Chris Rock
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Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He first gained prominence for his
stand-up Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage (theatre), stage and delivers humour, humorous and satire, satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical comedy, physical acts. These ...
routines in the 1980s in which he tackled subjects including race relations,
human sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...
, and
observational comedy Observational comedy is a form of humor based on the commonplace aspects of everyday life. It is one of the main types of humor in stand-up comedy. In an observational comedy act, the comedian makes an observation about something which is common eno ...
. His success branched off into productions in film, television, and on-stage, having received multiple accolades including three
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
for Best Comedy Album, four
Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
, and a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
nomination. Rock was ranked No. 5 on
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. He also ranked No. 5 on ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
''s list of the 50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time. After years working as a stand-up comedian and appearing in minor film roles including ''
Beverly Hills Cop II ''Beverly Hills Cop II'' is a 1987 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Tony Scott, written by Larry Ferguson and Warren Skaaren, and starring Eddie Murphy. It is the sequel to the 1984 film '' Beverly Hills Cop'' and the second ...
'' (1987), Rock gained prominence as a cast member on the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
series ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' from 1990 to 1993. While at ''SNL'', he appeared in the films ''
New Jack City ''New Jack City'' is a 1991 American crime action film directed by Mario Van Peebles (in his feature film directorial debut) and written by Thomas Lee Wright and Barry Michael Cooper, based on a story by Wright. The film stars Wesley Snipes, I ...
'' (1991) and ''
Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool typically constructed with airfoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from Australian Aborigin ...
'' (1992). In 1993, he appeared in '' CB4'', which he also wrote and produced. He reached mainstream stardom with '' Bring the Pain'' in 1996. Rock continued making specials which include '' Bigger & Blacker'' (1999), '' Never Scared'' (2004), '' Kill the Messenger'' (2008), '' Tamborine'' (2018), and ''Selective Outrage'' (2023). He developed, wrote, produced and narrated the sitcom ''
Everybody Hates Chris ''Everybody Hates Chris'' (stylized in all lowercase) is an American semi-autobiographical sitcom created by Chris Rock and Ali LeRoi that originally aired on UPN from 2005 to 2006, and then on The CW until 2009. The series is based loosely ...
'' (2005–2009), which was based on his early life. From 1997 to 2000 HBO aired his talk show '' The Chris Rock Show''. Rock was cast in starring film roles in ''
Lethal Weapon 4 ''Lethal Weapon 4'' is a 1998 American buddy cop action film directed and produced by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock, and Jet Li (in his international film debut). It is the fourth ins ...
'' (1998), ''
Dogma Dogma, in its broadest sense, is any belief held definitively and without the possibility of reform. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or Islam ...
'' (1999), '' The Longest Yard'' (2005), the ''
Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
'' franchise (2005–2012), '' I Think I Love My Wife'' (2007), '' Grown Ups'' (2010), '' Death at a Funeral'' (2010), '' Top Five'' (2014), '' The Week Of'' (2018), ''
Spiral In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which emanates from a point, moving further away as it revolves around the point. It is a subtype of whorled patterns, a broad group that also includes concentric objects. Two-dimensional A two-dimension ...
'' (2021), ''
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
'' (2022), and '' Rustin'' (2023). He has taken roles on television including ''
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
'', '' Kevin Can Wait'', and '' Fargo''. He made his Broadway theater debut in the 2011 Stephen Adly Guirgis play '' The Motherfucker with the Hat''. He has hosted the
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
twice; in
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
and
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
, and was involved in a highly controversial incident in which he was slapped on stage by
Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
at the
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
Awards.


Early life

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 Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, New York. A few years later, they relocated and settled in the
working class The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
area of Bedford–Stuyvesant. His mother, Rosalie (''
née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
'' Tingman), was a teacher and social worker for people with
developmental disabilities Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
; his father, Julius Rock, was a truck driver and newspaper deliveryman. Julius died in 1988 after
ulcer An ulcer is a discontinuity or break in a bodily membrane that impedes normal function of the affected organ. According to Robbins's pathology, "ulcer is the breach of the continuity of skin, epithelium or mucous membrane caused by sloughin ...
surgery. Rock is the eldest of his parents' seven children (six boys and one girl), and he had an older paternal half-brother, Charles Ledell Rock, who died in 2006 after suffering from alcoholism. Rock's younger brothers Tony, Kenny, and Jordan are also in the entertainment business. Rock's family history was profiled on the
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
series '' African American Lives 2'' in 2008. A DNA test showed that he is of
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
ian descent, specifically from the people of
northern Cameroon The North Region () makes up 66,090 km2 of the northern half of Cameroon, The Republic of Cameroon. Neighbouring territories include the Far North Region (Cameroon), Far North Region to the north, the Adamawa Region to the south, Nigeria to ...
. Rock's great-great-grandfather, Julius Caesar Tingman, was enslaved for 21 years before serving in the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
as part of the
United States Colored Troops United States Colored Troops (USCT) were Union Army regiments during the American Civil War that primarily comprised African Americans, with soldiers from other ethnic groups also serving in USCT units. Established in response to a demand fo ...
, then later was elected to two terms in the
South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seatin ...
. 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 predominantly white neighborhoods of Brooklyn, where he endured bullying and beatings from white students. As he grew older, the bullying worsened and Rock's parents pulled him out of James Madison High School. He dropped out of high school altogether, but he later earned a General Educational Development (GED). Rock then worked various jobs at fast-food restaurants including Red Lobster.


Career


1984–1999: ''Saturday Night Live'' and standup

Rock began working as a stand-up comic during 1984 in New York City's Catch a Rising Star. Upon seeing his act at a nightclub,
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
befriended and mentored the aspiring comic. Murphy gave Rock his first film role and big break in ''
Beverly Hills Cop II ''Beverly Hills Cop II'' is a 1987 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Tony Scott, written by Larry Ferguson and Warren Skaaren, and starring Eddie Murphy. It is the sequel to the 1984 film '' Beverly Hills Cop'' and the second ...
'' (1987). Rock rose up the ranks of the comedy circuit in addition to earning bit roles in the film '' I'm Gonna Git You Sucka'' (1988) and the TV series ''
Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tub ...
''. Rock was a cast member of the
sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
series ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' from 1990 to 1993. He and other new cast members
Chris Farley Christopher Crosby Farley (February 15, 1964 – December 18, 1997) was an American actor and comedian. He was a member of Chicago's Second City Theatre and later a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' for fiv ...
,
Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...
,
Rob Schneider Robert Michael Schneider ( ; born October 31, 1963) is an American actor and comedian. He rose to prominence as a cast member on NBC's ''Saturday Night Live'' (1990–1994), where he earned three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Following ...
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 role as a crack addict in the film ''
New Jack City ''New Jack City'' is a 1991 American crime action film directed by Mario Van Peebles (in his feature film directorial debut) and written by Thomas Lee Wright and Barry Michael Cooper, based on a story by Wright. The film stars Wesley Snipes, I ...
''. His tenure on ''SNL'' gave Rock national exposure. (Rock has hosted ''SNL'' four times; in 1996, 2014, 2020 and 2024.) With plans to leave ''Saturday Night Live'' after the 1992–93 season, Rock was effectively "fired" from the show. Beginning that fall, he appeared in six episodes of the predominantly African American sketch show '' In Living Color'' as a special guest star. The show was canceled a month after he arrived. Rock then wrote and starred in the low-budget comedy '' CB4'', which made $18 million against its budget of $6 million. He signed on as client of 3 Arts Entertainment. Rock headlined his first
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
comedy special in 1994, titled ''Big Ass Jokes'', as part of ''
HBO Comedy Half-Hour ''HBO Comedy Half-Hour'' is a stand-up comedy television series of specials by various comedians, usually live from The Fillmore in San Francisco, with the format of a single comedian presenting a routine for thirty minutes. The series ran on ...
''. His second special, 1996's '' Bring the Pain'', made Rock one of the most acclaimed and commercially successful comedians in the industry. Rock won two
Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
for the special and gained large critical acclaim. A controversial part of the special was " Niggas vs. Black People". For his much-publicized role as a commentator for
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
's ''
Politically Incorrect "Political correctness" (adjectivally "politically correct"; commonly abbreviated to P.C.) is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in society. ...
'' during the 1996 Presidential elections, he earned 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 shoe commercials from 1994 to 1998, and hosted the '97 MTV Video Music Awards.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''. Rock later had two more
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
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 ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
''. 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 The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
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 The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
-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. 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 began the decade with supporting roles in such films as ''
New Jack City ''New Jack City'' is a 1991 American crime action film directed by Mario Van Peebles (in his feature film directorial debut) and written by Thomas Lee Wright and Barry Michael Cooper, based on a story by Wright. The film stars Wesley Snipes, I ...
'' (1991) as crack addict Pookie, in the
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
comedy ''
Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool typically constructed with airfoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from Australian Aborigin ...
'' (1992), the
Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. Known for Steve Martin filmography, his work in comedy films, television, and #Discography, recording, he has received List of awards a ...
comedy '' Sgt. Bilko'' (1996) as well as '' Beverly Hills Ninja'' (1997), and ''
Lethal Weapon 4 ''Lethal Weapon 4'' is a 1998 American buddy cop action film directed and produced by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock, and Jet Li (in his international film debut). It is the fourth ins ...
'' (1998). He also appeared in the
Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. He came to prominence with the low-budget buddy comedy film ''Clerks (film), Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and acted i ...
fantasy comedy film ''
Dogma Dogma, in its broadest sense, is any belief held definitively and without the possibility of reform. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or Islam ...
'' (1999). The film received positive reviews and premiered at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
. The film starred an ensemble cast with actors such as
Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educatio ...
,
Matt Damon Matthew Paige Damon ( ; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. He was ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars in 2007, and in 2010 was one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. He has received va ...
,
Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his distinctive deep, wikt:languid#Etymology 1, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and b ...
,
Salma Hayek Salma Valgarma Hayek Pinault ( , ; ; born September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela ''Teresa (1989 TV series), Teresa'' (1989–1991) as well a ...
, and
George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...
.


2000–2009: Sitcom and stardom

He then starred in the
dark comedy Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...
'' Nurse Betty'' (2000) starring
Renée Zellweger Renée Kathleen Zellweger ( ; born April 25, 1969) is an American actress. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Renée Zellweger, various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and four ...
,
Greg Kinnear Gregory Buck Kinnear (born June 17, 1963) is an American actor and former talk show host. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in '' As Good as It Gets'' (1997). Kinnear has appeared in many popular films, ...
and
Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and narrator. In a career spanning six decades, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as a nomination for a Tony ...
which also debuted at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
on May 11, 2000. The film was a critical success. In the later 2000s, Rock started to work increasingly behind the camera. He wrote the film '' Down to Earth'' (2001) along with friend and comedian Louis C.K. The film was based on the
Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memor ...
film, '' Heaven Can Wait'' (1978). That same year Rock also produced and starred in the C.K. directed film '' Pootie Tang'' (2001). Rock also would work as a writer and director of the political comedy ''
Head of State A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...
'' (2003) and marital comedy '' I Think I Love My Wife'' (2007). He also played the lead in both films. He also went on to star in films like '' The Longest Yard'' (2005) opposite
Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...
, and the action comedy film ''
Bad Company Bad Company were an English rock supergroup formed in London in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke (both ex- Free), guitarist Mick Ralphs (ex- Mott the Hoople) and bassist Boz Burrell (ex-King Crimson). Kirke was the only m ...
'' (2002) opposite
Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for List of Anthony Hopkins performances, his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins ha ...
. ''Everybody Hates Chris'' (2005–2009) In September 2005, the UPN television network premiered a comedy series called ''
Everybody Hates Chris ''Everybody Hates Chris'' (stylized in all lowercase) is an American semi-autobiographical sitcom created by Chris Rock and Ali LeRoi that originally aired on UPN from 2005 to 2006, and then on The CW until 2009. The series is based loosely ...
'', loosely based on Rock's school days, for which he was the executive producer and narrator. The show garnered both critical and ratings success. The series was nominated for a 2006
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
for Best TV Series (Musical or Comedy), a 2006
People's Choice Award The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the Fan (person), fans and Public, general public. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined us ...
for Favorite New Television Comedy, and two 2006
Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
for costuming and cinematography. Starting in 2005, Rock has also voiced the eccentric zebra Marty in DreamWorks' animated film franchise ''
Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
''. He starred in two of the film's sequels, '' Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa'' (2008), and '' Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted'' (2013). In 2007 Rock voiced Mooseblood the Mosquito in the
Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. As a stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy. Seinfeld gained stardom playing a semi-fictionalized version ...
animated film, ''
Bee Movie ''Bee Movie'' is a 2007 American animated comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and Columbus 81 Productions, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Directed by Simon J. Smith and Steve Hickner from a screenplay by the writing team o ...
''. In 2009, Rock released his first documentary, 2009's '' Good Hair''. The film focuses on the issue of how African-American women have perceived their
hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...
and historically styled it. The film explores the current styling industry for black women, images of what is considered acceptable and desirable for African American women's hair in the United States, and their relation to
African American culture African-American culture, also known as Black American culture or Black culture in American English, refers to the cultural expressions of African Americans, either as part of or distinct from mainstream American culture. African-American/Bl ...
. The film premiered at the 2009
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...
where it earned critical acclaim and received a Special Jury Prize. The
National Board of Review The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered the first major harbinger of the film awards season that ...
named it one of the five best documentaries of the year. Rock was also nominated for the Gotham Award for Best Documentary and for the Best Documentary Screenplay from the
Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is the name of two American labor unions representing writers in film, television, radio, and online media: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) is headquartered in New York City and is affiliated wit ...
. Rock has since stated working on a documentary about debt called ''Credit Is the Devil''.


2010–2019: Career expansion

Some of his 2010s film appearances include the
black comedy Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...
'' Death at a Funeral'' (2010) a remake of the British comedy of the same name. The film starred Peter Dinklage,
Martin Lawrence Martin Fitzgerald LawrenceStated in interview on '' Inside the Actors Studio'' (born April 16, 1965) is an American actor and comedian. Lawrence began his career doing comedy shows, including in '' The Improv''. After his first acting role in t ...
,
Tracy Morgan Tracy Jamal Morgan (born November 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy television series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1996 to 2003, and played Tracy Jordan in the NBC sitcom ''30 Ro ...
,
Kevin Hart Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. The accolades he has received include the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and nominations for two Grammy Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards. After winning se ...
, Zoe Saldana, and Luke Wilson. The film received mixed reviews, although
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
, critic of ''
The Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily Non-profit journalism, nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation am ...
'', praised the film writing: "I laughed all the way through, in fact. This is the best comedy since ''The Hangover'', and although it's almost a scene-by-scene remake of a 2007 British movie with the same title, it's funnier than the original." Rock also starred in the summer comedy '' Grown Ups'' (2010) alongside
Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...
,
Kevin James Kevin George Knipfing (born April 26, 1965), known professionally as Kevin James, is an American comedian and actor. He began his career by performing stand-up comedy at clubs on Long Island in the 1980s. He rose to prominence for his portrayal ...
, David Spade and
Maya Rudolph Maya Khabira Rudolph (born July 27, 1972) is an American actress and comedian. In 2000, she became a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). During her tenure on the show, she appeared in supporting roles in ...
, and reunited with them for a sequel in 2013. In 2011, Rock appeared on Broadway in Stephen Adly Guirgis' play '' The Motherfucker with the Hat''Healy, Patrick
"Chris Rock Takes On Broadway in 'Hat'"
, ''The New York Times'' blog, October 22, 2010.
with Bobby Cannavale and Annabella Sciorra. Rock was nominated for a Drama League Award. In an interview with '' Vibe'' magazine, Rock stated that he chose to do Broadway because he wanted more people to see him "really act. Sometimes when you do comedy, that can be a little formulaic, and it's hard for really good directors to see that you can act."Osorio, Kim
"V Exclusive! Chris Rock's 'School Of Rock' Interview"
, "Vibe" January 24, 2012.
He produced the series '' Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell'', which premiered in August 2012. While serving as producer, he had a production company, Chris Rock Enterprises (or CR Enterprises) for short. In 2012, he starred in the ensemble romantic comedy film '' What to Expect When You're Expecting'' alongside
Cameron Diaz Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. Prolific in both comedy and drama, Cameron Diaz filmography, her films have grossed over $3 billion in the U.S. box-office. Her output of romantic comedies in the late 1990s a ...
,
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
,
Anna Kendrick Anna Cooke Kendrick (born August 9, 1985) is an American actress. Known for playing upbeat and endearing characters in comedies and musicals, List of awards and nominations received by Anna Kendrick, her accolades include nominations for an Aca ...
, and Elizabeth Banks. Despite earning negative reviews, the film was a financial success. Rock earned a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor – Comedy nomination for his performance. That same year he starred in the romantic comedy '' 2 Days in New York'' (2012) opposite Julie Delpy. The film served as the sequel to Delpy's previous film, '' 2 Days in Paris'' (2007). The film premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...
where it received positive reviews, with critics praising the chemistry between the two with
Todd McCarthy Todd McCarthy (born February 16, 1950) is an American film critic and author. He wrote for '' Variety'' for 31 years as its chief film critic until 2010. In October of that year, he joined ''The Hollywood Reporter'', where he subsequently served ...
of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' writing: "The best of the humor is verbal and attitudinal, all delivered at a rapid clip in overlapping languages that Preston Sturges or Howard Hawks would have admired." In 2014, Rock scripted, directed and starred in the film '' Top Five'', which critics have drawn comparison to
Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
's '' Stardust Memories'' (1980). The film is a social commentary on fame and society. The film premiered at the 2014
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
. Scott Foundas, critic for '' Variety'' praised the film writing: "Rock has finally found a big-screen vehicle for himself that comes close to capturing the electric wit, shrewd social observations and deeply autobiographical vein of his standup comedy." In ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine,
Peter Travers Peter Joseph Travers (born June 27, 1943) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film i ...
wrote in his review: "Rock delivers the laughs, big ones, laced with razor-sharp observations on everything from pop culture to racial politics... His confident, prowling wit as a stand-up has finally found its way to the screen, enhanced by a bracing vulnerability. ''Top Five'' is Rock's best movie by a mile." In 2015 Rock attended the '' Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special'' on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
where he introduced and paid tribute to fellow comedian and former SNL cast member
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
. Also in 2015, Rock appeared as himself in
Sofia Coppola Sofia Carmina Coppola ( , ; born May 14, 1971) is an American filmmaker and former actress. She has List of awards and nominations received by Sofia Coppola, won an Academy Awards, Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, a Golden Lion, and a Can ...
's Christmas musical special, ''
A Very Murray Christmas ''A Very Murray Christmas'' is a 2015 American Christmas musical comedy film directed by Sofia Coppola and co-written by Bill Murray, Mitch Glazer, and Coppola. The film features an ensemble cast including Murray, George Clooney, Paul Shaffer, ...
'' starring
Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian, known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Bill Murra ...
. In the film, Rock sings "
Do You Hear What I Hear? "Do You Hear What I Hear?" is a song written in October 1962, with lyrics by Noël Regney and music by Gloria Shayne. The pair, married at the time, wrote it as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Regney had been invited by a record ...
" with Murray. The film debuted on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
and received the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie This is a list of the winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie, which has been awarded since 1992. The category was originally called Outstanding Drama or Comedy Special. In 1991, Outstanding Drama or Comedy ...
. He also appeared as himself in another
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
film, '' Sandy Wexler'' (2017) starring
Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...
. In 2018, he starred in the Netflix comedy '' The Week Of'' directed by
Robert Smigel Robert Smigel (born February 7, 1960) is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, producer, and puppeteer A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object called a puppet to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The pup ...
starring Sandler. The film follows two fathers during the week of the wedding of their children. The following year, he briefly appeared in the comedy film '' Dolemite Is My Name'' (2019) starring
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
. In the film, Murphy portrayed
Rudy Ray Moore Rudolph Frank Moore (March 17, 1927October 19, 2008), known as Rudy Ray Moore, was an American comedian, singer, actor, and film producer.blaxploitation In American cinema, Blaxploitation is the film subgenre of action movie derived from the exploitation film genre in the early 1970s, consequent to the combined cultural momentum of the black civil rights movement, the black power movement, ...
starting with ''Dolemite'' (1975). The film premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
. He directed and appeared in the music video for the Red Hot Chili Peppers song "Hump de Bump", and has simply appeared in several videos, including the Big Daddy Kane music video "Smooth Operator (Big Daddy Kane song), Smooth Operator" as a guy getting his hair cut, one of the many celebrities seen lip-synching in Johnny Cash's "God's Gonna Cut You Down", a cameo in Madonna's "Bitch I'm Madonna", and as a Wild West sheriff chasing down an 1889 cowboy version of Lil Nas X in "Old Town Road". On October 30, 2016,
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
announced that they would be releasing two new stand-up comedy specials from Rock, 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 10 years. The special earned a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album nomination.


2020–present

In 2020, Rock portrayed central character Loy Cannon in the Fargo (season 4), fourth season of the FX (TV channel), FX crime anthology series '' Fargo''. In 2021, he starred in a reboot of the ''Saw (franchise), Saw franchise'', ''
Spiral In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which emanates from a point, moving further away as it revolves around the point. It is a subtype of whorled patterns, a broad group that also includes concentric objects. Two-dimensional A two-dimension ...
'' (2021), which dabbled into the territory of the Horror film, horror film genre. Rock responded to the Will Smith slap in his March 4, 2023, Netflix special ''Chris Rock: Selective Outrage''; it was Netflix's first-ever live event. The show streamed live from the Hippodrome Theatre (Baltimore), Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland. The special received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations including two for Rock for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Outstanding Variety Special (Live) and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. In 2023, it was announced that Rock would direct a biopic on civil rights movement, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with Steven Spielberg producing. The film will be based on the biography ''King: A Life'' by Jonathan Eig. In 2024, it was announced that Rock would direct an English language adaptation of Thomas Vinterberg's Academy Award-winning film ''Another Round (film), Another Round'' (2020). Rock also wrote and is set to direct the upcoming film ''Misty Green'', which debuts in November 2024 at the American Film Market. Neon (company), Neon International is handling foreign rights, while CAA Media Finance is responsible for domestic rights.


Academy Awards


2005 ceremony

In February 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, an angry 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 Roast (comedy), roasted that evening, however—he turned the joke on himself at one point, saying, "If you want Denzel Washington, Denzel [Washington] and all you can get is me, wait!" Older Academy 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.


2016 ceremony

On October 21, 2015, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Rock would host the 88th Academy Awards the following February. When the subsequent acting nominations turned out to include no racial minorities, Rock was called upon to join a boycott of the ceremony. Rock declined, stating at the ceremony that it would have accomplished little since the show would have proceeded anyway, with him simply replaced. Instead, Rock spoke of his concerns about the lack of diversity in AMPAS at various times during the show, closing by saying "Black Lives Matter". Rock's performance was largely praised by critics. ''Los Angeles Times'' critic Mary McNamara wrote: "Rock's Oscars had some of the most powerful moments seen in the telecast's history. His decision to honestly answer the question 'Is Hollywood racist?' was brave and effective," ''The New York Times'' television critic James Poniewozik, praised Rock's performance for being "evenhanded without being wishy-washy" and that he represented "an example of something the industry is still trying to learn: that you can achieve both inclusion and entertainment by giving the right person just the right opportunity."


2022 ceremony

Rock presented the award for Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Feature at the 94th Academy Awards in March 2022. During the ceremony, Rock joked about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head, which he compared to Demi Moore's shaved head in ''G.I. Jane'', saying, "Jada, I love ya. ''G.I. Jane 2,'' can't wait to see it!". Pinkett Smith had shaved her head due to alopecia areata. Her husband,
Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
, responded to Rock's joke by walking onstage and slapping Rock, who remarked, "Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me." Smith then returned to his seat and yelled twice at Rock, "Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth!" Rock went on to say that this "was the greatest night in the history of television." Later in the night, Smith was named Academy Award for Best Actor, Best Actor for ''King Richard (film), King Richard''. In his acceptance speech, he apologized to the Academy and the other nominees, but not to Rock. Rock declined to file a report with the Los Angeles Police Department regarding the incident. The next day, amid public backlash, Smith issued a formal apology to Rock via a public Instagram post, adding that "a joke about Jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally." He also stated that "I was out of line" and that his behavior was "unacceptable and inexcusable." During a stand-up performance in Boston later that month, Rock stated that Smith had not reached out to him personally and they had not spoken since the ceremony.


Comedic style and views

Rock's subject matter typically involves family, politics, romance, music, celebrities, and race relations in the United States. Though not strictly autobiographical, much of his comic standpoint seems 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, Brooklyn, Bensonhurst. In his memoir ''Rock This'', he 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 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 course, this is just for black entertainers. You don't see anyone telling
Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. As a stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy. Seinfeld gained stardom playing a semi-fictionalized version ...
he's a good role model. Because everyone expects whites to behave you've got to be an entertainer and a leader. It's too much." 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." 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 "motherfuckers" and said "shit", and after a brief pause said he was joking. Due to the broadcast being at 5:45p.m., Rock was immediately cut off, and the BBC made several apologies for his use of the word "motherfucker". Chris Rock has been an avid fan of the New York Mets baseball team since childhood. He complained that his team "had no money" during a 2011 interview with David Letterman. During a 2008 rant on his '' Kill the Messenger'' tour, Rock labeled George W. Bush as "the worst president ever". Rock has campaigned against the racial profiling of African-Americans, and often speaks of the everyday racism he experiences “despite being famous”. In a Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee#Season 2 .282013.29, 2013 episode of ''Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee'' with
Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. As a stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy. Seinfeld gained stardom playing a semi-fictionalized version ...
, Rock and Seinfeld are pulled over by the police for speeding while Seinfeld was driving. In the episode Rock admits to Seinfeld that "If you weren't here, I'd be scared. Yeah, I'm famous – still black." In 2015, Rock was pulled over three times in the first three months of the year. Each time Rock posted a selfie of the incident, without further comment as to the reason for the stops or whether he was issued a citation. In May 2021, Rock voiced opposition to cancel culture. He said that it has led to "boring" and "unfunny" material from comedians. He also commented that there is an existing built-in mechanism for audiences informing comedians that their content does not work, like the audience not laughing at their jokes. Rock went on to say "Everybody's scared to make a move. That's not a place to be. You know, we should have the right to fail because failure is a part of art." Rock has said that he was influenced by the performing style of his paternal grandfather, Allen Rock, a preacher. Rock's comedy influences are Bill Cosby, Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory, Flip Wilson, Richard Pryor,
Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. Known for Steve Martin filmography, his work in comedy films, television, and #Discography, recording, he has received List of awards a ...
, Pigmeat Markham,
Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
, Bill Maher,
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
, Sam Kinison,
George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...
, Mort Sahl, and Rodney Dangerfield.part 2
Comedians who have cited Rock as an influence include Dave Chappelle, Christian Finnegan, George Lopez,
Kevin Hart Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. The accolades he has received include the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and nominations for two Grammy Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards. After winning se ...
, and Trevor Noah.


Personal life


Relationships

Rock married Malaak Compton-Rock on November 23, 1996. Compton-Rock is the founder and board of directors, executive director of StyleWorks, a non-profit, full-service hair salon that provides free services for women leaving Social programs in the United States, welfare and entering the workforce. The couple lived in Alpine, New JerseyRich, Frank (November 30, 2014)
"In Conversation: Chris Rock"
. ''New York (magazine), New York''.
with their two daughters. In December 2014, Rock filed for divorce from Compton-Rock. Rock admitted to infidelity in the marriage, as well as struggling with a pornography addiction. The divorce was finalized on August 22, 2016. On July 7, 2022, it was reported that Rock had started dating actress, screenwriter, and director Lake Bell. Rock later self-identified as single in his 2023 Netflix special.


Religion

According to Dylan Novak, a Protestant preacher known by the online alias ''Celebrity Preacher'', he had a interaction with Rock where he learned that Rock's faith "did not stick with him as he grew up." In a 1989 stand-up routine, Rock remarked, "When you’re black there’s like no religion to turn to... It’s like, Christianity? I don’t think so. White people justified slavery and segregation through Christianity so a black Christian is like a black person with no… memory." According to Vibe (magazine), ''Vibe'', in 2017, Rock stated during his Total Blackout Tour that he was "trying to get a little bit of religion… Not a lot," and that he wanted to "find God before God finds me." He also said that he believed in God a little bit but that he practices the religion of comedy.


Lawsuit

In 2012, Rock settled a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse. Rock was not charged with a crime and has denied that the alleged rape ever occurred.


Cannabis

On August 20, 2019, Rock, along with several other celebrities, invested in a funding round for Lowell Herb Co, a California Cannabis (drug), cannabis brand. He is known to be "a dedicated cannabis consumer."


Health

On September 18, 2020, Rock said that he was diagnosed with a non-verbal learning disorder, a neurological condition that makes it difficult for him to understand non-verbal social cues. On September 19, 2021, Rock announced on Twitter that he had tested positive for COVID-19. He strongly advocated getting vaccinated to his followers.


Filmography


Discography


Live albums


Guest features on albums

Chris Rock has appeared on numerous albums, including Method Man's ''Tical 2000'', Prince Paul's ''A Prince Among Thieves'', Ice Cube's ''War and Peace Vol. 2'', Ludacris's ''Theater of the Mind'' and Busta Rhymes's ''Extinction Level Event 2''.


Standup specials

* ''HBO Comedy Half-Hour, Chris Rock: Big Ass Jokes'' (released on
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
, 1994) * ''Chris Rock: Bring the Pain'' (released on
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
, 1996) * ''Bigger & Blacker, Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker'' (released on
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
, 1999) * ''Never Scared, Chris Rock: Never Scared'' (released on
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
, 2004) * ''Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger'' (released on
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
, 2008) * ''Chris Rock: Tamborine'' (released on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
2018) * ''Chris Rock: Selective Outrage'' (released on Netflix 2023)


Awards and nominations


Bibliography

* ''Rock This!'' (Hachette Books, Hyperion Books, 1997) –


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rock, Chris Chris Rock, 1965 births Living people 20th-century American comedians 20th-century African-American male actors 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American comedians 21st-century African-American male actors 21st-century American male actors Actors from Bergen County, New Jersey African-American film directors African-American film producers African-American male comedians African-American male writers African-American screenwriters African-American stand-up comedians African-American television producers African-American television talk show hosts African-American television writers American male comedians American male film actors American male screenwriters American male television actors American male television writers American male voice actors American music video directors American people of Cameroonian descent American sketch comedians American stand-up comedians American television talk show hosts American television show creators American television writers Atlantic Records artists Comedians from Bergen County, New Jersey Comedians from Brooklyn Comedians from South Carolina DreamWorks Records artists Film directors from New Jersey Film directors from New York City Film directors from South Carolina Film producers from New Jersey Film producers from New York (state) Geffen Records artists Grammy Award winners James Madison High School (Brooklyn) alumni Male actors from Brooklyn Male actors from New Jersey Male actors from South Carolina People from Alpine, New Jersey People from Andrews, South Carolina People from Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn People from Crown Heights, Brooklyn Primetime Emmy Award winners Screenwriters from New Jersey Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from South Carolina Television producers from New Jersey Television producers from New York City Writers from Bergen County, New Jersey Writers from Brooklyn Writers from South Carolina