Chumlee

Chumlee
Chumlee in November 2010.
Born	Austin Lee Russell (1982-09-08) September 8, 1982[1] United States
Occupation	Businessman, television personality
Years active	2003–present

Austin Lee Russell (born September 8, 1982),^[2] better known by his stage name of Chumlee, is an American actor, businessman and reality television personality, known as a cast member on the History Channel television show Pawn Stars, which depicts the daily business at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas where Russell works as an employee.^[3][4] Chumlee came to work at the pawn shop five years before filming of the first season,^[5][6] having been a childhood friend of Corey Harrison,^[3] whose father, Rick Harrison, and grandfather, Richard Benjamin Harrison, opened the shop in 1989.^[7]

On the show, he is often portrayed as the comic foil,^{[5][8][9][10]} but often appraises items in his area of expertise of pinball machines, sneakers and video games.^{[11][12][13][14][15]}

Early life

Russell was given the nickname "Chumlee" when he was about 12 years old, due to his large face and chin. The father of one of his friends once stated that he looked like the walrus, Chumley, from the animated TV series Tennessee Tuxedo.^[3][10][16] As a child he became good friends with Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison,^[3] whose father, Rick Harrison, and grandfather, Richard Harrison, opened the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in 1989.^[7] Russell and Corey often spent time in the pawn shop as children.^[3]

Career

Chumlee began working for the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop at age 21,^[17] having worked there for five years before filming the first season of the reality television series Pawn Stars in July 2009.^[5][6] His duties include behind-the-counter work at the shop, such as testing items, loading items, and writing tickets for items purchased by customers.^[18][19]

Russell in 2014

On the series, he is depicted as the comic foil, often made the butt of the others' jokes for his perceived lack of intelligence and his incompetence,^[8] for which he has been referred to as a "village idiot".^{[5][9][10][20]} Chumlee has responded to this by explaining that he is underestimated, and points to his expertise in pinball machines, which he utilizes in the second season episode "Pinball Wizards", much to Corey's surprise, as an example of one of the areas in which he is knowledgeable.^[11]

Chumlee emerged as the breakout character,^{[21][12][13][14][15]} and a fan favorite of the series.^[22] As a result of the show's success, he formed his own company, which sells novelty items, including T-shirts of his own design, and arranges for his personal appearances. He sold half of his stake in the company in 2010 to Rick Harrison for $155,000, so that the shop could handle orders of his merchandise more efficiently.^[23] Chumlee's sales of merchandise have surpassed other stars of the show, due to his popularity.^[22]

Chumlee appeared as himself, alongside Rick and Corey Harrison, in the episode "iLost My Head in Vegas", on the American TV series iCarly.

In May 2017, Chumlee opened a candy shop, Chumlee's Candy on the Boulevard, across the street from the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas.^[24]

Personal life

Chumlee enjoys collecting shoes, as he owns more than 200 pairs. He also enjoys sports, the Pokemon TCG, video games and skateboarding. He is a fan of both punk rock music and rap music.^[4][21] He is a fan of the TV series Boardwalk Empire, Sons of Anarchy and Breaking Bad.^[22] He also enjoys driving his 1986 Buick Regal, which he has customized with hydraulic lifts on the front and back.^[4] He also owns a Rolls-Royce Phantom, a Maserati GranTurismo, a Cadillac Escalade, Range Rover, and a 1964 Impala SS.^[21]

By September 2013, Chumlee had altered his lifestyle habits and lost 75 lb (34 kg) in a year by exercising at a gym six days a week and improving his diet, including drinking more juice, eating more vegetables and abstaining from red meat, a change that was inspired by his father's death at age 54 from pancreatic cancer, two weeks before Pawn Stars debuted.^[21] Chumlee's diet has enabled him to be able to ride a hovercraft he had purchased earlier in the series, but could not ride before due to a maximum weight restriction of 250 lb (110 kg).

His girlfriend, Tanya Hyjazi, is a chef for a major Las Vegas casino.^[21][25]

Legal troubles

On March 9, 2016, Chumlee's home was raided during the course of an investigation into sexual assault allegations. During the search, police found crystal meth, marijuana and one firearm. On a later search, police found eleven more legally owned firearms, ranging from handguns to a shotgun, MP5, and .223-caliber rifles. Most of the firearms were found in a bedroom vault safe, along with 17 multi-dose ‘bars’ of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and seven capsules containing small amounts of methamphetamine, police said. Police also found evidence of possible cocaine use on the property. Subsequently, Chumlee was arrested.

He was released on bond the following day. His first appearance in court was set for March 11, 2016.^[26][27][28]

On May 23, 2016, Chumlee was charged with 20 felony counts, including drug and weapons charges. David Chesnoff, Russell's lawyer, confirmed that the reality TV star pled guilty to a felony weapons charge; unlawful possession of a firearm; and to a gross misdemeanor of attempted drug possession in a deal which calls for three years probation and counseling.^[29][30]

In popular culture

Chumlee was used as a template for a supporting character appearing in the anime franchise Little Witch Academia.^[31]

References

External links

• Austin 'Chumlee' Russell on IMDb
• "About The Series". History Channel Online.