Born February 7, 1965, in Andrews, South Carolina, Chris Rock grew up in Brooklyn. At age 18, he was discovered by Eddie Murphy at the New York's Comedy Strip. He went on to appear in films and on Saturday Night Live, and soon released his first comedy album. His successes include an Emmy award-winning HBO special, two Grammy award-winning comedy albums, and the popular sitcom Everybody Hates Chris.
Rock is the eldest son of Julius Rock, a truck driver, and Rose Rock, a teacher. When Rock was a toddler his family relocated to Brooklyn, New York. He spent the remainder of his childhood in Brooklyn's notoriously tough Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.
He attended a nearly all-white public school and, as a result, was subjected to discrimination at an early age. Rock's early bouts with racism greatly influenced his comedic material. Rock is most noted for his raw humor and has no qualms about making fun of all sexes and races. His uninhibited nature has earned him respect and praise from both white and African American communities.
In 1990, Rock followed the footsteps of his idol, Eddie Murphy, by joining the cast of Saturday Night Live. A year later, he released his first comedy album, Born Suspect (1991). He also undertook the more dramatic role of playing Pookie, a drug addicted informant, in Mario Van Peebles' feature New Jack City (1991). After spending three seasons on SNL, Rock left to pursue other career opportunities. In 1993, Rock appeared on FOX's In Living Color for a handful of episodes prior to the shows cancellation.
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, 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). Recent films include Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), Bad Company (2002) costarring Anthony Hopkins, and the voice of Marty in DreamWorks’ Madagascar (2005).
