chris rock

Career

In the mid-to-late 1980s, Rock slowly rose up the ranks of the comedy circuit in addition to earning bit roles in films such as New Jack City and I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. Upon seeing his act at a nightclub, Eddie Murphy recommended Rock for Saturday Night Live.

He was a cast member of the popular sketch comedy series from 1990–1993. His tenure on the show gave Rock national exposure; but he was rarely used on the show, save for his recurring Nat X character. Rock was fired from SNL in the spring of 1993 as part of a regular cast turnover. Chris took the firing to concentrate on a film career and to lend his talent to the then-fading sketch show In Living Color. Unfortunately, acting jobs were few; so Rock abandoned Hollywood to concentrate on stand-up comedy. In 1991, he released his first comedy album, Born Suspect. He starred in his first HBO comedy special in 1993 titled Big Ass Jokes.

His second 1996 stand-up special Bring the Pain reinvented Chris Rock as one of the hottest comedians in the industry. His routine, which featured commentaries on race in America, stirred up a great deal of controversy. Adding to his popularity was his much-publicized role as a commentator for Comedy Central's coverage of the 1996 Presidential elections.

Rock has since had two more HBO comedy specials: Bigger and Blacker in 1999, and Never Scared in 2004. Articles relating to both specials called Rock "the funniest man in America" in Time and Entertainment Weekly, respectively. HBO also aired his talk show, The Chris Rock Show, which gained critical acclaim for Rock's interviews with celebrities and politicians. His specials and talk show established Rock as one of the preeminent stand-up comedians and comic minds of his generation. His television work has won him 3 Emmy Awards and 15 nominations for his performing and writing. In 2004, Rock was named the 5th Greatest Stand-Up Comedian of All-Time by Comedy Central. During this time, Rock also translated his comedy into print form in the book Rock This! and released two bestselling comedy albums, Roll with the New and Bigger and Blacker.

While Rock has acted in movies since 1986 (beginning with a small role in Beverly Hills Cop II), it was not until the success of his stand-up act in the late 1990s that Rock began receiving major parts in films. These include roles in Dogma, Beverly Hills Ninja, Lethal Weapon 4 and Nurse Betty and a starring role in Down to Earth. Rock has also increasingly worked behind the camera, both as a writer in CB4 and director of Head of State and the upcoming I Think I Love My Wife. In the fall of 2005, the UPN television network premiered a comedy series called Everybody Hates Chris, based on Rock's school days, for which he is the executive producer and narrator.

His comedy typically involves race relations in the United States, music, romance, and class relationships. Though not directly based on it, many of his comedic views are rooted in his teen years; his very strict parents, concerned about the neighborhood schools, had him bused to an almost all-white high school in Bensonhurst (an Italian-ethnic neighborhood of Brooklyn that was known at the time for poor race relations). Rock claims to have been arrested four times: once for vehicular assault on a youth who had robbed him, and three times for traffic violations, including driving without a license and "driving too slow".

In early 2005, Rock hosted the 77th Academy Awards ceremony. The decision to have Rock host the awards was seen by some to bring an "edge" to the ceremony and to make it more relevant or appealing to younger audiences. Some were worried that Rock's outspoken and often crude humor would tarnish the staid image of the awards. His performance was, in fact, seen as a disappointment and he is unlikely to host again. During one segment Rock asked "Who is this guy?" in reference to actor Jude Law seemingly appearing in every movie Rock had seen that year and implied Law was a low-rent Tom Cruise. Nearly two hours later, a defensive Sean Penn took the stage to present and said, "In answer to our host's question, Jude Law is one of our finest young actors."

Personal life

Rock has been married to Malaak Compton-Rock since November 23, 1996. She is the founder and executive director of StyleWorks, a non-profit, full-service salon that provides free services for women leaving welfare and entering the workforce. The couple have two daughters together, Lola Simone (born June 28, 2002) and Zahra Savannah (born May 22, 2004).

Actor Tony Rock is Chris' younger brother. Their father, Julius Rock, died in 1989.

Filmography

• Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
• Comedy's Dirtiest Dozen (1988)
• I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)
• Who Is Chris Rock? (1989) (short subject)
• New Jack City (1991)
• Boomerang (1992)
• CB4 (1993) (also co-producer)
• The Immortals (1995)
• Sgt. Bilko (1996)
• Beverly Hills Ninja (1997)
• Dr. Dolittle (1998) (voice)
• Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
• King of the Hill (1998) episode (voice of Roger Sack)
• Torrance Rises (1999) (short subject)
• Dogma (1999)
• Bamboozled (2000)
• Nurse Betty (2000)
• Down to Earth (2001)
• AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001) (voice)
• Pootie Tang (2001) (also producer)
• Osmosis Jones (2001) (voice)
• Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
• Bad Company (2002)
• Comedian (2002) (documentary)
• Pauly Shore Is Dead (2003)
• Head of State (2003) (also director and producer)
• Oh, What a Lovely Tea Party (2004) (documentary)
• The N-Word (2004) (documentary)
• Paparazzi (2004) (cameo appearance)
• The Aristocrats (2005) (documentary)
• Madagascar (2005) (voice)
• The Longest Yard (2005)
• Everybody Hates Chris (2005) (voice)
• I Think I Love My Wife (2007)
• Sick Day (2007) (announced)
• The Gilmores of Beverly Hills (2007) (announced)
• Madagascar 2 (2008) (voice)
• Untitled Brett Ratner Project (2008) (announced)

Discography

• Born Suspect (1991) Atlantic
• Roll With the New (1997) DreamWorks
• Bigger & Blacker (1999) DreamWorks
• Never Scared (2005) Geffen

Trivia

• Chris Rock states that his favorite band is the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
• Tyler James Williams plays the role of Chris in the show Everybody Hates Chris.
• Chris has stated in the past that Eminem is one of his favorite rappers.
• Chris stands 5'11 (1.80 m) tall.
• Chris won the Wannabe Award at the Kids Choice Awards in 2006.
• Chris is often described as the next Richard Pryor, because of racial slurs and racial humor.
• Rock is also an avid New York Yankees Fan.

See also

• Bad Boys of SNL
• Niggas vs. Black People, one of Rock's most famous (and controversial) bits

External links

• Official website
• Chris Rock at the Internet Movie Database