Chris Rock
Born in Andrews, Chris Rock attended James Madison High School before building a career that would earn him some of the most varied professional credits in American entertainment. In 1965, he came into the world as someone who would eventually work across stand-up comedy, acting, directing, screenwriting, film producing, television presenting, and voice performance — a range that few performers sustain across a single career.
Rock established himself first as a stand-up comedian, a discipline that brought him three Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album. His work in front of the camera extended to both film and television, including a voice performance in Madagascar, while behind the camera he took on roles as a director, screenwriter, and producer in both mediums. His television work also earned him Primetime Emmy Awards, marking recognition from two of the major recording and broadcasting academies.
The breadth of his output reached the stage as well. Rock received the Lunt-Fontanne Award for Ensemble Excellence, an honor that acknowledged his work in a theatrical context. His accumulated contributions to entertainment were further recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a concrete monument to a career that has moved through stand-up, film, television, and the stage. Rock remains a citizen of the United States and continues to work across the multiple disciplines that have defined his professional life.
Quotes by Chris Rock
Chris Rock's insights on:
Every man has to settle down eventually. You know why you gotta settledown eventually? Because you don't want to be the old guy in the club.You know what I'm talking about. Every club you go into, there's alwayssome old guy. He ain't really old, just a little too old to be in theclub.
The thing that surprised me the most is just how much money women that weren't rich were paying for their hair. When you're in a beauty parlor in Harlem next to abandoned buildings and somebody's paying five grand for a weave, that's a bit much.
My mother is the kind of woman you don’t want to be in line behind at the supermarket. She has coupons for coupons.
When I do something good, the audience lets me know immediately. They laugh. That’s it.
You’re not famous unless people’s mothers know who you are. Everybody else, you think you’re famous, but you’re just hot, and heat cools off.
Black comics, they only watch Black comedians. You’re a comedian; you’re not just a Black comedian. You’re a comedian. I try to get that through to everybody.
The only plan I have is to not do anything I don’t want to do – and to never work just for money.