dave chapelle

David 'Dave' Chappelle (born August 24, 1973) is an Emmy-nominated American comedian, satirist and actor.

Early life

Dave Chappelle was born on August 24, 1973, in Washington, D.C.

Dave's father, William, was a professor of voice and music at Antioch College in Yellow Springs. During Dave's formative years, his comic inspiration came not only from various favorite funnymen on television, but also from early idols such as Richard Pryor. At 14, Dave gathered the courage to perform at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater. He was booed off the stage but, in the February 12, 2006 interview on Inside the Actors Studio, he described the experience as an enlightening moment that gave him the courage to continue with his show business ambitions. After his parents divorced, Dave remained in Washington with his mother, Yvonne Seon, a Unitarian Universalist minister. He spent summers with his father in Yellow Springs until his graduation from Washington's Duke Ellington School of the Arts, a renowned performing arts high school, where he majored in literary and theatre arts.

First roles in films and television

At the age of 19, Dave Chappelle appeared in small, but showy roles in his first two films, 1993's Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Undercover Blues. After another such part in the following year's Getting In, he first attracted attention of network executives with his appearance on the March 14, 1995 episode of ABC's highly-rated TV series Home Improvement. Chappelle and actor Jim Breuer played a duo of amateur video filmmakers whose every move results in comic mayhem. The characters' single outing in the episode proved so popular that ABC decided to star them in their own series.

The half-hour sitcom Buddies premiered on Tuesday, March 5, 1996 with Christopher Gartin replacing Jim Breuer as Dave's "buddy". The unique comic timing, however, that Chappelle had worked out with Breuer in the Home Impromevent episode and the rehearsals for Buddies did not transfer to Gartin, and Breuer's abrupt firing and replacement with Gartin during the production of the first episode, exacerbated ill will and prevented Chappelle and Gartin from developing the rapport and the comedic chemistry necessary for the characters' believability and likeability. The dilemma was reflected in the disappointing ratings and, after a move to Wednesday night did not help, Buddies was off the air on March 27 after a broadcast history of only four episodes, out of the thirteen that were produced. Nine years later, in May 2005, ten of the episodes were released on DVD to capitalize on Chappelle's new-found fame.

Chappelle had a good role in the 1996 remake of The Nutty Professor, but it was in 1998 that his career and life hit a turning point following a starring role in the comedy film Half Baked, which Chappelle co-wrote with Neal Brennan and produced (uncredited). Since he remained in contact with his Buddies "buddy", Jim Breuer, Chappelle decided to recapture the special comic harmony that they generated two years before by offering Breuer the co-starring role in Half Baked. The film follows the adventures of a gang of potheads and has since become a cult classic.

Conversion to Islam

Also in 1998, Chappelle converted to Islam. He told Time magazine in a May 2005 interview, "I don't normally talk about my religion publicly because I don't want people to associate me and my flaws with this beautiful thing. And I believe it is a beautiful religion if you learn it the right way." [1]

Television stardom

In 2003, Chappelle debuted his own weekly television show on Comedy Central, Chappelle's Show. The show parodies many aspects of American culture, including racial stereotypes and slurs, including Chappelle's African-American heritage. This, combined with Chappelle's pointed social and political commentary, quickly helped garner the show critical and commercial success. By the end of the second season, it was one of the highest-rated shows on basic cable, and second only to South Park on Comedy Central.^{citation needed]} Additionally, the DVD set of the first season became the best-selling DVD of a television show to date. Due to the show's popularity, Comedy Central's parent company Viacom reportedly offered Chappelle a $55 million contract (giving Chappelle a share of DVD sales) to continue production of Chappelle's Show for two more years while allowing him to do side projects.

In 2004, Chappelle was the subject of the Michel Gondry-directed documentary Dave Chappelle's Block Party which chronicles a Chappelle-hosted event, in September of that year, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. The highlight of the event was the reunion of popular '90s rap group The Fugees. Chappelle toured several cities in February and March 2006 to promote the film under the moniker "Block Party All-Stars featuring Dave Chappelle". The movie was released on March 3, 2006.

The sudden popularity of Chappelle's television show and his widespread fame created new dilemmas for Chappelle. For example, one of his most widely-known segments from the show, the February 2004 Rick James sketch, finds Chappelle portraying funk musician Rick James, six months before James' death in August. In the sketch, Chappelle shouts, "I'm Rick James Bitch!" The phrase met the public's attention and quickly became a part of popular culture. Soon, to Chappelle's chagrin, the phrase was shouted at him by fans wherever he went, often in front of his wife and children. During an appearance at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Chappelle stopped the show to deal with an audience member who would not stop repeating the Rick James phrase. After the crowd repeatedly called out the phrase during a show at Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, Chappelle admonished the crowd and walked off the stage.

Season 3 Turbulence

The comedian stunned fans and the entertainment industry when he abruptly left during production of the third season of Chappelle's Show. Chappelle has since stated that he was unhappy with the direction the show had taken, claiming pressure from network executives regarding the show's content. Chappelle left the United States to visit South Africa. His decision triggered reports of mental or drug problems with the actor, which Chappelle later denied. On May 11, 2005, news sources reported that Chappelle had checked himself into a psychiatric facility in South Africa, which Chappelle has since repeatedly denied. On May 14, Time Magazine announced that one of their reporters had interviewed Chappelle in South Africa, and the comedian said no psychiatric treatments were occurring or necessary. Chappelle has stated that his reasons for visiting South Africa were to reflect on his life and career. [2]

On August 3, co-star Charlie Murphy gave an interview to TV Guide stating that he believed that Dave Chappelle was finished with Chappelle's Show and would not be returning.

Return

Later in the year, Chappelle had returned to his 65-acre farm near Yellow Springs and was performing impromptu shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Newport, Kentucky.

Chappelle was interviewed for Inside the Actors Studio on December 18, 2005 at Pace University's Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts. The show premiered on February 12, 2006. Chappelle stated that the death of his father had an impact in his decision to go to South Africa to get away from the stress of stardom, stating that he had not received a chance to mourn his father's death. He also said the rumors that he was in drug or psychiatric treatment only persuaded him to stay in South Africa.

He was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey on her show on February 3, 2006 in his first televised interview since his departure from Chappelle's Show. He stated in the interview that he "wasn't crazy" but the environment was "incredibly stressful". He continued:

Chappelle also admitted to Oprah that he felt some of his sketches were socially irresponsible. He singled out the "pixie sketch" (in which it implied everyone has a pixie that appears to them and encourages them to act in a way stereotypical for their race) and said during the filming of the blackface pixie sketch a white crew member was laughing. Chappelle said "it was the first time I felt that someone was not laughing with me but laughing at me." He also said that during the sketch he was called nigger by one of the other non-important cast members. "[3][4]

During these interviews, Chappelle did not rule out returning to Chappelle's Show to "finish what we started", but promised that he would not return without changes to the production, such as a better working environment. He also stated he would like to donate half of the DVD sales to charity, and to people that supported him. Chappelle expressed disdain at the possibility of his material from the unfinished third season being aired, saying that to do so would be "a bully move", and that he would not return to the show if Comedy Central were to air the unfinished material. On July 9, 2006, Comedy Central aired the first episode of Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes. An uncensored DVD release of the episodes was made available on July 25.

According to IMDB, Dave is set to star in a sports comedy film, Ballers, in 2007.

Chappelle has stated that he has no intention of leaving Yellow Springs. "Turns out you don't need $50 million to live around these parts, just a nice smile and a kind way about you. You guys are the best neighbors ever", he stated at a blues and jazz festival in the town in mid-September 2006, "That's why I came back and that's why I'm staying."^[1]

Chappelle DVDs

• Chappelle's Show - Lost Episodes, 2006
• Dave Chappelle's Block Party, 2006
• Dave Chappelle - For What It's Worth, 2004
• Chappelle's Show - Season Two, 2004
• Chappelle's Show - Season One, 2004
• Dave Chappelle - Killin' Them Softly, 2000

Filmography

• Ballers, 2007
• Undercover Brother, 2002 as Conspiracy Brother
• Screwed, 2000 as Rusty P. Hayes
• Blue Streak, 1999 as Tulley
• Half Baked, 1998 as co-writer and Thurgood Jenkins/Sir Smoke-a-lot
• 200 Cigarettes, 1998 as Disco Cabbie
• You've Got Mail, 1998 as Kevin Jackson
• Woo, 1998 as Lenny
• The Real Blonde, 1997 as Zee
• Con Air, 1997 as Joe 'Pinball' Parker
• Bowl of Pork 1997 as Black Forrest Gump.
• Damn Whitey 1997 as Dave
• The Nutty Professor, 1996 as Reggie Warrington
• Joe's Apartment 1996 (voice) ... Cockroach
• Buddies, 1996 as Dave Carlisle
• Getting In, 1994 as Ron
• Robin Hood: Men in Tights, 1993 as Ahchoo
• Undercover Blues, 1993 as Ozzie

Trivia

• Chappelle revealed on Chappelle's Show DVD commentary that he was once drinking buddies with Slash from Guns N' Roses, and is a huge fan of the band.
• Chapelle is of Islamic faith.
• Chappelle has stated that sketch comedy is not his favorite form of comedy, and characterizes the format of his show as somewhat like short films.
• Chappelle lives with his wife Elaine (who is of Filipino descent[5]) and two sons (one is named Sulayman[6]) on a farm just outside Yellow Springs, Ohio. When he is not touring or engaged in filming for television or the big screen, he can be seen in the shops and markets of the small college town.
• Chappelle's Show has a large hip-hop following and has featured such progressive rappers as: Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, The Roots, Mos Def, and Kanye West. The show has also spotlighted musical guests such as Wu-Tang Clan, Busta Rhymes, Outkast, Common, De La Soul, Fat Joe, Anthony Hamilton, DMX, Snoop Dogg, and Erykah Badu. Chappelle can even be heard on the track "The Mic" by the Roots.
• Chappelle is a computer and video game enthusiast, including an affinity for World of Warcraft, NBA Street, Street Fighter and Grand Theft Auto. On Chappelle's Show, he paid homage to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in a sketch. He has also done a sketch in which he challenges and beats a child with cancer in the video game Street Hoops. In the final sketch for the first lost episode, one can hear a lyric mention, "run up in yo spot like CJ from San Andreas".
• Chappelle plays a Human Mage named "Tdizzle" on Mannoroth, a World of Warcraft Server.
• Chappelle's Show Season One Uncensored! DVD box set is the best-selling TV show on DVD with over 3 million copies sold.[7]
• Dave is one of the few (if not only) celebrities to do advertisements for both Coca-Cola and Pepsi. In his last stand up special he mentioned he did commercials for both products and said, "if you want to know the truth...can't even taste the difference. Surprise! All I know is Pepsi paid me most recently so, tastes better."
• Chappelle appeared on Def Poetry. He performed two poems, titled Fuck Ashton Kutcher and How I Got the Lead on "Jeopardy!."[8]
• Richard Pryor said that he passed the torch to Dave Chappelle. [9]
• Dave Chappelle created an iTunes Celebrity Playlist and selected the DangerDoom track Mince Meat for his Block Party Picks. He stated, "Two very consistently good artists collaborate to make my head nod. Doom, Mouse - Thank You. Wherever you are, nice album."
• Dave Chapelle skateboards as a hobby and says he tries to find skateparks in the cities he performs in. He has also made an appearance skateboarding in the Signature Video Magazine Volume 1. The video features a short clip of Dave skating at Project 58 in Raleigh, North Carolina. He made another appearance skating on the first episode of Chappelle's Show during the credits as Clayton.
• He is 6 ft (1.83 m) in height. [10]
• Once appeared in ads for Right Guard deodorant.
• Dave Chappelle was offered the role of Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue in the film Forrest Gump, but turned it down, believing that the movie would be unsuccessful. Chappelle later admitted to deeply regretting this decision, but stated to act as a black character that was dumber than Forrest Gump would be down right wrong and irresponsible against African-Americans. [11]
• Chappelle reportedly offered beatboxer Rahzel $1,000,000 to "be his iPod".[12]
• Chappelle appeared as a guest star on the sitcom Home Improvement before he was "discovered"

Notes

References

• Dave Chappelle at the Internet Movie Database
• Robinson, Simon. "On the Beach With Dave Chappelle", Time Magazine. (May 15, 2005)
• Thorsen, Tor. "Dave Chappelle Loves World of Warcraft", GameSpot. (June 29, 2005)
• Associated Press. "Chappelle: Happy to be working clubs", ABC News. (September 13, 2005)
• Carnes, Jim. "Dave Chappelle lets rude audience have it, sticks up for Cosby's comment", Sacramento Bee (indirect link) (June 17, 2004)

External links

Official websites

• DaveChappelle.com - Chappelle's official website and forums
• Comedy Central: Chappelle's Show - Comedy Central's official website for Chappelle's Show
• Chappelle's Block Party - Official website for Dave Chappelle's Block Party

Additional websites

• Chappelle and Islam
• "Here's What's Behind the Chappelle Story" by Cindy Adams of the New York Post
• Anderson Cooper Interview
• Fresh Air Interview in 2004
• Save Chappelle - A fan site dedicated to bringing Chappelle back to TV. T-Shirts to show support are available.
• Chappelle Theory - A theory on Dave Chappelle's decision to halt Season 3
• "Chappelle's No-Show" - Entertainment Weekly article that originally reported on Chappelle's stay at a mental health facility
• "Durban Renewal" - a follow-up article including Chappelle's side of the story
• "Fears of a Clown" - Newsweek article about Chappelle’s show and his disappearance from it
• Video Clips From Chappelle's Show
• Chappelle Center - Fan website for Dave Chappelle's Show
• Dave Chappelle profile at Inside The Actors Studio website
• "Dave Chappelle's Block Party review"
• "Dave Chappelle Video Clips" Full Stand-up routine in San Francisco, about 1hr long.