Chris Rock
| |
Miami Vice Character
|
Metro-Dade Records Clerk Carson ("Missing Hours")
|
Born
|
February 7, 1965, Andrews, South Carolina
|
Active
|
1984-present
|
Spouse/Children
|
Malaak Compton (1996-2016, divorced), two children
|
Christopher Julius Rock III (born February 7, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and producer, who made his TV debut as Metro-Dade Records Clerk Carson, who used "computer bulletin boards" to learn about UFOs and alien abductions in the episode "Missing Hours" of the series Miami Vice.
Career[]
Rock began his career as a stand-up comedian, appearing in New York City's Catch a Rising Star and in nightclubs. Eddie Murphy took notice of and began mentoring the young comic, casting him in Beverly Hills Cop II (with Tom Bower, Paul Guilfoyle, Robert Pastorelli and Dean Stockwell), other early movie roles include I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (with Antonio Fargas and Isaac Hayes), New Jack City (with Wesley Snipes), Hanging with the Homeboys (with John Leguizamo), and reuniting with Murphy in Boomerang. Rock also joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1990, leaving in 1993 to join the comedy program In Living Color before its' cancellation in 1994. He then returned to acting, appearing in the movies The Immortals (with Clarence Williams III), Sgt. Bilko (with Austin Pendleton, Beverly Hills Ninja, Doctor Doolittle, Lethal Weapon 4, Osmosis Jones (with Laurence Fishburne), Head of State (with Lynn Whitfield), The Longest Yard (with David Patrick Kelly), You Don't Mess With The Zohan (with John Turturro), Grown Ups and it's sequel, Grown Ups 2 (with Steve Buscemi), 2 Days in New York (with Malinda Williams), What To Expect When You're Expecting, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (with Ben Stiller), 2 Days in New York (with Malinda Williams), Sandy Wexler (with Luis Guzman), Dolemite Is My Name (with Snipes), Amsterdam, and Rustin (with C.C.H. Pounder).
His TV career includes four Emmy Awards for his comedy specials and his 1998 series The Chris Rock Show. His most recent show was Everybody Loves Chris which ran from 2005-2009 and revolved around his teen-aged years. Rock also appeared on Martin, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, King of the Hill, Louis, Empire, Fargo, and Kevin Can Wait. He also won two Grammys for his comedy albums. Rock has also hosted the Academy Awards ceremony three times, in 2005, 2016 and 2022. In the 2022 ceremony fellow actor Will Smith took exception to some of Rock's jokes toward his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith, which caused Smith to walk on-stage and slap Rock in the face. Smith apologized for his actions later, but the Academy banned Smith from and Academy-sanctioned events (including the Oscar ceremony) for ten years.
Personal Life[]
Rock married Malaak Compton in 1996 until their 2016 divorce, they have two children; Lola Simone (born 2002) and Zahra Savannah (born 2006). Rock's ex-wife is founder of StyleWorks, a free full service salon for women transitioning from welfare to the workforce. In 2022 Rock announced he was in a relationship with actress, screenwriter and director Lake Bell (No Strings Attached, The Secret Life of Pets I/II).