Chris Rock Biography
Fast Facts
Born February 7, 1966 in Andrews, South Carolina.
He attended a nearly all-white public school and, as a result, was subjected to discrimination at an early age.
At age 18, Rock was discovered by Eddie Murphy at New York's Comedy Strip.
A small role in Murphy's Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) was Rock's film debut.
In 1990, Rock followed the footsteps of his idol, Eddie Murphy, by joining the cast of Saturday Night Live.
1996 marked a turning point in Rock's career. His talents were recognized by HBO, and the cable network produced a comedy special starring Rock, titled Bring in the Pain.
The comedian won two Emmy Awards and wide critical acclaim for the show.
In 1997, Rock began hosting his own television show on the HBO Network, The Chris Rock Show
During this high point in his
career, Rock also appeared in Sgt. Bilko (1996), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997),
and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
Chris Rock Biography
"Yeah, I love being famous.
It's almost like being white y'know?"
Chris Rock
He worked three seasons on SNL, before deciding to expand his horizons and explore other career opportunities. In 1993, Rock performed on FOX's In Living Color but that didn't pan out for him as the show was cancelled after only a few episodes.
The big turning point in his career took place in 1996 when his talents were given recognition by the cable network, HBO. They produced a comedy special starring Rock, titled Bring in the Pain. The comedian won two Emmy Awards and wide critical acclaim for the show.
The following year he
became the host of his own show, The Chris Rock Show, which earned him
two CableACE awards. During this high point in his career, Rock also
appeared in Sgt. Bilko (1996), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), and Lethal Weapon
4 (1998).
.
Rock also received two Grammy Awards for his spoken comedy albums Roll With
the New (1997) and Bigger and Blacker (1999). In 1999, he appeared in the
irreverent big-screen comedy Dogma, alongside such hot young stars as Matt
Damon, Ben Affleck, and Salma Hayek. He had another big screen role in
2000, playing a hit man in the black comedy Nurse Betty, starring Renee
Zellweger.
Rock continues to entertain viewers with The Chris Rock Show. Most
recently, he headlined the comedy Down to Earth (2001)-a modern take on the
1941 film Here Comes Mr. Jordan, which was also remade with Warren Beatty in
1978 as Heaven Can Wait. His recent projects include the comedy Jay and
Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), and Bad Company (2002), co-starring Anthony
Hopkins. Rock's career as a comedian has spanned over 12 years and
audiences have yet to tire of his sardonic humor.
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A&E's
Chris Rock
Biography
The self-described "Hip-hop comedian" reflects on his struggle to reach
stardom.