Most folks know Russell Brand as an observational humorist, a rock and roll stand-up comedian, and Katy Perry's former husband. Few know him as an author, essayist and radio deejay. Even fewer know this latter day Renaissance man as talk show host.

A rough childhood
Before the sex, drugs and stand-up comedy, Brand was born Russell Edward Brand on June 5, 1975, in Grays, Essex, England. He barely had a chance to know his parents as a married couple - none, considering Barbara Elizabeth and Ronald Henry Brand where divorced with Brand turned six months old.

He grew up with Elizabeth and the two, together, had a bit of a rough go for a while.

Brand felt as if he didn't fit in with friends and family. And he suffered from several setbacks, including alleged abuse at the hands of a school tutor at age 7 and lived with relatives when he was 8 and 9 while his mother battled both uterine and breast cancer.

His teens brought on more struggles. He struggled through a bout of bulimia nervosa when he was 14. And arguments with his mother's live-in partner led him to leave home at age 16. The fall-out was a dip into drugs and alcohol abuse.

Brand's father took on an entirely different role - unstable but fun. According to Brand, in an interview with Piers Morgan, his father's financial situation was a roller coaster ride. He would drive Brand around in expensive cars and treat him to exotic - and inappropriate - vacations. Then the next, he would be broke and living with Brand's grandmother.

Bitten by the acting bug
There was a bright spot in Brand's early years, though: the stage.

Brand began acting as a teenager and intended to carry that over into his studies. Instead, he was expelled during his first year of theatre school - a year that was funded on a scholarship and could have been full-ride. He eventually wound up a student at the Drama Centre London, but was once more expelled for wild behavior - this time, a full-on tantrum following a bad review.

He turned all that into a successful stand-up career, however. He competed in the well-known Hackney Empire New Act of the Year in 2000, finishing in fourth place. But he became a stand-up phenomenon after debuting two one-man shows: "Better Now" and "Eroticised Humour." This self-deprecating, honest style moved audience and helped Brand develop a devoted following. It also secured a spot as a true rock-and-roll comedian.

Turning to the screen - both big and small
While his stand-up career was blooming, Brand was also making appearance on television, first as a video journalist on MTV in Europe and then as a host of several music and variety programs. Other gigs included hosting several spin-offs of the European version of Big Brother. He stuck with the program - an after-show interview show - for three years, considering it one of the best jobs of his career.

He was also doing a fair amount of acting at this time, appearing as a guest on shows like "Cruise of the Gods" and "Blessed," among a number of other UK programs.

American audiences would come to know him for his role in the comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall. He played Aldous Snow, the boyfriend of the main character. He received rave reviews for his performance. He reprised the role in another comedy, Get Him to the Greek. Brand reprised the Dudley Moore role of Arthur in a remake of that film, and is set to star in another remake, Drop Dead Fred, in the near future.

Talk show fever
Brand's first talk show - or chat show for our U.K. readers - was the 2006 MTV program 1 Leicester Square. On the show, Brand interviewed celebrity guests like Tom Cruise and Uma Thurman. The show was later renamed The Russell Brand Show.

Then, in summer 2012, Brand unleashed Brand X on U.S. audiences. On the program Brand begins each show with a monologue on recent news and hot topics, which is both the style of comedy Brand is most comfortable with and the type of stand-up Brand has plied since his early years on stage.

This segment eases into a little more commentary, as sidekick Matthew Stoller joins Brand. Stoller acts as Brand's "political analyst," but more than anything, he's a bit of a straight man to Brand, setting up lines and feeding him material. Good stuff, but nothing new.

Brand then invites a celebrity guest to join him and the two convene in a conventional talk show interview format. A second segment with the celebrity guest allows for interaction with the audience - Brand and the guest try to solve a problem for the two - before the show is over.

The show airs weekly.

Fast Facts

• Brand was a sports columnist for The Guardian from 2006 to 2009, providing commentary on the professional soccer club West Ham United.
• Published his autobiography, My Booky Wooky in 2007.
• Sung "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory during the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games.
• Was married to singer Katy Perry.
• Studies Transcendental mediation.