Chris Rock

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Biography

Infobox comedian| name = Chris Rock| image = Chris Rock WE 2012 Shankbone.JPG| imagesize =| caption = Rock at the 2012 premiere of '' What to Expect When You're Expecting (film)|What to Expect When You're Expecting | pseudonym =| birth_name = Christopher Julius Rock III| birth_date = | birth_place = Andrews, South Carolina , U.S.| origin = Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn , New York| death_date =| death_place =| medium = comedy, television, film| nationality = American| active = 1984–present| genre = Black humor , musical comedy , observational comedy , political satire , satire| subject = African-American culture, American politics, Portal:Current events|current events , human sexuality, marriage, pop culture, race relations, racism| influences = Bill Cosby , Redd Foxx , Dick Gregory , Flip Wilson , Richard Pryor , Steve Martin , Pigmeat Markham , Woody Allen , Eddie Murphy , Sam Kinison , George Carlin , Mort Sahl , Rodney Dangerfield , Bill Hicks | influenced = Dave Chappelle , Christian Finnegan , George Lopez | spouse = Malaak Compton-Rock (November 23, 1996 – present; 2 children)| signature =| website = | footnotes =| module = Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III (born February 7, 1965)Note: Reliable sources differ on his year of birth. In his book, Rock This! , Rock gives his birth date as February 7, 1966. But Rock stated he was 42 years old on his February 28, 2007 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show . is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer, and director.

After working as a standup comic and appearing in small film roles, Rock came to wider prominence as as a cast member of Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s. He went on to more prominent film roles, and a series of acclaimed comedy specials for HBO .

He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central . 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.

Early life

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 . 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. Julius died in 1988 after peptic ulcer|ulcer surgery. His younger brothers Tony Rock|Tony , Kenny and Jordan are also in the entertainment business. His older half-brother, Charles, died in 2006 after a long struggle with alcoholism. Rock has said that he was influenced by the performing style of his paternal grandfather, Allen Rock, a preacher .

Rock was Desegregation busing in the United States|bused to schools in predominately White American|white neighborhoods of Brooklyn, where he endured bullying and beatings from white students. As he got older, the bullying became worse and Rock's parents pulled him out of James Madison High School (New York)|James Madison High School . He decided to dropping out|drop out of high school altogether and later received a GED . Rock worked menial jobs at various fast-food restaurant s.

Career

Early career

Rock began doing stand-up comedy in 1984 in New York City's Catch a Rising Star . 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 .

George Carlin was probably the biggest influence for him. Other major influences have been Sam Kinison , with whom he managed to hang out with, Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy . Other influences have been Mort Sahl , Rodney Dangerfield , Bill Cosby , Woody Allen , Bill Hicks , Redd Foxx , Dick Gregory , Flip Wilson , Steve Martin and Pigmeat Markham . Among the contemporaries, in 2008 he said he enjoys Chris Tucker and Adam Sandler .

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 cocaine|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 predominantly 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.

Rock starred in his first HBO comedy special in 1994 titled Big Ass Jokes . But it was his second stand-up special, 1996's Chris Rock: Bring the Pain|Bring the Pain , that reinvented Rock as one of the best comedians in the industry. For it Rock won two Emmy Awards and gained large critical acclaim. The segment on race in America, in which Rock used the "N word" extensively was most talked about. Adding to his popularity was his much-publicized role as a commentator for Comedy Central 's Politically Incorrect during the United States presidential election, 1996|1996 Presidential elections which earned him another Emmy nomination. 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, Inc.|Nike shoe commercials from 1994–1998, 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 and Entertainment Weekly . 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 Award s and 15 nominations. 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, Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger|Kill the Messenger , premiered on September 27, 2008, and won him another Emmy for outstanding writing for a variety or music program.

Film and television

Following the release of his first documentary, 2009's Good Hair , Rock is working on a documentary about debt called Credit Is the Devil .

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 !"). 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 (2006 film)|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|Denzel 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. 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.

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-synch ing the song.

Stage plays

In 2011, Rock appeared on Broadway in Stephen Adly Guirgis ' play The Motherfucker with the Hat Healy, Patrick. , The New York Times blog, October 22, 2010. with Bobby Cannavale and Annabella Sciorra . Rock was nominated for a Drama League Award.

Comedic style and views

Rock's subject matter typically involves family, politics, romance, music, Social class|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 desegregation busing|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."Rock, Chris. Rock This Hyperion, 1997, p. 46. "I got bused from Bed-Stuy to a white school in a poor white neighborhood: Gerretson Beach, Brooklyn... What I actually got was a worse education in a worse neighborhood..."

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."Morano, Marc. CNSNews. "Bill Cosby to Blacks," July 2, 2004. "When you put on a record, and that record is yelling 'nigger this' and 'nigger that' and cursing all over the thing and you got your little six-year-old and seven-year-old sitting in the back seat of the car—those children hear that... That's all minstrel show stuff. I am tired of it." 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."Rock, Chris. Rock This ; Hyperion, 1997, p. 16. Often the subject of tabloid (newspaper format)|tabloids , when asked about paparazzi and the other negative aspects of celebrity|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."

At the London Live Earth concert, 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 " motherfucker s" and "shit" after a brief sigh when he said he was joking. Due to the broadcast being at 5:45& nbsp;pm Rock was immediately cut off, and the BBC made several apologies for his use of the word "motherfucker".

Personal life

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

In November 2006, the entertainment news website TMZ.com reported that Rock was filing for divorce after nearly ten years of marriage to Malaak. 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. In response to the reports, the Rocks released a statement to the press denouncing them as "untrue rumors and lies".

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. DNA testing proved that Rock was not the child's father.Associated Press. , CNN.com, August 7, 2007.
Rock resides in Alpine, New Jersey|Alpine , New Jersey.

In 2008, Rock's family history was profiled on the Public Broadcasting Service|PBS series African American Lives 2 . A DNA test showed that he is descended from the Udeme people of northern Cameroon .Goffe, Leslie. , BBC, June 29, 2009. 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 paternal grandfather moved from South Carolina to New York City to become a taxicab driver and preacher.

Work

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1985	Krush Groove	Person Standing Next to Phone During Fight in Club	uncredited
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	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	Immortals (1995 film)>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	2007 film of the same name
2010	Grown Ups	Kurt McKenzie
2011	2 Days in New York	Mingus
2012	What to Expect When You're Expecting	Vic
2012	Madagascar 3	Marty	Voice

Discography

Year	Album	Peak positions		Certifications
Year	Album	U.S.	U.S. R& B	Certifications
1991	Born Suspect	–	–
1997	Roll with the New	93	41
1999	Bigger & Blacker	44	26
2005	Never Scared	–	–

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1987	Uptown Comedy Express	Himself	HBO special
1987	Miami Vice	Carson	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	Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episodes>Get a Job "
1996–1998	The Moxy Show	Flea	Uncredited voice role
1996	Martin	Valentino	The Love Jones Connection "
1996	Homicide: Life on the Street	Carver	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	Traffic Jam "
1999	MTV Music Video Awards	Himself	Host
2000	Bigger & Blacker	Himself	HBO special
2003	MTV Music Video Awards	Himself	HBO special
2004	ChalkZone	Boris the Burger	If You Can't Beat 'Em, Eat 'Em "
2004	Never Scared	Himself	HBO special
2005	77th Academy Awards	Himself	Host
2005–2009	Everybody Hates Chris	Narrator/ Mr. Abbott	Creator/ Narrator/ Chris' guidance counselor
2008	Kill the Messenger	Himself	HBO special
2011	Louie
2012	Tosh.0

Books

Rock This! ( Hyperion Books , 1997) – ISBN 0-7868-6289-0

Notes

Copyright Citations

This article is licensed under the GNU License
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