Comedian Jim Jefferies: ‘I just say the horrible sh*t and hope that my life’s OK’

Aussie comedian Jim Jefferies always thought “standing up there and bullsh*tting to a group of people” might be one of his skills. His international success proves he was right.

Controversial Australian comedian Jim Jefferies says there’s no hiding in the world of social media and global Netflix specials, so he just lets it all hang out.

“With YouTube these days, the cat’s out of the bag. I can’t get away with anything anyway, so I just say the horrible shit and hope that my life’s okay,” he told Confidential.

Jefferies, 45, is home in Sydney on a brief break from his UK stand-up tour, which he’ll return to after performing at the Human Kind summit at Luna Park in March.

“Funny is funny all across the world, but there is definitely a sense of ease when I perform in Australia because I don’t have to worry about my terminology.”

The father of two became a household name for his one-liners about sex, religion, drugs, and shenanigans, but says these days his kids are “the best source of comedy”.

Jim Jefferies is performing at the Human Kind festival at Luna Park in Sydney in March. Picture: Jeff Williamson

“I want to keep true to my grubby little self and do some sex jokes and all the things I’ve become known for.

“But if I mention drugs and prostitutes, they’ll be stories from the past — that’s what I tell my wife,” he joked.

The LA-based expat got his start doing shows at the Harold Park Hotel and Manly Boat Shed, age 17, and also gigged at the Brass Monkey in Perth as a university student.

While his teenage friends idolised musicians on late-night talk shows, Jefferies tuned in for the laughs.

“To this day, I’ve never looked at someone shredding a guitar solo and thought, ‘that’s maybe within my wheelhouse’. But standing up there and bullshitting to a group of people? I thought that might be one of my skills, which proved to be correct.

“I wanted to be an entertainer, but one that could be slightly drunk and mumbling. There’s not many of those opportunities that come along.”

Jim Jefferies on Luna Park: “They’re still going with the creepy clown theme, but it’s in lovely shape. Hopefully they’ll let me get on a few rides after the show.” Picture: Jeff Williamson.

A viral stand-up set he delivered in 2014 about the difference between how Australia and America responded to massacre-level gun violence is sadly “still relevant”.

“If I wake up and I’m trending, that means there’s probably been another shooting. So that’s not a great way to get famous,” Jefferies said.

Adding that political comedy is “rarely” a genre that he wades into: “I only really do it if there’s a social injustice that I can get a few laughs out of, and educate at the same time.

“I don’t know if I’m a good ambassador for Australia or a hindrance to us, but I’m what you’ve got.”

Human Kind is a three-day immersive summit packed with world-class speakers and live entertainment at Luna Park, from March 16-18.