\"What a Country\" Yakov Smirnoff Hand Signed 8X10 Color Photo COA For Sale

Yakov Naumovich Pokhis (Russian: Яков Наумович Похис;born 24 January 1951), better known as Yakov Smirnoff (/ˈsmɪərnɒf/),is a Soviet-born American comedian, actor and writer. After emigrating to the United Statesin 1977, Smirnoff began performing as a stand-upcomic. He reached his biggest success in the mid-to-late 1980s,appearing in several films and the television sitcom vehicle What aCountry!. His comic persona was of a naive immigrant from the Soviet Unionwho was perpetually confused and delighted by life in the United States. Hishumor combined a mockery of life under Communismand of consumerismin the United States, as well as word playcaused by misunderstanding of American phrases and culture, all punctuated bythe catchphrase, \"And I thought, \'What a country!\'\" The collapse of Communism starting in 1989,and the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991,brought an end to Smirnoff\'s widespread popularity, although he continued toperform. In 1992, he bought his own theater in Branson,Missouri, where he performed his last show on December 3, 2015. Inthe late 1990s, prompted by his divorce, he retooled his stand-up act to focuson the differences between men and women, and on solving problems withinrelationships.Smirnoff now teaches a course titled \"The Business ofLaughter\" at Missouri State University and at DruryUniversity.