Nazeem Hussain
Nazeem Hussain | |
|---|---|
| Born | Melbourne, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Comedian, actor, presenter |
| Known for | Legally Brown, Orange Is the New Brown, Bill Nye Saves the World |
| Notable work | Nazeem Hussain: Public Frenemy, Hussain in the Membrane, Hy-larious Hyena (book series) |
Nazeem Hussain is a prominent Australian comedian, actor, and presenter across television and radio platforms.
He gained recognition as the creator and lead performer of the comedy series Legally Brown and Orange Is the New Brown. His stand-up specials include Nazeem Hussain: Public Frenemy (2019), available on Netflix, and Hussain in the Membrane (2022), released on YouTube. Additionally, he served as a correspondent for both seasons of Netflix’s Bill Nye Saves the World alongside Bill Nye.
In 2022, Hussain debuted his children's book series titled Hy-larious Hyena, published by Scholastic Australia.
Early life
Raised in Melbourne by Sri Lankan immigrant parents, Hussain attended Ashburton Primary School followed by Melbourne High School, before earning his degree from Deakin University.
Stand-up comedy
In 2008, Hussain received the Best Newcomer Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and has been nominated twice for the Helpmann Award for Best Comedy Performer. His repertoire of stand-up shows includes 'Legally Brown', 'Hussain in the Membrane', 'Hussain That?', 'Party Animal', 'Public Frenemy', and 'Basic Idiot'.
He has toured internationally with sold-out performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and London's Soho Theatre, as well as shows across New Zealand, Paris, Belgium, China, Singapore, Malaysia, the United States, and a notable homecoming event in Colombo attended by 2,500 people.
His Netflix special Nazeem Hussain: Public Frenemy, recorded at Montreal’s Just For Laughs Festival, was released worldwide in 2019 to positive critical reception and featured among top selections by Funny Or Die and Chortle. Hussain has supported major comedians such as Dave Chappelle during his tours in New York City and Australia, and opened for Aziz Ansari in Sydney. He also appeared at Just for Laughs as part of Kevin Hart's LOL Network.
Television
Hussain’s television career spans numerous Australian and international comedy and reality shows.
He portrayed Calvin Khan, the ‘Very Foreign Correspondent,’ on Balls of Steel Australia broadcast on the Comedy Channel. He also co-created and starred in the cult-favourite series Salam Café on SBS, which earned a Logie Award nomination in 2009.
Hussain is widely recognized for creating and headlining Legally Brown, which aired over two seasons on SBS Television from 2013 to 2014. The series was critically acclaimed and nominated for Most Outstanding Comedy at the 2015 Logie Awards.
In 2017, he expanded his profile by competing as a finalist on season three of Australia's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, spending 46 days in South Africa’s jungle environment while supporting the InTouch Multicultural Centre Against Domestic Violence charity.
October 2018 saw Hussain create and star in Orange Is The New Brown, a prime-time sketch comedy series aired on Channel 7. The show was met with strong critical praise and attracted substantial viewership; several sketches achieved viral status with clips surpassing 10 million views. The ensemble cast included Claudia Karvan, Tim Minchin, Urzila Carlson, and Kat Stewart.
Hussain featured as an official correspondent during both seasons of Netflix’s acclaimed series Bill Nye Saves the World, sharing screen time with Bill Nye and other well-known correspondents like Karlie Kloss and Derek Muller.
He secured third place on Amazon Original’s comedy competition series Last One Laughing, hosted by Rebel Wilson, where he competed against leading Australian comedians in a high-pressure laughter contest.
Looking ahead, Hussain joined ABC’s cast of The Role of a Lifetime in 2024. In 2025, he appeared as a contestant on Claire Hooper’s game show House Of Games.
Additional Media
Hussain's inaugural podcast, Burn Your Passport, was honored as iTunes Best Comedy Podcast in 2016 and remains within the top 20 most popular podcasts in Australia. He is also the presenter of ABC's Pineapple Project.
He developed and performed in the Audible Original podcast Rogue Son, which delves into his Sri Lankan roots and cultural identity. The podcast received widespread praise and secured a prominent position among Audible's most-listened offerings.
In 2022, Hussain introduced his children's book series, Hy-larious Hyena, published by Scholastic Australia, with a follow-up installment planned for release.
Albums and Television Specials
| Title | Release Date | Initial Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Comedians of the World – Public Frenemy | 1 January 2019 | Streaming Television (Netflix) |
| Hussain in the Membrane | 5 November 2022 | Streaming Television (YouTube) |
| Totally Normal | 3 February 2025 | Streaming Television (YouTube) |
| Title | Release Date | Initial Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Fear of a Brown Planet | 31 August 2011 | DVD Video |
| Comedy in Color: Volume 3 | 10 December 2021 | Audio Streaming |