Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and director.
He played Detective Ezekiel Banks in Spiral and was one of the film's executive producers.
Early Life[]
Christopher Julius Rock was born in Andrews, South Carolina, on February 7, 1965. Shortly after his birth, his parents moved to the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. A few years later, they relocated and settled in the working-class area of Bedford–Stuyvesant. His mother, Rosalie Rock (née Tingman), was a teacher and social worker for the mentally disabled, whereas his father, Julius Rock, was a truck driver and newspaper deliveryman. The latter died in 1988 after ulcer surgery.
Chris Rock is the oldest of Julius and Rosalie Rock's seven children and had an older paternal half-brother, Charles Ledell Rock, who died in 2006 after a long struggle with alcoholism.
Rock's family history was profiled on the PBS series African American Lives 2 in 2008. A DNA test showed that he is of Cameroonian descent, specifically from the Ouldémé people of northern Cameroon. Rock's great-great-grandfather, Julius Caesar Tingman, was enslaved for 21 years before serving in the American Civil War as part of the United States Colored Troops. During the 1940s, Rock's paternal grandfather moved from South Carolina to New York City to become a taxicab driver and preacher.
Rock was bused to schools in predominately white neighborhoods of Brooklyn, where he endured bullying and beatings from white students. As he got older, the bullying worsened, and Rock's parents pulled him out of James Madison High School. He dropped out of high school altogether but later earned a GED. Rock then worked menial jobs at various fast-food restaurants.
Career[]
Early Career[]
Chris Rock began doing stand-up comedy in 1984 in New York City's comedy club Catch a Rising Star. He slowly rose through the ranks of the comedy circuit and earned bit roles in I’m Gonna Git You Sucka and the TV series Miami Vice.
Upon seeing his act at a nightclub, actor Eddie Murphy befriended and mentored the aspiring comedian and gave Rock his first film role in Beverly Hills Cop II.
Saturday Night Live[]
In 1991, Rock released his first comedy album, Born Suspect, and won acclaim for his role as a crack addict in the American crime thriller New Jack City. He became a cast member of the popular sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1993. Rock and other new cast members, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, and David Spade, became known as the Bad Boys of SNL. In 1996, 2014, and 2020, Rock served as its show host. His tenure at SNL gave him national exposure.
Stand-Up Comedy[]
With plans to leave Saturday Night Live after the 1992–93 season, Rock was effectively "fired" from the show. Beginning that fall, he appeared as a special guest star in six episodes of the predominantly African-American sketch show In Living Color. The show was canceled one month after his arrival. Rock then wrote and starred in the low-budget comedy CB4, which grossed $18 million against its budget of $6 million. He signed on as a client of 3 Arts Entertainment.
Rock starred in his first HBO comedy special, Big Ass Jokes, in 1994, as part of HBO's Comedy Half-Hour. His second special, Bring the Pain, made Rock one of the industry's most acclaimed and commercially successful comedians. He won two Emmy Awards for the special and gained critical acclaim. Adding to his popularity was his much-publicized role as a commentator for Comedy Central's show Politically Incorrect during the 1996 Presidential elections, for which he earned another Emmy nomination. Rock also was the voice for the "Lil Penny" puppet, the alter ego to basketball star Penny Hardaway in a series of Nike shoe commercials from 1994 to 1998. Furthermore, he 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." HBO also aired his talk show, The Chris Rock Show, which gained critical acclaim for Rock's interviews with celebrities and politicians and won an Emmy for writing. His television work has won him three Emmy Awards and 15 nominations.
By the decade's end, Rock established himself as one of his generation's preeminent stand-up comedians and comic minds. During this time, he 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, Music, or Comedy Special.
On October 30, 2016, Netflix announced two new stand-up comedy specials, with Rock being paid $40 million per special. The first special, Chris Rock: Tamborine, was released on Netflix on February 14, 2018. It was filmed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and was directed by comedian Bo Burnham. The specials marked the comedian's first concert specials released in ten years. The special earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album.
Acting Career[]
Although Rock started with supporting roles in films such as New Jack City, Boomerang, Beverly Hills Ninja, and Lethal Weapon 4, it was not until the success of his stand-up act in the late 1990s that Rock began receiving leading man status in films. He also appeared in Kevin Smith's fantasy comedy film Dogma. The movie received positive reviews and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Rock then starred in the dark comedy Nurse Betty, starring Rene Zellweger, Greg Kinnear, and Morgan Freeman. It also debuted at the Cannes Film Festival on May 11, 2000, and was a critical success.
In the later 2000s, Rock started to work increasingly behind the camera. In 2001, he wrote the movie Down to Earth alongside friend and comedian Louis C.K. The film was based on Warren Beatty's comedy Heaven Can Wait from 1978. That same year, Rock also produced and starred in the cult classic film Pootie Tang. He also worked as a writer and director of the political comedy Head of State and the marital comedy I Think I Love My Wife and played the lead in both films. Later, Rock starred in films like The Longest Yard and Bad Company. In 2005, he voiced the eccentric zebra Marty in DreamWorks' animated film franchise Madagascar. He reprised the role in two of the film's sequels, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. In 2007, Rock voiced Mooseblood the Mosquito in Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie.
In 2009, Rock released his first documentary, Good Hair. The film focused on the issue of how African-American women have perceived their hair and historically styled it. It explored the styling industry for black women, images of what was acceptable and desirable for African-American women's hair in the United States back then, and their relation to African-American culture. The movie premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, earning critical acclaim and a Special Jury Prize. The National Board of Review named it one of the five best documentaries of the year. Rock was also nominated for the Gotham Award for Best Documentary and Best Documentary Screenplay from the Writers Guild of America. Rock has since started working on a documentary about debt called Credit Is the Devil.
Rock also starred in the summer comedy Grown Ups in 2010 alongside Adam Sandler, Kevin James, David Spade, and Maya Rudolph. Further film appearances include the black comedy Death at a Funeral, a remake of the British comedy of the same name. Although the movie received mixed reviews, critic Roger Ebert praised its writing.
In 2012, he starred in the romantic comedy film What to Expect When You're Expecting alongside Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Anna Kendrick, and Elizabeth Banks. Despite receiving negative reviews, the film was a financial success and earned Rock a nomination for the Teen Choice Award. Later that year, he starred alongside Julie Delpy in the romantic comedy 2 Days in New York. The film was a sequel to Delpy's previous film, 2 Days in Paris. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, receiving positive reviews, with critics praising the chemistry between the two actors.
In 2014, Rock wrote, directed, and starred in the critically acclaimed film Top Five, which critics have compared to Woody Allen's Stardust Memories from 1980. The film was a social commentary on fame and society and premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.
In 2015, Rock appeared in Sofia Coppola's Christmas musical special, A Very Murray Christmas, and sang "Do You Hear What I Hear?" with Bill Murray. The film debuted on Netflix and received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. Rock also appeared in another Netflix film, Sandy Wexler, starring Adam Sandler. In 2018, he starred in The Week Of, directed by Robert Smigel. The movie follows two fathers throughout the week of their children's wedding.
Rock briefly appeared in the comedy Dolemite Is My Name the following year. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, receiving critical acclaim.
In 2021, Rock played the lead in Spiral, the ninth installment in the Saw franchise. He was also one of the film's executive producers.
Personal Life[]
Rock married Malaak Compton-Rock on November 23, 1996. Compton-Rock is the founder and executive director of StyleWorks, a non-profit, full-service hair salon that provides free services for women leaving welfare and entering the workforce. The couple lived in Alpine, New Jersey, with their daughters, Lola Simone and Zahra Savannah. In December 2014, Rock filed for divorce, admitting to infidelity in the marriage and struggling with a pornography addiction. The divorce was finalized on August 22, 2016.
Rock criticizes racial profiling and often speaks of the "everyday racism" he claims to experience despite his popularity. In an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld are pulled over by the police for speeding while Seinfeld was driving. Rock admitted to Seinfeld: "If you weren't here, I'd be scared. Yeah, I'm famous – still black." In 2015, Rock was pulled over three times from January to March. Each time, he posted a selfie of the incident without further comment on the reason for the stops.
Rock was slapped on stage by Will Smith at the 2022 Academy Awards in response to a joke Rock made about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. This incident went viral online, resulting in Smith apologizing and being banned from attending Academy Awards events for ten years. Nearly a year later, Rock would vent about this event during the last ten minutes of his Selective Outrage Netflix Special, stating that he was not a victim and "took that hit like [Manny] Pacquiao."
Filmography[]
Films[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Krush Groove | |
| 1987 | Beverly Hills Cop II | Parking Valet |
| 1988 | I'm Gonna Git You Sucka | Rib Joint Customer |
| 1989 | Big Daddy Kane: Smooth Operator | Man Getting Haircut |
| 1991 | New Jack City | Pookie |
| 1992 | Boomerang | Bony T |
| 1993 | CB4 | Albert / MC Gusto |
| Schiller's Reel: While the City Sweeps | Amos White | |
| 1995 | Panther | Yuck Mouth |
| The Immortals | Deke Anthony | |
| 1996 | Sgt. Bilko | 1st Lt. Oster |
| 1997 | Beverly Hills Ninja | Joey |
| Chris Rock: Champagne | Chris Rock | |
| 1998 | Doctor Dolittle | Rodney |
| Lethal Weapon 4 | Lee Butters | |
| 1999 | Dogma | Rufus |
| Chris Rock: No Sex (In the Champagne Room) | Chris Rock | |
| 2000 | Nurse Betty | Wesley |
| 2001 | Down to Earth | Lance Barton |
| Nurse Betty: Deleted Scenes | Wesley | |
| A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Comedian | |
| Pootie Tang | JB / Radio DJ / Pootie's Father | |
| Osmosis Jones | Osmosis Jones | |
| Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Chaka Luther King | |
| 2002 | Bad Company | Jake Hayes / Kevin Pope / Michael Turner |
| 2003 | Pauly Shore Is Dead | Chris Rock |
| Head of State | Mays Gilliam | |
| 2004 | Paparazzi | Pizza Delivery Guy |
| 2005 | Madagascar | Marty |
| The Longest Yard | Caretaker | |
| The Longest Yard: Deleted Scenes | Caretaker | |
| 2006 | Red Hot Chili Peppers: Hump de Bump | Chris Rock |
| 2007 | I Think I Love My Wife | Richard Cooper |
| Bee Movie | Mooseblood | |
| 2008 | You Don't Mess with the Zohan | Taxi Driver |
| Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | Marty / Additional Zebras | |
| 2010 | Death at a Funeral | Aaron |
| Grown Ups | Kurt McKenzie | |
| 2012 | 2 Days in New York | Mingus |
| What to Expect When You're Expecting | Vic | |
| Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted | Marty | |
| 2013 | Madly Madagascar | Marty |
| Grown Ups 2 | Kurt McKenzie | |
| 2014 | Top Five | Andre Allen |
| 2015 | Madonna Feat. Nicki Minaj: Bitch I'm Madonna | Chris Rock |
| 2016 | An Ode to Hannibal Buress | Narrator |
| 2017 | Sandy Wexler | Testimonial |
| 2018 | The Week Of | Kirby Cordice |
| Nobody's Fool | Lawrence | |
| 2019 | Lil Nas X Feat. Billy Ray Cyrus: Old Town Road | Sheriff |
| Dolemite Is My Name | Bobby Vale | |
| 2020 | The Witches | Older Hero Mouse |
| 2021 | Spiral | Detective Ezekiel Banks |
| 2022 | Look at Me | |
| Amsterdam | Milton King | |
| 2023 | Rustin | Roy Wilkins |
| PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie | Kitty |
Television Series[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Miami Vice | Carson |
| 1993-1994 | In Living Color | Various / Cheap Pete |
| 1995 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Maurice Perry / Jasmine Perry |
| The Moxy Show | Flea | |
| 1996 | Martin | Chris Rock / Valentino Watson |
| Homicide: Life on the Street | Carver Dooley | |
| 1997 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Woody |
| 1998 | King of the Hill | Roger 'Booda' Sack |
| 2000 | DAG | Chris Rock |
| 2003 | The Bernie Mac Show | Chris Rock |
| 2005-2009 | Everybody Hates Chris | Narrator / Mr. Abbott |
| 2011-2012 | Louie | Chris Rock |
| 2013 | A.N.T. Farm | Chris Rock |
| 2015 | Broad City | Chris Rock |
| The Jim Gaffigan Show | Chris Rock | |
| Empire | Frank Gathers | |
| 2018 | Kevin Can Wait | Dennis |
| 2020 | Fargo | Loy Cannon |
| 1990-2021 | Saturday Night Live | Various |
| 2021-2022 | Stoner Cats | Hamilton |
Television Films[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Jackie's Back! | Chris Rock |
| 2000 | Disappearing Acts | TV Entertainer |
| 2009 | Merry Madagascar | Marty |
| 2015 | Dancing in the Light: The Janet Collins Story | Narrator |
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- Official Website
Chris Rock on Wikipedia
Chris Rock at the Internet Movie Database
Chris Rock on Facebook
Chris Rock on Twitter