Chris Rock
Born 1965 · Age 60
American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, director and producer known for incisive social and racial commentary; multiple Emmy and Grammy winner; creator of Everybody Hates Chris; frequent film star and voice actor.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Andrews, South Carolina
Christopher Julius Rock was born; shortly after family moved to Crown Heights then Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, NY.
Dropped out of high school
Pulled out of James Madison High School by his parents after escalating bullying; later earned a GED (date not specified).
Began performing stand-up comedy
Started performing at Catch a Rising Star and other NYC comedy clubs, launching his comedy career.
Discovered and mentored by Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy befriended Rock after seeing his act and helped open doors in film and entertainment.
Film debut in Beverly Hills Cop II
Given first film role (small part) by Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop II.
Death of father Julius Rock
His father died after ulcer surgery, a significant personal event.
Appeared in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
Took a comedic bit-role in Keenen Ivory Wayans's film.
Joined Saturday Night Live as cast member
Became an SNL cast member (part of the 'Bad Boys' group) and gained national exposure.
Played Pookie in New Jack City
Critical acclaim for role as a crack addict in the film, boosting his acting profile.
Released debut comedy album 'Born Suspect'
First recorded comedy album released (May 24, 1991).
Appeared in Boomerang
Supporting role in Eddie Murphy vehicle Boomerang while rising in comedy and film.
Wrote and starred in CB4 (film)
Low-budget comedy he wrote and starred in; box office $18,000,000 on a $6,000,000 budget.
Left/was fired from SNL; joined In Living Color
Planned departure from SNL culminated in his exit; briefly a special guest star on In Living Color.
Lil Penny/Nike commercials
Provided voice for the Lil Penny puppet in Nike commercials (1994–1998).
First HBO special 'Big Ass Jokes'
Headlined his first HBO comedy special (HBO Comedy Half-Hour appearance and special).
HBO special 'Bring the Pain' premieres
Breakthrough HBO special that made him a leading comedian; contained controversial bits and earned major acclaim.
Married Malaak Compton
Married Malaak Compton-Rock; the couple later had two daughters and divorced in 2016.
Won two Emmy Awards for 'Bring the Pain'
Bring the Pain earned two Emmy Awards (writing and/or variety program categories).
Published memoir 'Rock This!' and released album 'Roll with the New'
Book (Rock This!) and comedy album Roll with the New expanded his brand; album later won a Grammy.
Started 'The Chris Rock Show' on HBO
Hosted and produced his talk/variety show on HBO (series ran 1997–2000); earned critical acclaim.
Won Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album (Roll with the New)
Received a Grammy for best comedy album for Roll with the New (award year cited as 1998).
Appeared in Lethal Weapon 4
Took a starring/supporting role in Lethal Weapon 4, increasing Hollywood profile.
HBO special 'Bigger & Blacker' released
Third major HBO special; reinforced status as one of America's leading comedians.
Starred in Nurse Betty; premiered at Cannes
Supporting/ensemble role in Nurse Betty which debuted at Cannes on May 11, 2000.
Wrote 'Down to Earth' and produced 'Pootie Tang'
Worked increasingly behind the camera—co-wrote Down to Earth with Louis C.K. and produced/starred in Pootie Tang.
Birth of first daughter (Lola Simone)
Welcomed daughter Lola (commonly reported birth year 2002).
Directed and starred in 'Head of State'
Made a directorial debut with the political comedy Head of State in which he also starred.
Birth of second daughter (Zahara/Zahra)
Welcomed second daughter (commonly reported birth year 2004); timing inspired some of his family material.
HBO special 'Never Scared' released
Another HBO stand-up special; the era cemented his status as top stand-up.
Created and narrated 'Everybody Hates Chris' (premiered Sept 2005)
Sitcom based on his early life; he created, wrote, produced and narrated the series (ran 2005–2009).
Voiced Marty in 'Madagascar'
Became the voice of zebra Marty in DreamWorks' Madagascar, a major animated franchise starter.
Hosted the 77th Academy Awards
First time hosting the Oscars; performance drawn mixed reviews and controversy.
Won Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album (likely for Never Scared era)
One of his Grammy wins occurred around this mid-2000s period (three Grammys overall: 1998, 2000, 2006).
Wrote, directed and starred in 'I Think I Love My Wife'
Remake of an Eric Rohmer film—he took on writing and directing duties while starring.
Family history profiled (African American Lives 2) and DNA test
PBS program traced his ancestry to Cameroon (Udeme people) and family history including an ancestor who served in USCT and held public office.
HBO special 'Kill the Messenger' premiered
Fifth HBO special; later won an Emmy for outstanding writing (award year 2009).
Released documentary 'Good Hair' (Sundance premiere); Special Jury Prize
Documentary focused on African-American hair premiered at Sundance; won a Special Jury Prize and critical acclaim.
Starred in 'Grown Ups' and 'Death at a Funeral'
Appeared in two major comedies of the year alongside well-known ensembles; financial success (Grown Ups) increased visibility.
Broadway debut in 'The Motherfucker with the Hat'
Made his Broadway acting debut; nominated for a Drama League Award for his performance.
Settled a sexual-abuse lawsuit
Reached a settlement in a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse; he denied the allegations and was not criminally charged.
Produced 'Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell'; created Chris Rock Enterprises
Premiered the series on FX/FXX; by this time he had a production company (Chris Rock Enterprises/CR Enterprises).
Appeared in 'Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted' and 'Grown Ups 2'
Continued participation in major franchises and ensemble comedies through sequels.
Filed for divorce from Malaak Compton-Rock
Filed for divorce in December 2014 after 18 years of marriage; cited infidelity and other issues.
Wrote, directed and starred in 'Top Five'
Released an autobiographical social-comedy that premiered at TIFF and earned critical praise as his best film by many reviewers.
Appeared at SNL 40th Anniversary; tribute to Eddie Murphy
Introduced and paid tribute to Eddie Murphy at the NBC special.
Hosted the 88th Academy Awards
Returned as Oscars host amid 'OscarsSoWhite' controversy and addressed lack of diversity in his monologue.
Netflix deal announced for two stand-up specials
Netflix announced two new specials from Rock reportedly paying him $40,000,000 per special.
Released Netflix special 'Tamborine'
First stand-up special in ten years; filmed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and directed by Bo Burnham; earned Grammy nomination.
Invested in Lowell Herb Co (cannabis brand)
Participated in a funding round for the California cannabis brand; publicized as an investor and cannabis consumer.
Portrayed Loy Cannon in Fargo (season 4)
Starred as central character in FX anthology series' fourth season, a major dramatic turn.
Diagnosed with non-verbal learning disorder
Publicly announced a diagnosis of a neurological condition that affects non-verbal social cue interpretation.
Starred in 'Spiral' (Saw franchise reboot)
Headlined the Spiral horror/thriller, marking a further genre expansion for his film roles.
Tested positive for COVID-19
Announced on Twitter that he tested positive and advocated vaccination.
Slapped by Will Smith at the Academy Awards
While presenting at the 94th Academy Awards Rock joked about Jada Pinkett Smith; Will Smith walked on stage and slapped him. The incident drew worldwide attention.
Will Smith issued a public apology
Will Smith publicly apologized to Rock the day after the Oscars via Instagram; Smith later resigned from the Academy and was banned for 10 years.
Released Netflix live special 'Selective Outrage'
Netflix's first-ever live event; Rock addressed the Will Smith slap; special received three Emmy nominations including two for Rock.
Announced to direct Martin Luther King Jr. biopic (Spielberg producing)
Variety reported Rock would direct an MLK biopic based on Jonathan Eig's biography with Steven Spielberg producing.
Hosted Saturday Night Live (one of multiple SNL hosting stints)
Rock has hosted SNL multiple times (notably 1996, 2014, 2020 and 2024).
Ranked No.5 on Rolling Stone's 50 Best Stand-Up Comics list
Rolling Stone (Feb 14, 2017) ranked him No.5 among best stand-up comics (the ranking remains a noted career honor).
Wrote and set to direct 'Misty Green' (debut Nov 2024)
Announced that he wrote and will direct Misty Green, debuting at the American Film Market in Nov 2024; Neon Intl handling foreign rights.
To direct English-language adaptation of 'Another Round'
Deadline announced Rock would direct the English adaptation of Thomas Vinterberg's film Another Round.
Key Achievement Ages
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