| NET WORTH: | $120 Million |
|---|---|
| Source of Wealth: | Comedian, Actor, Filmmaker, Television Producer |
| Born: | February 7, 1965 |
| Age: | 55 |
| Spouse: | Malaak Compton |
| Children: | 2 |
| Birth Name: | Christopher Julius Rock |
| Height: | 5ft. 8in. (1.78m) |
Chris Rock: The Funniest Man in America
The entertainment industry is more than just movies and tv shows. Rather, it is an umbrella term for all kinds of performing arts and supporting enterprises. Every artist in this industry is a valuable member of the industry. The estimated value of the entertainment and media market in the United States is said to be 720 billion dollars. That number clearly suggests the huge market size and just how much its products are consumed by the general public. People turn to the many forms of media available when they want to relax or be entertained, which is why this industry is always in demand.
Performing arts like theatre have been around for a very long time. It is largely consumed by people ageing 50 and above. But a new form of performing arts has taken the entertainment scene by storm and is well received by youngsters and older people alike. Stand up comedy has really revolutionized the way comedy is looked at today. Originating in New York, stand up comedy involves a solo performer presenting jokes to a live audience and directly interacting with the audience in a some what spontaneous manner. Stand up comedy as we see it today has its roots in the comics like Mark Twain and Bob Hope.
Many comedians have come and gone since then, but only a few have stayed longer. Chris Rock is among the ones whose talent has kept them afloat in this industry. He’s an American comedian and ranks amongst the top 10 comedians in the US. Born as Christopher Julius Rock, he is not only a comedian but also an actor, producer, writer and a filmmaker. This American comedy icon has been making people laugh since the mid-80s.Now, he’s one of the most highly paid comedians in the world.
Chris Rock really came into the limelight when he joined Saturday Night Live as a cast member in the early 90s. Before SNL, he was working as a stand up comic and had appeared in supporting movie roles. Since SNL, he has featured in many more movies in prominent roles. His roles in movies like Down to Earth, Head of State, The Longest Yard, the Madagascar series, Grown Ups and its sequel, Top Five, were most prominent. He also wrote and narrated the sitcom based on his early life named ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ from 2005 to 2009.
●Full Name: Christopher Julius Rock
●Commonly known as Chris Rock
●Date of birth: 7th February 1965
● Age: 55 years old
● Height: 1.78m (5’8”)
● Place of birth: Andrews, South Carolina, USA
● Present since: 1984
● Marital Status: Divorced
● Spouse(s): Malaak Compton Rock (1996 - 2016)
● Children: Lola Simone Rock, Zahra Savannah Rock
● Chris Rock Net Worth: $120 million (2020)
Early Life:
Chris Rock was born in Andrews, South Carolina on February 7th 1965 to parents Julius Rock and Rosalie. Soon after his birth, the family moved to Brooklyn, New York and later to Bedford - Stuyvesant. His mother worked as a teacher and a social worker while his father was a truck driver and a newspaper delivery man. He had an older half brother named Charles and has three younger brothers named Tony, Kenny and Jordan. His father passed away in 1988 after ulcer surgery, while his older half brother Charles passed away in 2006 after a long battle with alcoholism. Growing up, he did his schooling in Brooklyn, New York at James Madison High School. He was bused to school in white neighborhoods, where he was targeted with bullying and harassment by the white kids. He dropped out of high school as the bullying got worse and got a GED while working odd jobs.
Career:
Rock began doing stand up comedy at Catch a Rising Star, a chain of comedy clubs, in 1984. Slowly he got recognition and rose up in ranks in the comedy circuit. He also started getting small roles in movies like ‘I’m Gonna Git You Sucka’ and the tv series Miami Vice. Soon he was spotted by Eddie Murphy at one of his acts at a nightclub. Eddie Murphy made friends with him and mentored him. Murphy gave Rock his first movie role in Beverly Hills Cop II, in 1987.
In the early 90s, Rock joined Saturday Night Live as a cast member. Chris Rock along with other new cast members like Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, David Spade came to be known as the Bad Boys of SNL. In1991, Rock released his first comedy album ‘Born Suspect’.
Rock’s first HBO special ‘Big Ass Jokes’, premiered in 1994, but his 1996follow-up ‘Bring the Pain’ was what earned him two Emmy Awards and the reputation as one of the best comedians in America. He garnered more popularity as a commentator in ‘Politically Incorrect’ on Comedy Central during the 1996 United States Presidential Elections, for which he got another Emmy nomination. Rock’s HBO comedy specials ‘Bigger & Blacker’ in 1999 and ‘Never Scared’ in 2004 gained him the tag of being ‘the funniest man in America’ by Time and Entertainment Weekly.
Net Worth:
According to Forbes, in 2009 itself Rock made $42 million as a result of Hollywood gigs, his stand up a tour called No Apologies, an HBO special called Kill The Messenger, a book deal and an attractive deal for his comedy series Everybody Hates Chris. His roles in the hugely successful franchises like the Madagascar animated movies and the Grown-Ups have also garnered him good bucks.
His split from then spouse Malaak Compton Rock in 2016 was said to have cost him tens of millions of dollars. Even though they had signed a prenup, it had lapsed under a sunset clause. But even then, he has been able to make his wealth back in the years after his divorce, thanks to his popularity and status as the funniest man in America. His Netflix deal of two comedy specials alone made him $40 million richer. His various ventures in films, tv production, investments in real estate have added great value to his net worth and the value keeps growing.
