Chris Rock

PHOTO GALLERY
Date of Birth : Jan 7th 1965

Performing in New York City comedy clubs by the age 17, Chris Rock was spotted by veteran comedian Eddie Murphy while performing at the New York Comedy Strip. Impressed by Chris Rock’s wit, Murphy later handed Rock a bit part as a playboy mansion valet in Murphy’s vehicle 1987 movie, Beverly Hills Cop II. That same year, Rock made his early TV appearance on the HBO special “Uptown Comedy Express” and was spotted as a guest in an episode of “Miami Vice.” The next year, he was cast in Keenan Ivory Wayans’ I’m Gonna Get You Sucka.
1990 was Chris’ breakout year. He became a featured player on NBC’s popular “Saturday Night Live” from 1990 to 1992 and subsequently became a regular during the 1992-1993 seasons. During his stint in the show, Rock was also seen in motion pictures. He costarred as drug addicted informant Pookie in Mario Van Peebles’ feature New Jack City (1991) and reunited with Eddie Murphy in Boomerang (1992). He also released his first comedy album, Born Suspect, in 1991. On the small screen, Chris Rock left “Saturday Night Live” after the 1993 season and joined the cast of the Fox variety series “In Living Color” for nine episodes (1993-1994).

Chris Rock co-wrote, co-produced and starred in the gangster rap world spoof CB4 in 1993 and headlined the special “HBO Comedy Half-Hour: Chris Rock — Big Ass Jokes” in 1994. He was cast in the 1995 TV series “The Moxy Show” and “Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child” (voice) as well as in the big screen The Immortals and Panther. The following year, Chris Rock made his first appearance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” and began doing TV commercials for 1-800-CALL-ATT and lending his voice for the puppet Li’l Penney for Nike. He also appeared in the 1996 comedy Sgt. Bilko.

The real breakthrough arrived in 1996 when Chris Rock co-wrote, co-executive produced and starred in the HBO’s Emmy-winning comedy special “Chris Rock: Bring the Pain.” He took home an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program. Chris also received an Emmy nomination for writing “Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher” (Comedy Central) and began executive producing, writing and starring in the HBO talk show “The Chris Rock Show,” which handed him another Emmy for writing.