Michael Elliot Epps (born November 18, 1970) is an American

stand-up Stand-up comedy is a comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of one-liners, stories, ...

comedian and actor. He played Day-Day Jones in ''

Next Friday ''Next Friday'' is a 2000 American stoner comedy film and the sequel to the 1995 film '' Friday''. It is the first film to be produced by Ice Cube's film production company Cubevision. It was directed by Steve Carr and stars Ice Cube, Mike ...

'' and its sequel, ''

Friday After Next ''Friday After Next'' is a 2002 American stoner comedy film directed by Marcus Raboy and starring Ice Cube (who also wrote the film), Mike Epps (in a dual role), John Witherspoon, Don "D.C." Curry, Anna Maria Horsford, and Clifton Powell. ...

'', and also appeared in ''

The Hangover ''The Hangover'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, co-produced with Daniel Goldberg, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is the first installment in ''The Hangover'' trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper, E ...

'' and '' The Hangover Part III'' as "Black Doug". He was the voice of main character Boog in '' Open Season 2'', replacing Martin Lawrence, with whom he starred in the comedy '' Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins'', playing "Reggie", cousin of Roscoe (played by Lawrence). He played Lloyd Jefferson "L.J." Wade in the films '' Resident Evil: Apocalypse'' (2004) and '' Resident Evil: Extinction'' (2007). He has had starring roles in the sitcoms ''

Uncle Buck ''Uncle Buck'' is a 1989 American comedy film written and directed by John Hughes, and starring John Candy and Amy Madigan with supporting roles by Jean Louisa Kelly (in her film debut), Macaulay Culkin, Gaby Hoffmann, Garrett M. Brown and E ...

'' and '' The Upshaws''.

Early life

Epps was born and raised in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

, the son of Mary Reed and (the late) Tommie Epps. In his adulthood, Epps moved to

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

to star in ''

Def Comedy Jam ''Def Comedy Jam'' is an HBO television series produced by Russell Simmons. The series had its original run from March 7, 1992 to May 2, 1997. Simmons was inspired to make Def Comedy Jam by The Uptown Comedy Club in Harlem, New York and Jerry Le ...

'' in 1994.

Career

Stand-up comedy

Epps began his professional career by joining the ''Def Comedy Jam'' tour in 1995 and starred in two of HBO's ''Def Comedy Jam'' broadcasts.

Acting

Epps' first on-screen appearance came in

Vin Diesel Mark Sinclair (born July 18, 1967), known professionally as Vin Diesel, is an American actor. One of the world's highest-grossing actors, he is best known for playing Dominic Toretto in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise. Diesel began auditio ...

's second directorial film, '' Strays'' in 1997. In 1999, Epps was then cast as

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be p ...

's co-star in the sequel, ''

''. This followed weeks of auditions, after Ice Cube attended a stand-up set Epps did, and then asked Epps to try out for the role of Day-Day Jones. Later that year, Epps had a cameo in '' 3 Strikes'', and supported

Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film ''Ray'', for which he won the A ...

in ''

Bait Bait may refer to: General * Bait (luring substance), bait as a luring substance ** Fishing bait, bait used for fishing Film * ''Bait'' (1950 film), a British crime film by Frank Richardson * ''Bait'' (1954 film), an American noir film by Hugo ...

''. Epps had a voice role in the 2001 movie ''

Dr. Dolittle 2 ''Dr. Dolittle 2'' (also known as ''Doctor Dolittle 2'') is a 2001 American fantasy comedy film and a sequel to the 1998 film '' Dr. Dolittle''. It was written by Larry Levin, one of the co-writers of ''Dr. Dolittle'', and directed by Steve Carr. ...

'' as Sonny the Bear and finished the year with a featured role as comical pimp Baby Powder in '' How High'', starring

Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He is also half o ...

and Redman. Epps reunited with Ice Cube in 2002 as the bumbling thief to Ice Cube's bounty hunter in ''

All About the Benjamins ''All About the Benjamins'' is a 2002 American buddy action comedy film directed by Kevin Bray, starring Ice Cube and Mike Epps as a bounty hunter and a con artist who join forces to find a group of diamond thieves: the former for glory, and th ...

'', and again re-teamed with Cube in Friday's second sequel ''

''. Epps also voiced another bear character (Boog) in the 2008 film '' Open Season 2'' after Martin Lawrence declined the role. In 2010, Epps also released a stand-up comedy special, '' Under Rated & Never Faded'', and hosted the '' 2010 BET Hip Hop Awards''. Epps starred alongside

Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks-Thomas (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debu ...

and

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...

in the 2012 remake of Sparkle, in his first non-comedic role as the main antagonist, Satin, a stand-up comic by day, an evil and abusive drug kingpin by night, who is engaged in an affair with the titular character's sister. Epps' performance was well received by critics and audiences. In 2014, Epps landed the coveted role of

Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, and is widely regarded as on ...

in a planned Pryor biopic to be directed by

Lee Daniels Lee Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. His first producer credit was ''Monster's Ball'' (2001), for which Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress, making Daniels ...

; however, the project has remained in

development hell Development hell, development purgatory, and development limbo are Media industry, media and Software industry, software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in development for an especially long time, often moving between d ...

. Epps did portray Pryor in the 2016

Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blu ...

biopic ''

Nina Nina may refer to: * Nina (name), a feminine given name and surname Acronyms * National Iraqi News Agency, a news service in Iraq * Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, on the campus of Norwegian University of Science and Technology * No income ...

'', and is set to play him again in a planned HBO drama series about the

L.A. Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

. Epps had a starring role in the 2016 comedy horror film ''

Meet the Blacks ''Meet the Blacks'' is a 2016 American black comedy horror film directed by Deon Taylor, written by Taylor and Nicole DeMasi, and is a parody of the 2013 film ''The Purge''. It stars Mike Epps, Gary Owen, Zulay Henao, Lil Duval, Bresha Webb, G ...

'' and its 2021 sequel '' The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2''. He also starred as the title character in the single-season 2016 sitcom ''

''. Since 2021, he has been a main cast member on the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

sitcom '' The Upshaws''.

Music

Epps "hosted" the

Jim Jones James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American preacher, political activist and mass murderer. He led the Peoples Temple, a new religious movement, between 1955 and 1978. In what he called "revolutionary suicide ...

and

Skull Gang SkullGang is an American hip hop collective formed in 2007, by Harlem rapper Juelz Santana. The group is best known for their projects ''Juelz Santana Presents Skull Gang: Takeover'' (2008) and '' Jim Jones & Skull Gang Present a Tribute to Bad S ...

album '' Jim Jones & Skull Gang Present A Tribute To Bad Santa Starring Mike Epps''. Epps has also made a song called "Trying to Be a Gangsta" with Pooh Bear. Epps also hosted G Unit's 2008 mixtape Elephant In The Sand, appearing on the track "Hollow Thru Him". Epps also has a song called "Big Girls", which came out in 2008. It was originally recorded by Bow Wow featuring

Yung Joc Jasiel Amon Robinson (born September 20, 1980), better known by his stage name Yung Joc, is an American rapper. He is best known for his 2006 hit single " It's Goin' Down". and as a feature on T-Pain's US number-one single "Buy U a Drank (Shawt ...

. The song is currently on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...

and can be found on his album, '' Funny Bidness: Da Album'', which was released October 27, 2009. Epps also has featured in rapper French Montana's ''Mac Wit Da Cheese'' mixtape, which was released on April 19, 2009. Epps has also featured on the Dom Kennedy song "Intro/Hard Work" on his ''FutureStreet/DrugSounds'' mixtape. Part of his stand-up comedy in ''Under Rated & Never Faded'' was sampled for the song "I'm On Everything" by

Bad Meets Evil Bad Meets Evil is an American hip hop duo composed of Detroit-based rappers Royce da 5'9" (Bad) and Eminem (Evil). Bad Meets Evil was formed in 1998, thanks to the duo's mutual friend, Proof. The group's name comes from the song "Bad Meets Evi ...

on their first EP, '' Hell: The Sequel'' and on the track "Runaway", from

J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his d ...

's second album ''

Born Sinner ''Born Sinner'' is the second studio album by American rapper and record producer J. Cole. It was released on June 18, 2013, by ByStorm Entertainment, Columbia Records, Dreamville Records and Roc Nation. The album serves as the follow-up to his ...

''. Mike Epps was also known in his hometown of Indianapolis as the CEO of Naptown Records. In 2006 he signed local artist Philthyphil. This artist had just been released from prison after serving three years for a drug indictment in which he was the suspected distributor of large amounts of narcotics. The record deal which was reportedly worth $175,000 was later terminated after Phillip "Philthyphil" White was charged with first-degree murder in Oakland, CA in 2007. Epps has made

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...

s in many

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

s, mostly by hip hop artists, including " Gangsta Nation" (2003) by

Westside Connection Westside Connection was an American hip-hop supergroup formed by Mack 10, WC and Ice Cube. The group's debut album, '' Bow Down'', reached the number 2 position on the ''Billboard'' 200 in 1996, going platinum that year. Biography Westside ...

, "

A Bay Bay "A Bay Bay" is the debut single by American rapper Hurricane Chris, released on April 10, 2007. The song was produced by Phunk Dawg. It peaked at number 7 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Commercial performance The song debuted at number 95 o ...

" (2007) by Hurricane Chris, "No Effort" (2017) by Tee Grizzley, and "

Bank Account A bank account is a financial account maintained by a bank or other financial institution in which the financial transactions between the bank and a customer are recorded. Each financial institution sets the terms and conditions for each type of ...

" (2017) by

21 Savage Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is a rapper based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Born in London, he moved to Atlanta with his mother at age seven. He became known after releasing two m ...

Super Bowl XLVI

Epps served as the "Super Bowl ambassador" in his native

for the

2012 Super Bowl Super Bowl XLVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...

. He was featured in commercials promoting the Super Bowl Village and he made special appearances in the Village during the week of the Super Bowl.

Controversies

Epps has been criticized by disability campaigners for mocking physically and mentally disabled children in his stand-up act. On June 1, 2014, Epps purportedly assaulted fellow stand-up comedian LaVar Walker outside of the Uptown Comedy Club. It was stated Epps and two of his bodyguards did this in response to Walker making a parody video about Epps and comedian Kevin Hart. Epps allegedly struck him in the face and kicked him in the stomach and back, while one of the other two men threw the victim's cellphone and crushed his prescription glasses. Atlanta Police issued a warrant for Epps' arrest two days later on June 3. Around mid-2017, Epps received criticism for bringing a kangaroo onto the stage during one of his shows. Many noted the animal looked distressed, with Epps grabbing and holding it against its will. Epps later apologized, saying it was completely unscripted and that he would never hurt an animal.

Personal life

Epps married OWN Network executive and '' Iyanla: Fix My Life'' producer Kyra Robinson, in

Newport Beach, California Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island draws v ...

, in June 2019. He was previously married to Mechelle McCain, whom he married in July 2006. The pair lived in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

together until they divorced in September 2017. In a 2019 GQ interview, Epps denied the long-standing rumor that he is related to fellow actor

Omar Epps Omar Hashim Epps (born July 20, 1973) is an American actor, rapper, and producer. He has been awarded nine NAACP Image Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, one MTV Movie Award, one Black Reel Award, and one Screen Actors Guild Award. Epps's film r ...

, saying, "Are Mike Epps and Omar Epps related? No, I think we got the same master, though."

Filmography

Film

Television

Comedy Specials

Music videos

* " Whatchulookinat" –

* " Ay Bay Bay" – Hurricane Chris * " Gangsta Nation" –

* " Why We Thugs" –

* " What You Know" – T.I. * " ASAP" – T.I. * "Never Forget" –

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

* "I'm Lit" – Square Off * "I Don't Know Y'all" –

Young Dro D'Juan Montrel Hart (born January 15, 1979), better known by his stage name Young Dro, is an American rapper. After gaining recognition with his regional hit song "Yes Sir", from his 2002 independent album ''I Got That Dro'', Young Dro aligned ...

* "

Mrs. Right "Mrs. Right" is a song by American boy band Mindless Behavior featuring guest vocals from American rapper Diggy Simmons. The song was written by Mindless Behavior, Dee1, Rickey Deleon, Diggy Simmons and was produced by Walter W. Millsap, Candice ...

" –

Mindless Behavior Mindless Behavior was an American boy band who were best known for the singles " My Girl" and " Mrs. Right", produced by Walter Millsap. The band was put together in Los Angeles in 2008, by Keisha Gamble, Vincent Herbert and Walter Millsap. The ba ...

featuring Diggy Simmons * " Nothin'" –

NORE The Nore is a long bank of sand and silt running along the south-centre of the final narrowing of the Thames Estuary, England. Its south-west is the very narrow Nore Sand. Just short of the Nore's easternmost point where it fades into the cha ...

* " I'm on Everything" –

* "

How Come You Don't Call Me "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" is a song by Prince. It is a ballad of romantic longing with some gospel elements. On his original recording of the song, which was released as the non-album B-side to his 1982 single "1999", Prince performs ...

" –

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

* " Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" –

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generat ...

* "I Was Your Baby"-

Angie Stone Angela Laverne Brown (born December 18, 1961) known professionally as Angie Stone, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. She rose to fame in the late 1970s as member of the hip hop trio The Sequence. In the early 1990s ...

* " No Flex Zone!" –

Rae Sremmurd Rae Sremmurd ( ; "Drummers Ear" spelled backwards) is an American hip hop duo originating from Tupelo, Mississippi, formed by two brothers, Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee. In 2013, they signed a record deal with Mike Will Made It's EarDrummers imp ...

* " Ayo" –

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to ''Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempor ...

and

Tyga Michael Ray Nguyen-StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson ...

* "No Effort" – Tee Grizzley * "Bank Account" –

* "Let Bygones Be Bygones" –

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

* "

Baby An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...

" –

ft.

Betty Wright Bessie Regina Norris (December 21, 1953 – May 10, 2020), better known by her stage name Betty Wright, was an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter and background vocalist. Beginning her professional career in the late 1960s as a teen ...

Discography

; Studio albums * '' Funny Bidness: Da Album'' (2009) ; Collaboration albums * '' A Tribute to Bad Santa Starring Mike Epps'' (with ''

'' & ''

'') (2008) * ''Omar Ray Life & Timez of Suge Gotti, Vol. 1'' (2012) ; Guest Appearances * 2009: "I'm a Go and Get My..." with (

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

) on '' Back on My B.S.'' * 2011: “I’m on Everything” with (

) on '' Hell: The Sequel'' * 2016: "2011 BET Cypha" with (

Termanology Daniel Carrillo (born October 8, 1982), better known by his stage name Termanology, is an American rapper and record producer. He first gained major attention with the 2006 single "Watch How It Go Down". A solo album, '' Politics as Usual'', w ...

French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Arabic: æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he emigrated to the United States with his family when he was 13. ...

, Wais P, Rico Staxx, & Cross) on '' Cameo King III'' ; Singles * "Big Girls" (2008) * "Trying to Be a Gangsta" (2009) * "Aint Chu You?" (2009)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Epps, Mike Living people Midwest hip hop musicians African-American film producers American male film actors 20th-century African-American writers American stand-up comedians American male voice actors Rappers from Indiana Male actors from Indianapolis African-American male actors American male television actors 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians Film producers from Indiana African-American male comedians American male comedians 20th-century American rappers 21st-century American rappers African-American male rappers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians People from Roosevelt Island 1970 births 20th-century African-American politicians 20th-century American politicians 21st-century African-American musicians