Jump to content

Chris Rock

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the English comedian, see Crissy Rock.

Chris Rock
Rock in 2021
Birth nameChristopher Julius Rock
Born (1965-02-07) February 7, 1965 (age 59)
Andrews, South Carolina, U.S.
Medium
Years active1984–present
Genres
Subject(s)
Spouse
Malaak Compton
​
​
(m. 1996; div. 2016)​
Children2
Relative(s)Tony Rock (brother)
Notable works and rolesFilmography
Websitechrisrock.com

Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He first gained prominence for his stand-up routines in the 1980s in which he tackled subjects including race relations, human sexuality, and observational comedy. His success branched off into productions in film, television, and on-stage, having received multiple accolades including three Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe Award nomination. Rock was ranked No. 5 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. He also ranked No. 5 on Rolling Stone's list of the 50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time.[1]

After years working as a stand-up comedian and appearing in minor film roles including Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Rock gained prominence as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1993. While at SNL, he appeared in the films New Jack City (1991) and Boomerang (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 (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 (1998), Dogma (1999), The Longest Yard (2005), the Madagascar 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 (2021), Amsterdam (2022), and Rustin (2023). He has taken roles on television including Empire, 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 twice; in 2005 and 2016, and was involved in a highly controversial incident in which he was slapped on stage by Will Smith at the 2022 Awards.

Early life

Rock was born in Andrews, South Carolina, on February 7, 1965.[2] 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.[3] His mother, Rosalie (née Tingman), was a teacher and social worker for people with developmental disabilities; his father, Julius Rock, was a truck driver and newspaper deliveryman.[4] Julius died in 1988 after ulcer surgery.[2]

Rock is the eldest of his parents' seven children (six boys and one girl),[5] and he had an older paternal half-brother, Charles Ledell Rock, who died in 2006 after suffering from alcoholism.[6][7] Rock's younger brothers Tony,[8] Kenny,[9] and Jordan[10] are also in the entertainment business.

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 Udeme [fr] people of northern Cameroon.[11] 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, then later was elected to two terms in the South Carolina House of Representatives.[12] During the 1940s, Rock's paternal grandfather moved from South Carolina to New York City to become a taxicab driver and preacher.[13]

Rock was bused to schools in predominantly white neighborhoods of Brooklyn, where he endured bullying and beatings from white students.[14][15][16] As he grew older, the bullying worsened and Rock's parents pulled him out of James Madison High School.[16] 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.[14][15][17]

Career

1984–1999: Saturday Night Live and standup

Rock was a cast member on Saturday Night Live (1990–1993)

Rock began working as a stand-up comic during 1984 in New York City's Catch a Rising Star.[14] Upon seeing his act at a nightclub, Eddie Murphy befriended and mentored the aspiring comic. Murphy gave Rock his first film role and big break in Beverly Hills Cop II (1987).[18] 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.

Rock was a cast member of the sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1993. He and other new cast members Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and David Spade became known as the Bad Boys of SNL.[9][19][20] 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. His tenure on SNL gave Rock national exposure. (Rock has hosted SNL four times; in 1996, 2014, 2020 and 2024.)[21]

Rock in 1995

With plans to leave Saturday Night Live after the 1992–93 season, Rock was effectively "fired" from the show.[22][23] Beginning that fall, he appeared in six episodes of the predominantly African American sketch show In Living Color as a special guest star.[24] The show was canceled a month after he arrived.[22] Rock then wrote and starred in the low-budget comedy CB4, which made $18 million against its budget of $6 million.[25] He signed on as client of 3 Arts Entertainment.[26]

Rock headlined his first HBO comedy special in 1994, titled Big Ass Jokes, as part of HBO Comedy Half-Hour. His second special, 1996's Bring the Pain, made Rock one of the most acclaimed and commercially successful comedians in the industry.[27][28] Rock won two Emmy Awards for the special and gained large critical acclaim.[29] A controversial part of the special was "Niggas vs. Black People".[29] For his much-publicized role as a commentator for Comedy Central's Politically Incorrect during the 1996 Presidential elections,[27] he earned another Emmy nomination.[30] 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,[27] 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.[31]

Rock later had two more HBO comedy specials: Bigger & Blacker in 1999, and Never Scared in 2004. Articles relating to both specials called Rock "the funniest man in America" in Time[32] and Entertainment Weekly.[33] 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 Awards and 15 nominations.[34] By the end of the decade, Rock was established as one of the preeminent stand-up comedians and comic minds of his generation. During this time, Rock also translated his comedy into print form in the book Rock This! and released the Grammy Award-winning comedy albums, Roll with the New, Bigger & Blacker and Never Scared. Rock's fifth HBO special, Kill the Messenger, premiered on September 27, 2008, and won him another Emmy for outstanding writing for a variety or music program.[35]

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 (1991) as crack addict Pookie, in the Eddie Murphy comedy Boomerang (1992), the Steve Martin comedy Sgt. Bilko (1996) as well as Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998). He also appeared in the Kevin Smith fantasy comedy film Dogma (1999). The film received positive reviews and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The film starred an ensemble cast with actors such as Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Alan Rickman, Salma Hayek, and George Carlin.


2000–2009: Sitcom and stardom

Cameron Diaz and Rock in 2012 at the premiere of What to Expect When You're Expecting

He then starred in the dark comedy Nurse Betty (2000) starring Renée Zellweger, Greg Kinnear and Morgan Freeman which also debuted at the Cannes Film Festival 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 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 (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, and the action comedy film Bad Company (2002) opposite Anthony Hopkins.

Everybody Hates Chris (2005–2009)

In September 2005, the UPN television network premiered a comedy series called Everybody Hates Chris, loosely based on Rock's school days, for which he was the executive producer and narrator. The show garnered both critical and ratings success.[36] The series was nominated for a 2006 Golden Globe for Best TV Series (Musical or Comedy), a 2006 People's Choice Award for Favorite New Television Comedy, and two 2006 Primetime Emmy Awards for costuming and cinematography.[37][38][39]

Starting in 2005, Rock has also voiced the eccentric zebra Marty in DreamWorks' animated film franchise Madagascar. 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 animated film, Bee Movie.

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 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. The film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival where it earned critical acclaim and received 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 for the Best Documentary Screenplay from the Writers Guild of America.[40] Rock has since stated working on a documentary about debt called Credit Is the Devil.[41]

2010–2019: Career expansion

Some of his 2010s film appearances include the black comedy Death at a Funeral (2010) a remake of the British comedy of the same name. The film starred Peter Dinklage, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Kevin Hart, Zoe Saldana, and Luke Wilson. The film received mixed reviews, although Roger Ebert, critic of The Chicago Sun-Times, 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."[42] Rock also starred in the summer comedy Grown Ups (2010) alongside Adam Sandler, Kevin James, David Spade and Maya Rudolph, 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[43] with Bobby Cannavale and Annabella Sciorra.[43] 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."[44]

Rock performing in 2017

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.[45] In 2012, he starred in the ensemble romantic comedy film What to Expect When You're Expecting alongside Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Anna Kendrick, 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 where it received positive reviews, with critics praising the chemistry between the two with Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter 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."[46]

In 2014, Rock scripted, directed and starred in the film Top Five, which critics have drawn comparison to Woody Allen's Stardust Memories (1980). The film is a social commentary on fame and society.[47] The film premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. 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."[48] In Rolling Stone magazine, Peter Travers 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."[49]

In 2015 Rock attended the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special on NBC where he introduced and paid tribute to fellow comedian and former SNL cast member Eddie Murphy. Also in 2015, Rock appeared as himself in Sofia Coppola's Christmas musical special, A Very Murray Christmas starring Bill Murray. In the film, Rock sings "Do You Hear What I Hear?" with Murray. The film debuted on Netflix and received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. He also appeared as himself in another Netflix film, Sandy Wexler (2017) starring Adam Sandler. In 2018, he starred in the Netflix comedy The Week Of directed by Robert Smigel 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. In the film, Murphy portrayed Rudy Ray Moore and centers around his career as a standup, and director of blaxploitation starting with Dolemite (1975). The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. He directed and appeared in the music video for the Red Hot Chili Peppers song "Hump de Bump",[50] and has simply appeared in several videos, including the Big Daddy Kane music video "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 announced that they would be releasing two new stand-up comedy specials from Rock, with Rock being paid $40 million per special.[51][52][53] 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.[54] The special earned a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album nomination.

2020–present

In 2020, Rock portrayed central character Loy Cannon in the fourth season of the FX crime anthology series Fargo.[55][56] In 2021, he starred in a reboot of the Saw franchise, Spiral (2021), which dabbled into the territory of the horror film genre.[57] Rock responded to the Will Smith slap in his March 4, 2023, Netflix special Chris Rock: Selective Outrage;[58] it was Netflix's first-ever live event. The show streamed live from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland.[59] The special received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations including two for Rock for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special.

In 2023, it was announced that Rock would direct a biopic on 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.[60]

In 2024, it was announced that Rock would direct an English language adaptation of Thomas Vinterberg's Academy Award-winning film Another Round (2020).[61] Rock also wrote and is set to direct the upcoming film Misty Green, which debuts in November 2024 at the American Film Market. Neon International is handling foreign rights, while CAA Media Finance is responsible for domestic rights.[62][63]

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.) Law was not the only actor that Rock roasted that evening, however—he turned the joke on himself at one point, saying, "If you want 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.[64] 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.[65][66]

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.[67] 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.[68] 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".[69]

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,"[70] 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."[71]

2022 ceremony

Main article: Chris Rock–Will Smith slapping incident

Rock presented the award for 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, 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."[72][73][74] Later in the night, Smith was named Best Actor for King Richard. In his acceptance speech, he apologized to the Academy and the other nominees, but not to Rock.[75] Rock declined to file a report with the Los Angeles Police Department regarding the incident.[76]

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."[77] 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.[78]

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. 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."[79]

Rock has not wavered from a position explored in his 1996 Roll With The New show, and reiterated in his 1997 memoir: "Why does the public expect entertainers to behave better than everybody else? It's ridiculous [ . . . of] course, this is just for black entertainers. You don't see anyone telling Jerry Seinfeld he's a good role model. Because everyone expects whites to behave themselves [ . . . nowadays,] you've got to be an entertainer and a leader. It's too much."[80] 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."[81]

At the 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 5:45 p.m., Rock was immediately cut off, and the BBC made several apologies for his use of the word "motherfucker".[82]

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.[83]

During a 2008 rant on his Kill the Messenger tour, Rock labeled George W. Bush as "the worst president ever".[84]

Rock has campaigned against the racial profiling of African-Americans, and often speaks of the everyday racism he experiences “despite being famous”.[85][86] In a 2013 episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Jerry Seinfeld, 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."[87] 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.[88]

In May 2021, Rock voiced opposition to cancel culture.[89][90][91][92][93] He said that it has led to "boring" and "unfunny" material from comedians.[89][90][91] 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.[89][90][91] 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 . . . failure is a part of art."[89]

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, Pigmeat Markham, Woody Allen, Bill Maher, Eddie Murphy,[94] Sam Kinison, George Carlin, Mort Sahl,[33] and Rodney Dangerfield.[95]

Comedians who have cited Rock as an influence include Dave Chappelle,[33] Christian Finnegan,[96] George Lopez,[97] Kevin Hart,[98] and Trevor Noah.[99]

Personal life

Rock married Malaak Compton-Rock on November 23, 1996.[100] 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.[100] The couple lived in Alpine, New Jersey[101][102] with their two daughters.[2] In December 2014, Rock filed for divorce from Compton-Rock.[103] Rock admitted to infidelity in the marriage, as well as struggling with a pornography addiction.[104] The divorce was finalized on August 22, 2016.[105]

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.[106]

On August 20, 2019, Rock, along with several other celebrities, invested in a funding round for Lowell Herb Co, a California cannabis brand. He is known to be "a dedicated cannabis consumer."[107]

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.[108][109][110] On September 19, 2021, Rock announced on Twitter that he had tested positive for COVID-19. He strongly advocated getting vaccinated to his followers.[111]

On July 7, 2022, it was reported that Rock had started dating actress, screenwriter, and director Lake Bell. Rock later confirmed in his 2023 Netflix special that he was single.[112]

Filmography

Main article: Chris Rock filmography

Discography

Live albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[113] 		US
R&B
/HH
[114]
Born Suspect
  • Released: May 24, 1991[115]
  • Label: Atlantic
  • Format: CD, cassette, LP
 — —
Roll with the New
  • Released: April 8, 1997
  • Label: DreamWorks
  • Format: CD, cassette, LP
 93 41
Bigger & Blacker
  • Released: July 13, 1999
  • Label: DreamWorks
  • Format: CD, cassette, LP
 44 23
Never Scared
  • Released: February 15, 2005
  • Label: DreamWorks, Geffen
  • Format: CD, cassette, LP
 — —

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

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Chris Rock

Bibliography

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

References

  1. ^ "50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time". Rolling Stone. February 14, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Chris Rock". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011.
  3. ^ "Chris Rock". Inside the Actors Studio. Season 13. Episode 6. March 13, 2007. Bravo.
  4. ^ Pearlman, Cindy (January 29, 2001). "Rolling Rock: Chris Rock Hits His Hollywood Stride". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  5. ^ "Myrtle Beach online - Rose Rock". Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  6. ^ "Chris Rock Feels He 'Failed' Deceased Brother". World Entertainment News Network. Starpulse.com. October 4, 2007. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  7. ^ "55 Fascinating Facts About Chris Rock". E! Online. February 7, 2020. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  8. ^ Oppenheim, Gabe (October 9, 2008). "Tony Rock, Standing Up To His Name". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  9. ^ a b Anne M. Todd; Rose Blue; Corinne J. Naden (January 1, 2009). Chris Rock: Comedian and Actor. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4381-0074-6. Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  10. ^ "Jordan Rock: JayRockStar619's Channel". YouTube. August 31, 2006. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  11. ^ Goffe, Leslie. "Americans seek their African roots" Archived January 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, BBC, June 29, 2009.
  12. ^ Gates, Henry Louis Jr. (2009). "Chapter 17: Chris Rock". In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary African Americans Reclaimed Their Past. Crown. ISBN 978-0-307-40973-7.
  13. ^ "Chris Rock". African American Lives 2. PBS. Archived from the original on July 20, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2010.
  14. ^ a b c Chappell, Kevin (October 1999). "Bigger, Better, And Hotter! Chris Rock Talks About Fame, Controversy And The Challenge Of Being No. 1". Ebony. Archived from the original on April 5, 2005. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  15. ^ a b "Chris Rock Discusses 'Down to Earth'". Larry King Live. CNN. February 12, 2001. Archived from the original on September 24, 2004. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  16. ^ a b Gallahue, Patrick (June 18, 2005). "Chris Rock Gets Show Based on Childhood". New York Post. Archived from the original on June 29, 2010. Retrieved June 13, 2010.
  17. ^ Meyersohn, Nathaniel (June 8, 2024). "The forgotten racial history of Red Lobster". CNN Business. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  18. ^ Gray, Tim (May 20, 2022). "The Big Break: Chris Rock Made Film Debut in 'Beverly Hills Cop 2' 35 Years Ago". Variety. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  19. ^ Roberts, Andrew (November 1, 2014). "The Story Behind Chris Rock's Firing From 'Saturday Night Live'". Uproxx. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  20. ^ Fallon, Kevin (June 14, 2015). "The Secrets of 'Saturday Night Live': Where Comedy Legends Are Born". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on November 10, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  21. ^ "Chris Rock Says Being on SNL Was "the Best Time" — Here's When He Was a Cast Member". NBC Insider Official Site. December 14, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Roberts, Andrew (November 1, 2014). "The Story Behind Chris Rock's Firing From 'Saturday Night Live'". Uproxx. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  23. ^ Dylan P. Gadino (November 3, 2011). "Chris Rock: Why I left Saturday Night Live". Laughspin. Archived from the original on September 4, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  24. ^ Cormier, Roger (April 15, 2015). "22 Things You Might Not Know About 'In Living Color'". Mental Floss. Archived from the original on September 7, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  25. ^ "CB4 (1993)". Box Office Mojo. April 13, 1993. Archived from the original on January 30, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  26. ^ Fleming, Michael (April 12, 2000). "3 Arts taps Henson exec". Variety. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  27. ^ a b c Chappell, Kevin (May 1997). "Chris Rock: hot comic is on the roll of his life". Ebony. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved October 20, 2007.
  28. ^ "Chris Rock: Bring the Pain". AllMovie. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  29. ^ a b Sweeney, Kathy (June 1, 2001). "Chris Rock: The funniest man in America?". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on June 12, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2007.
  30. ^ "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher". Archived from the original on April 3, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  31. ^ "Chris Rock's Funniest Rap Moments". Complex. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  32. ^ Handy, Bruce (2001). "America's Best Artist's and Entertainers". Time. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved October 20, 2007.
  33. ^ a b c Wolk, Josh (March 19, 2004). "Chris Rock On Fire". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 16, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
  34. ^ "Chris Rock". Emmys.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  35. ^ Sample, Kristin (July 10, 2008). "Chris Rock to do his fifth HBO special in September – TCA Report". TVSquad.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2008.
  36. ^ "Icon Chris Rock". Maxim. April 2007. Archived from the original on June 2, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2007.
  37. ^ "Golden Globe Awards for 'Everybody Hates Chris'". Golden Globe. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  38. ^ "Nominations Are Announced for "The 32nd Annual People's Choice Awards," to Be Broadcast January 10 on the CBS Television Network". The Futon Critic.
  39. ^ "Everybody Hates Chris (Awards & Nominations)". Emmy. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  40. ^ "2010 Writers Guild Award Winners". TV Source Magazine. February 21, 2010. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  41. ^ Furey, Phil (April 16, 2010). "Chris Rock sets comic sights on devilish credit". Reuters. Archived from the original on April 22, 2010. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  42. ^ "Death at a Funeral". Rogerebert.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  43. ^ a b Healy, Patrick. "Chris Rock Takes On Broadway in 'Hat'" Archived January 5, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times blog, October 22, 2010.
  44. ^ Osorio, Kim. "V Exclusive! Chris Rock's 'School Of Rock' Interview" Archived September 21, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, "Vibe" January 24, 2012.
  45. ^ Piper-Shimizu, Stephane (September 26, 2017). "Chris Rock". Variety. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  46. ^ "2 Days in New York: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. January 25, 2012. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  47. ^ Haglund, David (December 12, 2014). "Chris Rock's Top Five Is Jammed With Great Comedians and Is Still Funnier Than I Expected". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  48. ^ "Toronto Film Review: 'Top Five'". Variety. September 7, 2014. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  49. ^ "Top Five". Rolling Stone. December 11, 2014. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  50. ^ Pickard, Anna (May 8, 2007). "Red Hot Chili Peppers - Hump De Bump". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  51. ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (October 30, 2016). "Netflix Nabs Chris Rock for Two Comedy Specials in $40 Million Deal". Variety. Archived from the original on November 17, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  52. ^ "Chris Rock Sets Comedian Record With $40M for Two Netflix Specials". The Hollywood Reporter. October 30, 2016. Archived from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  53. ^ Nellie Andreeva (October 30, 2016). "Chris Rock Returns To Stand-Up In Big Deal With Netflix For 2 Comedy Specials". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  54. ^ Zinoman, Jason (February 13, 2018). "Chris Rock's First Special in 10 Years Will Come Out Wednesday". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  55. ^ 'Fargo' with Chris Rock isn't the most exciting season, it may be the most important
  56. ^ 'Fargo' Season 4 Review: Chris Rock, Gangsters and a Social Conscience
  57. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (May 12, 2021). "'Spiral' Review: Chris Rock Stars in a 'Saw' Reboot That Tries to Find a New Way to Bring the Pain". Variety. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  58. ^ The New York Times. "Review: Chris Rock’s ‘Selective Outrage’ Strikes Back". March 4, 2023. By Jason Zinomann. [1]
  59. ^ "How to Watch Chris Rock LIVE on Netflix". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  60. ^ "Chris Rock to Direct Martin Luther King Jr. Biopic, Steven Spielberg to Executive Produce". Variety. October 5, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  61. ^ "Chris Rock To Direct 'Another Round' Remake For Appian Way, Makeready & Fifth Season". Deadline Hollywood. January 29, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  62. ^ Ryan Gajewski (November 1, 2024). "Chris Rock to Direct and Star in 'Misty Green' for Neon". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  63. ^ Alex Ritman (November 1, 2024). "Chris Rock to Direct and Star in Hollywood-Set 'Misty Green,' Neon Selling at AFM". Variety. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  64. ^ "Chris Rock effect fails to boost Oscars". The Guardian. March 2, 2005. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012.
  65. ^ "Hey, Chris Rock: Shut the [bleep] up". February 3, 2005. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  66. ^ ""Chris Rock, Oscars host, slams Oscars"; Sydney Morning Herald/Reuters; February 16, 2005". Archived from the original on September 23, 2013.
  67. ^ "Chris Rock to host 2016 Oscars". BBC News. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  68. ^ Abad-Santos, Alex (February 29, 2016). "Oscars 2016: Chris Rock dismisses Oscars boycotts in a surprising, political monologue". Vox. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  69. ^ Lowry, Brian (February 28, 2016). "TV Review: 'The 88th Academy Awards'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  70. ^ "How'd Chris Rock do?". Los Angeles Times. February 29, 2016. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  71. ^ "How'd Chris Rock do? Critics (mostly) liked his Oscars performance". Los Angeles Times. February 29, 2016. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  72. ^ "Watch the uncensored moment Will Smith smacks Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars, drops F-bomb". Guardian News. March 27, 2022. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022 – via YouTube.
  73. ^ France Respers, Lisa; Elam, Stephanie (March 28, 2022). "Will Smith appeared to strike Chris Rock on Oscars telecast". CNN. CNN. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  74. ^ ABC7 (March 27, 2022). "Will Smith slaps Chris Rock at the Oscars after joke at wife Jada Pinkett Smith's expense". Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  75. ^ Gajewksi, Ryan (March 27, 2022). "Will Smith Tearfully Apologizes to Academy After Chris Rock Oscars Slap". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  76. ^ Sharf, Zack (March 28, 2022). "Chris Rock Declines to File Police Report After Will Smith Slap at Oscars, LAPD Says". Variety. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  77. ^ Gonzalez, Sandra (March 28, 2022). "Will Smith issues apology to Chris Rock over slapping incident at Oscars". CNN. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  78. ^ "Will Smith: Chris Rock's first comments since Oscars slap". BBC. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  79. ^ Rock, Chris. Rock This Hyperion, 1997, p. 46. "I got bused from Bed-Stuy to a white school in a poor white neighborhood: Gerretson Beach, Brooklyn... What I actually got was a worse education in a worse neighborhood..."
  80. ^ Rock, Chris. Rock This; Hyperion, 1997, p. 16.
  81. ^ "Everybody Loves Chris". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  82. ^ "Chris Rock defends Live Earth swearing". NME.COM. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018.
  83. ^ Klopman, Michael (April 1, 2011). "Chris Rock Complains About The Mets On Letterman (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on April 6, 2011. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  84. ^ "chris rock - bush is the worst president - YouTube". YouTube. April 17, 2015. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015.
  85. ^ "Chris Rock is Taking a Selfie Every Time He Gets Pulled Over By The Police". MotherJones. April 1, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  86. ^ "In Conversation Chris Rock". Vulture. November 30, 2014. Archived from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  87. ^ "Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock Pulled Over for Speeding by New Jersey Cop". NYmag. 2013. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  88. ^ Wilstein, Matt (April 1, 2015). "Chris Rock Stopped by Police 3 Times So Far This Year — and He Has the Selfies to Prove It". Mediaite. Archived from the original on May 3, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  89. ^ a b c d McCarthy, Tyler (May 20, 2021). "Chris Rock speaks out against cancel culture, says it creates 'unfunny' and 'boring' comedy content". Fox News. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  90. ^ a b c "Chris Rock says cancel culture is "disrespectful" to audiences". NME. May 20, 2021. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  91. ^ a b c "Chris Rock says 'cancel culture' creates 'unfunny' and 'boring' comedy". The Independent. May 21, 2021. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  92. ^ Mahjouri, Shakiel (May 20, 2021). "Chris Rock Argues Against Cancel Culture: 'Everybody Is Scared To Make A Move'". ET Canada. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  93. ^ "Chris Rock Thinks Cancel Culture Is 'Disrespectful' to Artists and Fans". Complex. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  94. ^ Chris Rock: Bring the Pain (TV). HBO. 1996.[page needed]
  95. ^ Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. Season 14. January 11, 2008. BBC One. part 2 Archived April 22, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
  96. ^ Weiss, Rebecca (April 27, 2007). "Christian Finnegan Chats". The Cornell Daily Sun. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
  97. ^ "George Lopez at MySpace". Myspace.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved October 12, 2007.
  98. ^ Gomez, Luis (October 18, 2012). "Interview: Kevin Hart not shy about past flubs". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  99. ^ "New & Next: Meet South African Comedian Trevor Noah". Essence. June 14, 2013. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  100. ^ a b Dagostino, Mark (March 1, 2007). "Chris Rock, Wife Say Their Marriage Is Solid". People. Archived from the original on August 8, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  101. ^ Century, Douglas (February 11, 2007). "Alpine, N.J., Home of Hip-Hop Royalty". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2007.
  102. ^ Rich, Frank (November 30, 2014). "In Conversation: Chris Rock" Archived October 14, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. New York.
  103. ^ Corriston, Michele (December 28, 2014). "Chris Rock & Wife Malaak Compton-Rock Split". People. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  104. ^ Sharf, Zach (February 14, 2018). "Chris Rock Gets Brutally Honest About Porn Addiction and Cheating on His Wife: 'I Wasn't a Good Husband'". Indiewire.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  105. ^ Bitette, Nicole (August 23, 2016). "Chris Rock, Malaak Compton finalize divorce after 20 years of marriage". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  106. ^ Gardner, Eriq (December 21, 2012). "Chris Rock Settles Hungarian Model's Pellicano-Related Lawsuit". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  107. ^ Adams, Benjamin M. (August 22, 2019). "Miley Cyrus and Other Stars Invest in Cannabis Company". Culture Magazine. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  108. ^ "Chris Rock reveals learning disorder diagnosis, says he has 7 hours of therapy a week". TODAY.com. September 20, 2020. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  109. ^ "Chris Rock Revealed He Has the Learning Disorder NVLD—Here's What That Is". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  110. ^ Jacoby, Sarah (September 21, 2020). "Chris Rock Reveals He Has a Learning Disorder—Here's How He's Managing It". SELF. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  111. ^ Saperstein, Pat (September 19, 2021). "Chris Rock Reveals He Has COVID, Urges People to 'Get Vaccinated'". Variety. Archived from the original on September 19, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  112. ^ Juneau, Jen (July 7, 2022). "Chris Rock, Lake Bell Have Been Dating a 'Few Weeks,' Are 'Getting to Know Each Other': Source". People. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  113. ^ "Chris Rock Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  114. ^ "Chris Rock Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  115. ^ "Born Suspect by Chris Rock on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
Preceded by MTV Video Music Awards host
1997
1999
2003 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chris_Rock&oldid=1264669517"