Russell Brand’s highest-earning film was released almost 13 years ago—and it starred a plethora of Hollywood names, including Disney alumni and a lead actor of The Office US. The comedian, who has been charged with multiple accounts of rape, sexual assault, indecent assault and oral rape is due to appear in Westminster Magistrates Court today (May 2) for his first hearing. Brand, 49, who was born in Essex, was publicly accused by five women of sexual assault and sexual and emotional abuse in September 2023 following a joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s documentary series Dispatches. The comedian denies any “non-consensual activity” allegations filed against him by Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Between April 2008 and July 2022, Russell starred in and lent his voice to 19 movies. After making his Hollywood debut as Aldous Snow in Nicholas Stoller’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the British comedian appeared alongside Adam Sandler and Guy Pearce in 2008’s Bedtime Stories. According to the film industry data website The Numbers, the former earned a stunning $105,475,310 (£79,512,562) at the worldwide box office, whilst Bedtime Stories raked in a stunning $221,468,935 (£166,949,177). Russell’s third film, a reboot of the comedy series St. Trinians, saw him starring as Flash Harry. The character, previously played by George Cole in the original four St. Trinian’s films and by Joe Melia in The Wildcats of St. Trinian’s, was not reprised in the sequel, St. Trinian’s II: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold. The 2007 version of St. Trinian’s, however, earned $29,830,239 (£22,479,621) at the box office.
Get Him to the Greek, where Russell appeared once again as Aldous Snow, took home $22,479,620 (£16,936,258), and his first voice acting appearance in Despicable Me as Dr. Nefario put up a whopping $544,707,293 (£410,417,881).
In the same year that Get Him to the Greek and Despicable Me were released, Russell took on the role of Trinculo in The Tempest.
Based on the 1611 play of the same name by William Shakespeare, Julie Taymor’s version of The Tempest saw Prospero being gender swapped, with Dame Helen Mirren taking on the role.
The Tempest was met with mixed reviews after its debut at the 2010 Venice Film Festival, and only made $277,943 (£209,412) at the box office.
Three years after the release of The Tempest, Russell scored what would go on to become his highest-earning voice acting role.
The film, Despicable Me 2, saw the one-time Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts student reprising his voice role as Dr. Nefario for a second time.
The Numbers reports that the Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment collaboration earned a jaw-dropping $975,216,835 (£735,084,317.63) at the worldwide box office.
The animated caper is stacked with stars, with The Office US’s Steve Carell taking on the role of former supervillain Gru and Kirsten Wiig playing his character’s love interest, Lucy Wilde.
Other actors involved with the project include Disney Channel favourite Moisés Arias, Nickelodeon alumna Miranda Cosgrove and comedian Ken Jeong.
Alan Partridge’s Steve Coogan, Benjamin Bratt and Golden Globe-nominated actress Elsie Fisher also worked on the film, alongside Dana Gaier, former Saturday Night Live cast member Nasim Pedrad and Bob’s Burgers’ Kristen Schaal.
Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, the Emmy-nominated Vanessa Bayer and Nickolai Stoilov also lent their voices to Despicable Me 2.
Russell reprised the role of the hearing-impaired gadget man a third time in Minions: The Rise of Gru, which is Russell’s second-highest earner to date, coming in at $937,706,494 (£706,965,057).