Jim Jefferies is an Australian stand-up comedian, actor, and writer who has had an active career in comedy for over two decades. He first gained attention in his home country of Australia in the early 2000s before breaking through internationally in 2007 with his HBO special I Swear to God. Since then, Jefferies has released several popular stand-up specials, created and starred in two TV shows, and regularly toured the world performing live comedy shows.
So what has Jim Jefferies been up to recently? Here is an overview of his current projects and what he’s doing now in 2023:
Stand-up Comedy
Stand-up comedy continues to be Jim Jefferies’ main focus. He regularly headlines shows at venues across the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia and other parts of the world. His comedy sets feature his signature edgy, controversial material delivered with a mix of intelligence and absurdism.
Some of Jefferies’ notable recent tours and residencies include:
- The Moist Tour (2022) – Jefferies toured this show across North America and Europe. The name is a reference to one of his popular early bits about wanting to be moist.
- A Night with Jim Jefferies residency at the Beacon Theatre in New York City (2021) – He performed 16 shows over 8 nights at this historic venue.
- The Night Talker Tour (2020) – An 80+ date worldwide tour cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The title references his late night talk show.
- The Jim Jefferies Show Tour (2019) – Touring his stand-up behind-the-scenes of his Comedy Central show.
He continues to regularly tour and is currently on the road for his Moist Tour in 2023, with upcoming shows across North America and additional dates to be added.
Podcasting
In addition to stand-up, Jim Jefferies co-hosts two popular comedy podcasts:
- I Don’t Know About That with Jim Jefferies – Launched in 2018, Jefferies co-hosts this weekly podcast with British comedian Josh Potter. Together they discuss bizarre news stories, conspiracy theories, urban legends and other topics.
- The Jim Jefferies Show Podcast – A weekly podcast that Jefferies launched in 2019 to complement his Comedy Central talk show. He discusses show segments and does interviews.
Both podcasts allow Jefferies to riff on stories and issues in long-form conversations. New episodes of each podcast are released weekly. The unfiltered nature of podcasting fits his style of humor well.
Television
Jim Jefferies previously starred in two of his own TV shows – the FX sitcom Legit from 2013-2014 and Comedy Central’s The Jim Jefferies Show talk show from 2017-2019. While not currently starring in a TV series, he does still make regular appearances on late night TV shows and comedy panel series:
- He has made recent guest appearances on The Late Late Show with James Corden, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live!
- Jefferies was a regular guest on Comedy Central’s panel show The Comedy Central Roast for many years, roasting celebrities like Justin Bieber, Bruce Willis and Rob Lowe.
- He participated in Comedy Central’s 2020 comedy special Quarantine Comedy Jam remotely from home during the pandemic.
So while not currently the star of his own TV show, Jim Jefferies does still regularly pop up on late night television from time to time when promoting his live tours and podcasts.
Acting
In addition to stand-up comedy and hosting duties, Jim Jefferies has taken on some acting work over the years. He has had small roles in films like Me Him Her (2016), Killing Hasselhoff (2017) and The Opening Act (2020).
His most prominent acting job was playing the recurring role of Jim Jeffries on the FX drama series Louie from 2012-2014. He appeared in 5 episodes playing a fictionalized version of himself as Louie’s rude friend and comedy peer.
While acting is not his main focus, Jefferies does seem open to taking on comedic acting roles when they come along as his schedule allows between touring and other projects.
Writing
Jim Jefferies is also an accomplished writer, authoring two books over the past decade:
- I Swear to God: The Uncensored Memoirs of Jim Jefferies (2009) – His memoir detailing his early years breaking into comedy in Australia and struggling with alcoholism and depression.
- The Pleasure Merchant (2020) – A fictional novel Jefferies wrote during the pandemic lockdown. A dark satirical tale set in the adult film industry.
He clearly has talent as a writer in addition to his skills as a comedian. It will be interesting to see if Jefferies channels this into more books or script writing down the line when he takes a break from touring.
Personal Life
In Jim Jefferies’ personal life, he has an 8-year-old son named Hank with his ex-girlfriend, actress Kate Luyben. He spends time with his son when not working and co-parents the child with Luyben.
Jefferies has been dating his current girlfriend, a woman named Taylar, since 2020. She sometimes opens for him on tour doing stand-up herself.
He split time residing in Los Angeles to be near the entertainment industry and New York City. Jefferies also regularly returns home to Australia and has a residence in Sydney as well.
When not performing shows or recording his podcasts, Jefferies enjoys relaxing activities like golfing, going to the beach, and spending time with his son and girlfriend.
Controversies
No overview of Jim Jefferies’ current career would be complete without mentioning the controversies he has occasionally been involved in:
- He sometimes pushes the boundaries of topics like politics, sexuality and religion in his stand-up routines. This has led some to accuse him of inappropriate or offensive humor.
- In 2018, audio of Jefferies was edited out of context by a right-wing group trying to portray him as a hypocrite on gun rights. He strongly denied this and threatened legal action.
- His Comedy Central talk show was cancelled in 2019 after he made a lewd joke about Trump during a sketch. Some backlash over declining ratings may have also been a factor.
However, most of Jefferies’ fans appreciate how he is willing to take risks and cover risky topics in his comedy. The periodic controversies seem not to have slowed down his stand-up success or popularity much overall.
Future Plans
What does the future hold for Jim Jefferies career-wise moving forward?
- He will continue touring and releasing new stand-up specials. His comedy remains as popular as ever.
- More podcast episodes and potential new podcast projects. The open format suits his style.
- He may create another TV show or accept acting roles in films or series when interesting opportunities arise.
- Additional books could happen, given Jefferies’ skills and enjoyment of writing.
- He may focus more on raising his young son and spending time with his girlfriend while doing fewer tours per year.
The only certainty is that Jim Jefferies will keep pushing boundaries with his edgy humor. Fans can expect more of his signature comedy that blends offensive jokes with smart social commentary. He has never been afraid of controversy and will likely continue ruffling feathers at times. But for devoted fans, that fearlessness is part of his appeal.
Conclusion
To summarize, here are the key points covering what Jim Jefferies is currently up to in his career and personal life:
- He is actively touring and performing stand-up comedy shows across the globe.
- Jefferies hosts two popular weekly comedy podcasts – I Don’t Know About That and The Jim Jefferies Show Podcast.
- He makes regular guest appearances on late night talk shows.
- Occasional acting roles and writing projects are pursued when time allows.
- Jefferies co-parents an 8-year-old son and has been dating his current girlfriend Taylar since 2020.
- He splits time between residences in Los Angeles, New York City, and Sydney, Australia.
- Future plans likely involve more touring, podcasts, TV opportunities and pushing boundaries with his signature edgy humor.
So for fans wondering “What is Jim Jefferies doing now?”, the answer is he continues building his career as a successful global stand-up comedian, podcaster, sometimes actor, and professional controversialist – a role he wouldn’t have any other way.