Nazeem Hussain

Nazeem Hussain
Hussain in 2015
Born
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Notable workSalam Café, Legally Brown, Orange Is the New Brown
Comedy career
Medium
  • Stand-up
  • television
  • radio
  • film
Websitewww.jubileest.com/nazeem-hussain

Nazeem Hussain is an Australian comedian, actor, and television and radio presenter.

He is best known as the creator and star of two television comedy shows, Legally Brown and Orange Is the New Brown. He also has multiple comedy specials, including Nazeem Hussain: Public Frenemy (2019) on Netflix and 'Hussain in the Membrane' (2022) on Youtube. He also appeared as a correspondent for both seasons of the hit Netflix series ‘Bill Nye Saves the World’ with American scientist and TV personality Bill Nye (popularly known as ‘Bill Nye the Science guy’).

Hussain released his first children’s book series, Hy-larious Hyena, through Scholastic Australia, in 2022.[1]

Early life and education

Nazeem Hussain was born in 1985 or 1986,[2] and was raised in Melbourne, Victoria, to parents of Sri Lankan descent.[3] He has two sisters. His parents met in London and moved to Melbourne for his father's work, but they separated when Hussain was six, and his father returned to Sri Lanka.[2]

He attended Ashburton Primary School and Melbourne High School.[3] Some of his later comedic work is based on the bullying and racism he experienced as a child.[4]

He later graduated from Deakin University[3] with degrees in law and science.[2]

Career

Stand-up comedy

As a stand-up comic, Hussain was awarded the Best Newcomer Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2008.[5] He has been nominated for the Helpmann Award for Best Comedy Performer.[6]

He has performed around the world, including sold-out tours at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and London's Soho Theatre.[7]

Hussain's Netflix comedy special, titled Nazeem Hussain: Public Frenemy, filmed at Montreal's Just for Laughs festival, began streaming worldwide in 2019.[8] This garnered him a significant number of new fans, and received positive reviews from critics. Both Funny or Die and Chortle included Hussain's special among their top picks.[9][10] He opened for Dave Chappelle in New York City, and across Australia on his national tour.[11] Hussain also opened for Aziz Ansari in Sydney in 2019.

Television

Hussain has appeared in many Australian and international comedy TV shows and reality TV programs.

Hussain performed as Calvin Khan - the 'Very Foreign Correspondent' - on Balls of Steel Australia on the Comedy Channel.[12] He also starred and co-wrote on the cult-hit show Salam Cafe on SBS, which received a Logie Award nomination in 2009.[13]

He is known for his work as the creator and lead of the popular TV show Legally Brown, which aired on SBS Television for two seasons in 2013 and 2014.[14] The show was nominated in the Most Outstanding Comedy category at the 2015 Logie Awards.

In 2017, Hussain became known to mainstream audiences on season 3 of the Australian version of 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!. He reached the Grand Finale after 46 days spent in the South African jungle. His campmates included Dane Swan, Steve Price, Casey Donovan, and Natalie Bassingthwaighte.[15]

In October 2018, his TV comedy series Orange Is the New Brown aired on Channel 7 at prime time.[16] It received rave reviews and viewer numbers. Hussain created and starred in the show. Other cast members included Claudia Karvan, Tim Minchin, Urzila Carlson, and Kat Stewart. Many of the sketches from the series went viral, with some clips receiving over 10 million views.[17]

Hussain was an official correspondent for both seasons of the Netflix series Bill Nye Saves the World,[18] alongside renowned American scientist and television personality Bill Nye. Hussain's fellow correspondents included: Karlie Kloss, Derek Muller, Emily Calandrelli, and Joanna Hausmann.[19]

Hussain placed third on the Amazon original comedy series Last One Laughing Australia, where Rebel Wilson served as the host, alongside some of Australia's most popular comedians, in a high-stakes competition to make each other laugh while maintaining a straight face.[20]

In 2024, he was named in the cast for ABC series The Role of a Lifetime.[21] In 2025 he appeared as a contestant on Claire Hooper's House of Games.[22]

In 2026, he voiced Archie in The Pout-Pout Fish, alongside Nick Offerman, Jordin Sparks, and Amy Sedaris.[23]

Hussain appeared as a guest on Virginia Trioli's ABC TV show Creative Types in March 2026. He appears in the upcoming sitcom Separated at Birth, with Urzila Carlson.[4]

Other media

Hussain's first podcast, Burn Your Passport, won iTunes Best Comedy Podcast in 2016 and was ranked in the top 20 most-listened-to podcasts in Australia.[24] He is also the host of the ABC's Pineapple Project.

Hussain created and starred in the Audible Original podcast Rogue Son, a personal and humorous exploration of his relationship with his Sri Lankan heritage and the complexities of cultural identity.[25] Rogue Son proved to be a major hit, with positive reviews from critics and listeners, ranking high on Audible's most popular podcasts.[26]

In 2022, Hussain released his first new children’s book series, Hy-larious Hyena, through Scholastic Australia.[27]

Personal life

Hussain met his wife at university, and they married in a Muslim ceremony in 2015, but separated in 2018. They have a daughter together.[2]

Filmography and discography

Albums and TV specials

Solo albums and TV specials
Title Release date Debut medium
Comedians of the World – Public Frenemy 1 January 2019 Streaming TV (Netflix)
Hussain in the Membrane 5 November 2022 Streaming TV (YouTube)
Totally Normal 3 February 2025 Streaming TV (YouTube)
Collaborative albums and TV specials
Title Release date Debut medium
Fear of a Brown Planet 31 August 2011 DVD Video
Comedy in Color: Volume 3 10 December 2021 Audio streaming

References

  1. ^ Hussain, Nazeem (2022). Hy-larious Hyena. Scholastic Australia. ISBN 9781760979706.
  2. ^ a b c d Doreian, Robyn (25 April 2020). "What I know about women with comedian Nazeem Hussain". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 March 2026. Occupation: Comedian and actor. Age 34.
  3. ^ a b c "No pain, no gain for comedian Hussain". Herald Sun. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b Trioli, Virginia (26 March 2026). "Why comedian Nazeem Hussain laughs about the things that make him want to cry". ABC News. Retrieved 30 March 2026.
  5. ^ "Awards". Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  6. ^ Solarsh, Raphael (29 March 2016). "Nazeem Hussain - Hussain in the Membrane". ArtsHub Australia. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Nazeem Hussain: Public Frenemy". Soho Theatre. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  8. ^ Burke, Tina (11 July 2018). "Joel Creasey & Nazeem Hussain to join 47 comedians for epic Netflix stand-up special". Now To Love. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  9. ^ Bennett, Steve. "Comedians Of The World - Nazeem Hussain: Public Frenemy : Reviews 2019 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  10. ^ "'Comedians of the World ' Is A Glorious Comedy Melting Pot". Funny Or Die. 12 January 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  11. ^ "The making of Nazeem Hussain". ABC listen. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  12. ^ Kellett, Christine (6 September 2010). "Balls drop into place for Chaser boy". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Inside Muslim Melbourne". The Age. 27 August 2005. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Australia Needs More Brown People On TV". Junkee. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  15. ^ Carmody, Broede (12 March 2017). "I'm A Celeb 2017: The important thing Nazeem Hussain learnt on I'm A Celebrity". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  16. ^ Burke, Tina (7 September 2018). "Nazeem Hussain, Urzila Carlson and Matt Okine to star in Seven's new sketch show". Now To Love. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  17. ^ "Nazeem Hussain (@nazeemhussain) Official". TikTok. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  18. ^ Lieu, Johnny (15 February 2017). "Bill Nye's new correspondent whose stereotype-challenging work you need to see". Mashable. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  19. ^ "Karlie Kloss Is Teaming Up with Bill Nye". Vanity Fair. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  20. ^ "Mercado on TV: Rebel Wilson with comedy's biggest bitches & dirty dogs". 18 June 2020.
  21. ^ Knox, David (18 July 2024). "Production begins on The Role Of A Lifetime for ABC | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  22. ^ "Claire Hooper's House Of Games: Series 1". iview.abc.net.au. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  23. ^ "'THE POUT-POUT FISH' IS SET TO MAKE A SPLASH IN CINEMAS ACROSS AUSTRALIA FROM NEW YEAR'S DAY!". FilmInk. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  24. ^ "Nazeem Hussain - Hire Keynote and Guest Speaker". ICMI. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  25. ^ "Nazeem Hussain: Rogue Son".
  26. ^ "Melbourne comedian Nazeem Hussain returns to TV".
  27. ^ Hy-larious Hyena, by Nazeem Hussain.
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