, presenting the world's first interfaith game show, "Faith Off," at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2011, and moderating various interfaith discussions. His efforts to foster understanding between communities have earned him respect.
In acting, Mirza has appeared in films like "Blinded by the Light," "Mogul Mowgli," and "Desi Boyz," as well as television shows such as "White Teeth" and "Doctors." He has received several awards, including the BT Ethnic Multicultural Media Academy Comedy Award in 2001 and the BEFFTA Legends Award in 2018. Throughout his career, Mirza has been a trailblazer in comedy, known for his sharp wit and commitment to interfaith dialogue.
