Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III[6] (born February 7,
1965)[7][8] is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television
producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the
5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central.[9]
He was also voted in the UK as the 9th greatest stand-up comic on
Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups in 2007, and again in the updated
2010 list as the 8th greatest stand-up comic.
Rock was born in Andrews, South Carolina. Shortly after his birth,
his parents moved to Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York. A few years
later, they relocated and settled in the working-class area of Bedford-Stuyvesant,
Brooklyn.[6] His mother, Rosalie (née Tingman), was a teacher
and social worker for the mentally handicapped; his father, Julius
Rock, was a former truck driver and newspaper deliveryman.[10] Julius
died in 1988 after ulcer surgery.[11] His younger brothers Tony,
Kenny[12] and Jordan[13] are also in the entertainment business.
His older half-brother, Charles, died in 2006 due to a long struggle
with alcoholism.[14][15] Rock has said that he was influenced by
the performing style of his paternal grandfather, Allen Rock, a preacher.[6][16]
Rock was bused to schools in predominately white neighborhoods of
Brooklyn where he endured bullying and beatings from white students.[17][18][19]
As he got older, the bullying became worse and Rock's parents pulled
him out of James Madison High School.[19] He decided to drop out
of high school altogether and later received a GED. Rock worked menial
jobs at various fast-food restaurants.[17][18]
Career
Early career
Rock began doing stand-up comedy in 1984 in New York City's Catch
a Rising Star.[6][17] He slowly rose up the ranks of the comedy circuit
in addition to earning bit roles in the film I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
and the TV series Miami Vice. Upon seeing his act at a nightclub,
Eddie Murphy befriended and mentored the aspiring comic. Murphy gave
Rock his first film role in Beverly Hills Cop II.
Saturday Night Live
Rock became a cast member of the popular sketch comedy series Saturday
Night Live in 1990. He and other new cast members Chris Farley, Adam
Sandler, Rob Schneider and David Spade became known as the Bad Boys
of SNL. In 1991, he released his first comedy album Born Suspect
and won acclaim for his dramatic role as a crack addict in the film
New Jack City. His tenure on SNL gave Rock national exposure.
Standup success
A frustrated Rock left Saturday Night Live in 1993, appearing instead
as a "special guest" star on the predominately African
American sketch show In Living Color. The show, however, was canceled
months later. Rock then decided to concentrate on a film career.
He wrote and starred in the mockumentary CB4 but the film was not
a success. Acting jobs became scarce, and Rock abandoned Hollywood
to concentrate on stand-up comedy.[16]
Rock starred in his first HBO comedy special in 1994 titled Big
Ass Jokes. But it was his second stand-up special, 1996's Bring the
Pain, that reinvented Rock as one of the best comedians in the industry.[20][21]
His routine, which featured commentaries on race in America, stirred
up a great deal of controversy.[22] Rock won two Emmy Awards for
that special. Adding to his popularity was his much-publicized role
as a commentator for Comedy Central's Politically Incorrect during
the 1996 Presidential elections[20] which earned him another Emmy
nomination.[23] Rock also was the voice for the "Lil Penny" puppet
who was the alter ego to basketball star Penny Hardaway in a series
of Nike shoe commercials from 1994–1998,[20] and hosted the
'97 MTV Video Music Awards.
Rock later had two more HBO comedy specials: Bigger & Blacker
in 1999, and Never Scared in 2004. Articles relating to both specials
called Rock "the funniest man in America" in Time[24] and
Entertainment Weekly.[2] HBO also aired his talk show, The Chris
Rock Show, which gained critical acclaim for Rock's interviews with
celebrities and politicians. The show won an Emmy for writing. His
television work has won him a total of three Emmy Awards and 15 nominations.[23]
By the end of the decade, Rock was established as one of the preeminent
stand-up comedians and comic minds of his generation.
During this time, Rock also translated his comedy into print form
in the book Rock This! and released the Grammy Award-winning comedy
albums, Roll with the New, Bigger & Blacker and Never Scared.
Rock's fifth HBO special, Kill the Messenger, premiered on September
27, 2008, and won him another Emmy for outstanding writing for a
variety or music program.[25]
Film and television
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, Nurse Betty, The
Longest Yard, Bad Company, and a starring role in Down to Earth.
Rock has also increasingly worked behind the camera, both as a writer
and director of Head of State and 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, of which
he is the executive producer and narrator. The show has garnered
both critical and ratings success.[26] The series was nominated for
a 2006 Golden Globe for Best TV Series (Musical or Comedy), a 2006
People's Choice Award for Favorite New Television Comedy, and two
2006 Emmy Awards for costuming and cinematography.[27]
Following the release of his first documentary, 2009's Good Hair,
Rock is working on a documentary about debt called Credit is the
Devil.[28]
Academy Awards
In early 2005, Rock hosted the 77th Academy Awards ceremony. The
decision to have Rock host the awards was seen by some as a chance
to bring an "edge" to the ceremony, and to make it more
relevant or appealing to younger audiences. Jokingly, Rock opened
by saying "Welcome to the 77th and LAST Academy Awards!" 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 (he made a joke
about filmmakers rushing production when unable to get the actors
they want: "If you want Tom Cruise and all you can get is Jude
Law, wait [to make the film]!"). Subsequently, 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." (At the
time, Penn and Law were shooting All the King's Men.) Law was not
the only actor that Rock poked fun at that evening, however—he
turned the joke on himself at one point, saying, "If you want
Denzel [Washington] and all you can get is me, wait!" Older
Oscar officials were reportedly displeased with Rock's performance,
which did not elevate ratings for the ceremony.[29] Rock was also
criticized for referring to the Oscars as "idiotic", and
asserting that heterosexual men do not watch them, in an interview
prior to Oscar night.[30][31]
Music videos
Rock's first music video was for his song "Your Mother's Got
a Big Head" from his album Born Suspect. Rock also made videos
for his songs "Champagne" from Roll With the New and "No
Sex (In the Champagne Room)" from Bigger & Blacker. Chris
Rock also directed and appeared in the music video for the Red Hot
Chili Peppers song "Hump de Bump".
Rock appeared in the Big Daddy Kane music video "Smooth Operator" as
a guy getting his hair cut.
He also appeared in Johnny Cash's "God's Gonna Cut You Down",
one of the many celebrities seen lip-synching the song.
Stage plays
In October 2010, The New York Times reported that Rock will be performing
on Broadway in Stephen Adly Guirgis' play The Motherfucker with the
Hat in the spring of 2011.[32] Other cast members will include Bobby
Cannavale and Annabella Sciorra.[32]
Comedic style and views
Rock's subject matter typically involves family, politics, romance,
music, class relationships, and race relations in the United States.
Though not strictly autobiographical, much of his comic standpoint
seem rooted in his teenage experience; his strict parents, concerned
about the inadequacies of the local school system, arranged to have
the adolescent Rock bused to a nearly all-white high school in Bensonhurst
(an Italian-ethnic neighborhood of Brooklyn known at the time for
poor race relations). In his memoir Rock This, the comedian recalls, "My
parents assumed I'd get a better education in a better neighborhood.
What I actually got was a worse education in a worse neighborhood.
And a whole bunch of ass-whippings."[33]
The comedian has also expressed discomfort with the notion that
success in standup comedy—or, indeed, in any aspect of the
entertainment industry—should oblige him to serve as a role
model. In this position, he finds himself directly at odds with one
of his comic idols, Bill Cosby. Cosby has reprimanded Rock both explicitly—for
his famous/notorious Niggas vs. Black People track —and implicitly,
for heavy use of the word "nigger."[34] Rock has not wavered
from a position explored in his 1996 Roll With The New show, and
reiterated in his 1997 memoir: "Why does the public expect entertainers
to behave better than everybody else? It's ridiculous...Of course,
this is just for black entertainers. You don't see anyone telling
Jerry Seinfeld he's a good role model. Because everyone expects whites
to behave themselves...Nowadays, you've got to be an entertainer
and a leader. It's too much."[35] Often the subject of tabloids,
when asked about paparazzi and the other negative aspects of fame,
Rock says he accepts the bad with the good: "You can't be happy
that fire cooks your food and be mad it burns your fingertips."[36]
At the London Live Earth concert on July 7, 2007, which was broadcast
live on the BBC, before introducing the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rock
called the crowd "motherfuckers" and "shit" after
a brief sigh when he said he was joking. Due to the broadcast being
at 5:45pm Rock was immediately cut off, and the BBC made several
apologies for his use of the word "motherfucker".[37]
Personal life
Rock has been married to Malaak Compton-Rock since November 23,
1996.[38] 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.[38] They have two
daughters together, Lola Simone (born June 28, 2002) and Zahra Savannah
(born May 22, 2004).[39]
In November 2006, the entertainment news website TMZ.com reported
that Rock was filing for divorce after nearly ten years of marriage
to Malaak.[40] Two weeks later, however, TMZ reported that Rock had
not filed divorce papers, and that it appeared that the couple had
been able to work out their differences and stay together.[41] In
response to the reports, the Rocks released a statement to the press
denouncing them as "untrue rumors and lies".[38]
In 2007, freelance journalist and former actress Kali Bowyer filed
a paternity suit against Chris Rock, claiming he was the father of
her son, and in need of hospitalization.[42] DNA testing proved that
Rock was not the child's father.[43][dead link]
Rock resides in Alpine, New Jersey.[44]
In 2008, Rock's family history was profiled on the PBS series African
American Lives 2. A DNA test showed that he is descended from the
Udeme people of northern Cameroon.[45] Rock's great-great-grandfather
Julius Caesar Tingman was a slave for 21 years before serving as
part of the United States Colored Troops until 1866; Tingman fought
in the American Civil War. During the 1940s, Rock's grandfather Alan
Rock moved from South Carolina to New York City to become a taxicab
driver and preacher.[46]
Work
Filmography
Film Year? Title? Role? Notes
1987 Beverly Hills Cop II Playboy Mansion Valet
1988 Comedy's Dirtiest Dozen Himself Direct-to-video Concert film
1988 I'm Gonna Git You Sucka Rib Joint Customer
1989 Who Is Chris Rock? Himself Documentary Short
1991 New Jack City Pookie
1992 Boomerang Bony T
1993 CB4 Albert Brown/M.C. Gusto Also wrote story, screenplay and
was co-producer
1995 The Immortals Deke Anthony
1995 Panther Yuck Mouth
1996 Sgt. Bilko 1st Lt. Oster
1997 Beverly Hills Ninja Joey Washington
1998 Dr. Dolittle Rodney Voice
1998 Lethal Weapon 4 Detective Lee Butters
1999 Torrance Rises Himself Documentary short
1999 Dogma Rufus
2000 Nurse Betty Wesley
2001 Down to Earth Lance Barton Also co-writer and executive producer
2001 AI: Artificial Intelligence Mecha Comedian Voice/cameo
2001 Pootie Tang JB/Radio DJ/Pootie's Father Also producer
2001 Osmosis Jones Osmosis Jones Voice
2001 Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Chaka Luther King Cameo
2002 Bad Company Jake Hayes/Kevin Pope/Michael Turner
2002 Comedian Himself Documentary
2003 Pauly Shore Is Dead Himself Cameo
2003 Head of State Mays Gilliam Also director, producer and co-writer
2004 The N-Word Himself Documentary
2004 Paparazzi Pizza Delivery Guy Cameo
2005 The Aristocrats Himself Documentary
2005 Madagascar Marty voice
2005 The Longest Yard Farrell Caretaker
2007 I Think I Love My Wife Richard Marcus Cooper Also director and
co-writer
2007 Bee Movie Mooseblood the Mosquito Voice
2008 You Don't Mess with the Zohan Taxi Driver Cameo
2008 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Marty and other zebras Voice
2009 Good Hair Himself Documentary
2010 Death at a Funeral Aaron Also producer, Remake of the 2007 film
of the same name
2010 Grown Ups Kurt McKenzie
Discography
Year Album Peak positions Certifications
U.S. U.S.
R&B
1991 Born Suspect – –
1997 Roll with the New 93 41
1999 Bigger & Blacker 44 26
2004 Never Scared – –
Television
Television Year? Title? Role? Notes
1987 Uptown Comedy Express Himself HBO special
1987 Miami Vice Carson Episode: Missing Hours
1990–1993 Saturday Night Live Various Cast member
1993–1994 In Living Color Various Recurring
1994 Big Ass Jokes Himself HBO special
1995 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Maurice/Jasmine Episode: "Get
a Job"
1996–1998 The Moxy Show Flea Uncredited voice role
1996 Martin Valentino Episode: "The Love Jones Connection"
1996 Homicide: Life on the Street Carver Episode: "Requiem for
Adena"
1996 Bring the Pain Himself HBO special
1996 Politically Incorrect Himself Correspondent
1997 MTV Music Video Awards Himself Host
1997–2000 The Chris Rock Show Himself Cast member, writer
1998 King of the Hill Roger "Booda" Sack Episode: "Traffic
Jam"
1999 MTV Music Video Awards Himself Host
1999 Bigger & Blacker Himself HBO special
2003 MTV Music Video Awards Himself HBO special
2004 77th Academy Awards Himself Host
2004 Never Scared Himself HBO special
2005–2009 Everybody Hates Chris Narrator Creator
2008 Kill the Messenger Himself HBO special
Books
* Rock This! (Hyperion Books, 1997) – ISBN 0786862890
Tours
* Bring the Pain (1996)
* Bigger & Blacker (1999)
* Black Ambition (2003–2004)
* No Apologies (2007–2008)