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Dave Chappelle

 
Who2 Biography: Dave Chappelle, Comedian / Actor
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  • Born: 24 August 1973
  • Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
  • Best Known As: The star of Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show

Cable TV star Dave Chappelle is a comedian known for racially-charged and sometimes raunchy humor, earning him comparisons to the 1970s comedy superstar Richard Pryor. Chappelle started doing stand-up comedy in Washington, D.C. when he was a teenager. Just after high school he went to New York, where he quickly became a regular on the comedy club circuit. A year later he was in Hollywood, lured by development deals for TV shows and the chance to appear in movies. After years of false starts and small parts, Chappelle hit the big time in 2003 with Chappelle's Show, a cable TV comedy series made up of skits, short films and impressions of celebrities such as Samuel L. Jackson and Rick James. In 2004 Chappelle signed a deal for two more seasons and a guaranteed paycheck reported to be $50 million. In late 2004, however, he halted production on his show and postponed the new season "indefinitely." In May of 2005 he suddenly dropped out of sight, turning up two weeks later explaining that he had gone to a friend's in South Africa to relieve the stress of his success. His TV show over, Chappelle returned to doing stand-up comedy. His film credits include Half Baked (1998), You've Got Mail (1998, starring Tom Hanks) and Undercover Brother (2002, with Denise Richards).

In 2005 the the first season of Chappelle's Show surpassed the first season of The Simpsons as the best-selling TV series on DVD.

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Black Biography: Dave Chappelle
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Home > Library > History, Politics & Society > Black Biographies

actor; writer; comic

Personal Information

Born David Chappelle on August 24, 1973 in Washington, D.C; married Elaine; two children.
Memberships: Screen Actors Guild.

Career

Comedian, 1987-; actor, 1992-.

Life's Work

From a very early age, Dave Chappelle could make people laugh, and made some very serious goals for his art. As a teenager, he crafted his standup comedy act based on growing up black in Washington, D.C. He approached racial division with an outrageous irreverence that often shocked his audiences into shouts of laughter. He was especially popular with young audiences who appreciated Chappelle's sly social commentary and aggressive satire.

But in 2005, amid his highly successful run as host of Chappelle's Show on Comedy Central, he walked away. Two weeks after he disappeared, prompting rumors of the media that he was on drugs or in a mental hospital, he told Time magazine in a question-and-answer interview that he was burned out and went to South Africa on a spiritual retreat. "I'm not smoking crack. I'm definitely stressed out," he told Time's Christopher John Farley. "My personal feeling is I didn't like the direction of the show."

Born David Chappelle on August 24, 1973, in Washington, D.C., he grew up in the city and the nearby suburb of Silver Springs, Maryland. He often spent summers in Yellow Springs, Ohio with his father, who was a professor at Antioch University. He enjoyed the peaceful rural atmosphere of Yellow Springs, and as an adult, his home on an Ohio farm would become a family refuge from the more hectic entertainment worlds of New York and Los Angeles.

Chappelle was only 14 when he first performed his standup comedy act in public venues in Washington. His mother, a Unitarian minister, was very supportive of her son's talent and frequently accompanied him as a chaperone when he performed in nightclubs and bars. After a few years on stage, Chappelle began to win comedy contests, and by the time he was a senior in high school, he was traveling to comedy jobs on the road, excused from school by the principal so that he could pursue his career.

After his graduation from high school, Chappelle made a bargain with his parents. Instead of going to college right away, he would go to New York to work on his comedy act. If he did not succeed after one year, he would consider college. While working with other comics in the Washington area, Chappelle had learned a lot about the comedy clubs of New York, and he had grown to feel that he had to go there to become a real success in comedy.

Chappelle took two different approaches to developing his art as a performer and breaking into the national comedy scene. Other comics had advised him that the Boston Comedy Club in Greenwich Village was a good place for younger comedians, so he began performing there to build his reputation in the city. His plan worked well, and within weeks he was not only performing regularly at the Boston, but at comedy clubs all over New York.

Chappelle, however, was not content just working clubs. He wanted to keep an edge of street-wise spontaneity in his work. To do this, he went, literally, out on the street and performed comedy in the parks and sidewalks of the city, alongside other street performers. There he met Charles Barnett, a street comedian who became his good friend and mentor. Working on the streets taught Chappelle confidence and honed his fast-paced aggressive style. He was impressed by the courage and skill of street comics like Barnett, who had the nerve and skill to capture the attention of passers by, but whose work was seen by so few. When Charles Barnett died of AIDS, Chappelle planned someday to make a film about his mentor, with himself portraying Barnett.

Just before the end of his first year in New York, Chappelle performed at the Montreal Comedy Festival. His success at that large event left no doubt that he was destined for a career in comedy. His dedication and nerve were tested during the early 1990s when he was booed off the stage during his standup comedy debut at the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem. However, in 1992 he won critical and popular acclaim for his television appearance in Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam on HBO. His popularity began to rise, and he became a regular guest on late-night television shows such as Politically Incorrect, The Late Show With David Letterman, The Howard Stern Show, and Late Night With Conan O'Brien.

In 1993 Chappelle landed his first film role: the Mel Brooks comedy Robin Hood: Men in Tights. He had small roles in several other films, but it was his role as the nasty comic Reggie Warrington in Eddie Murphy's 1996 film The Nutty Professor that brought him to the attention of Hollywood.

Suddenly, Chappelle was in demand for character roles, and he did several films in the next few years. In 1998, he co-wrote his first film, Half Baked, a tribute to Cheech and Chong, a comedy duo that had made a series of recreational-drug-related slapstick comedies during the late 1970s and 1980s. Though Half Baked enjoyed some success, Chappelle was disappointed with his first experience in filmmaking. He felt that the studio had weakened the film by trying to make it more acceptable to conservative audiences. He did not like losing control over his work, and this experience would influence his later choices.

Chappelle had dabbled in developing television pilots beginning in the early 1990s. After creating more than ten, one pilot, called Buddies, was picked up by ABC in the early 1990s. But as Chappelle recalled to 60 Minutes, as quoted on the CBS Web site: "It was a bad show. It was bad. I mean when we were doing it, I could tell this was not gonna work." Indeed, it aired for only 13 episodes before cancellation. As his comic popularity continued to rise, Chappelle attracted network attention. The FOX television network offered to build a situation comedy around Dave Chappelle's comedy in the late 1990s. Chappelle was interested, but when network executives began to suggest adding white characters to the cast in order to broaden the show's appeal, the comic withdrew from the deal. As much as possible, he would always refuse to compromise his principles or his comedy.

Chappelle continued to write and perform in films as well as on stage. In 2000 he did a very successful one-man show for HBO called Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly. In 2003 he was offered a chance to do television on his own terms. Comedy Central, a comedy network, offered Chappelle his own show. Chappelle's Show, a half-hour program, repeated several times each week, featured Chappelle and a cast of regulars and guests performing satirical skits. Cable television proved more comfortable for Chappelle's outrageous comedy, and the show soon developed a devoted following. Though no topic was safe from Chappelle's sharp satire, racism remained a major focus of his biting humor. His first show, for example, featured Chappelle playing a blind leader of a white supremacist movement who does not realize that he is black. Each half hour was packed with skits like "Race Draft," in which members of different races get to claim celebrities as their own, and "Ask a Black Dude," in which whites ask show regular Paul Mooney questions about being black.

Though Chappelle's Show was designed for hilarity, a very serious political message underlied the show's attacks on bigotry. Even the musical guests reflected the show's hard-hitting social critique, by focusing on hip-hop artists, whose music contained pointed political messages and appreciation of black culture. Critics recognized the similarities between Chappelle's comedy and that of comedian Richard Pryor during the 1970s. Pryor's wife spoke for her ailing husband on 60 Minutes, saying Pryor approved of Chappelle's work and has "passed the torch" to him. Chappelle's respect for Pryor showed in his response: "That's a lot of pressure. He was the best, man. For him to say that is, you know, that's something, I don't even know if I'll attempt to live up to that."

The DVD of the 2003 season of Chappelle's Show quickly became the best selling DVD of all time, surpassing the popularSimpsons cartoon show. In 2004 Comedy Central signed Chappelle to a two-year contract to continue his show.

Chappelle, however, disappeared in the spring of 2005. In his interview with Time's Farley two weeks later, he said he and Comedy Central chief Doug Herzog were at odds. "There's a lot of resistance to my opinions, so I decided, Let me remove myself from this situation," he said. "You hear so many voices jockeying for position in your mind that you want to make sure that you hear your own voice. So I figured, Let me just cut myself off from everybody, take a minute and pull a Flintstone-- stop a speeding car by using my bare feet as the brakes." He admitted visiting a psychiatrist but denied being on drugs.

Works

Selected works

    Films
    • Undercover Blues, 1993.
    • Robin Hood: Men in Tights, 1993.
    • Getting In, 1994.Comedy: Coast to Coast, 1994.
    • The Nutty Professor, 1996.
    • Joe's Apartment, 1996.
    • Bowl of Pork, 1997.
    • The Real Blonde, 1997.
    • Damn Whitey, 1997.
    • Con Air, 1997.
    • You've Got Mail, 1998.
    • Woo, 1998.
    • Half Baked, 1998.
    • Blue Streak, 1999.
    • 200 Cigarettes, 1999.
    • Screwed, 2000.
    • Undercover Brother, 2002.
    Television
    • Def Comedy Jam, 1992.
    • Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly, 2000.
    • Chappelle's Show, 2003-.
    • Dave Chappelle: For What It's Worth, 2004.
    Screenwriting
    • The Dana Carvey Show, 1996.
    • The Dave Chappelle Project, 1997.
    • Damn Whitey, 1997.
    • (With Neil Brennan) Half Baked, 1998.
    • Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly, 2000.
    • Chappelle's Show, 2003-.
    • Dave Chappelle: For What It's Worth, 2004.
    DVD
    • Dave Chappelle: Season 1, 2003.
    • Dave Chappelle: Season 2, 2003.

    Further Reading

    Periodicals

    • Jet, August 23, 2004, p. 37.
    • Time, May 23, 2005, p. 68.
    Online
    • Dave Chappelle, www.davechapelle.com (January 21, 2005).
    • "Chappelle: 'An Act of Freedom," 60 Minutes, www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/19/60II/main650149.shtml (February 8, 2005).
    • "Chappelle's Show." Comedy Central, www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows?chappellesshow (January 21, 2005).
    • "Interview with Dave Chappelle." mulDoomstone Interviews, www.deathvalleydriver.com/muldoomstone/Chappelle.html (January 28, 2005).

    — Tina Gianoulis

    Actor: Dave Chappelle
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    Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
    • Born: Aug 24, 1973
    • Occupation: Actor, Writer
    • Active: '90s-2000s
    • Major Genres: Comedy
    • Career Highlights: Half Baked, The Nutty Professor, Blue Streak
    • First Major Screen Credit: Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

    Biography

    Like future co-stars Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy, and Norm MacDonald, Dave Chappelle entered the movie business via standup comedy. Born in Ohio and raised in Washington, D.C., Chappelle studied acting at D.C.'s Duke Ellington School of the Arts and honed his skills as a laid-back yet socially attuned comic in the city's clubs. After making his movie debut as one of the merry men in Mel Brooks' Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), Chappelle concentrated primarily on his comedy career and appeared regularly on late night and cable television. He returned to films with small yet key parts in two summer blockbusters: as a comic who helps spoil a date for Murphy's rotund scientist in The Nutty Professor (1996) and as a manic inmate aboard the hijacked convict plane in Con Air (1997). Hitting his movie stride in 1998, Chappelle co-wrote and starred in the prison/pothead caper Half Baked (1998), played a randy schemer in Woo (1998), and revealed that he could also play it (somewhat) straight as Tom Hanks' best friend in Nora Ephron's popular romantic comedy You've Got Mail (1998). Maintaining his dual professions, Chappelle turned a cameo role as Lawrence's former criminal partner into a full-fledged supporting turn in Blue Streak (1999), co-starred with MacDonald in the ill-received Screwed (2000), and returned to Washington, D.C., and HBO with his special Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly (2000).

    Chappelle had better luck with his next film, the blaxploitation spoof Undercover Brother (2002). As the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D.’s terminally paranoid agent Conspiracy Brother, Chappelle was a hilariously twitchy comic highlight in the hit-or-miss satire; Undercover Brother became a small hit amid the summer blockbusters. Chappelle’s cutting humor could also be heard on TV that same season, with Chappelle lending his voice as a prank caller to Comedy Central’s ribald puppet “reality” show Crank Yankers (2002). His characters on that show were a hit with audiences in search of a hearty laugh, and the following year Comedy Central gave the comedian his own series - the aptly titled Chappelle's Show. Perhaps one of the most controversial series - comedy or otherwise - to hit the airwaves in recent memory, Chappelle's Show offered searing social commentary while frequently pushing the boundaries of good taste. With sketch subjects including a blind black man who - not realizing his true race - heads the Ku Klux Klan and collaborators including former Sanford and Son writer Paul Mooney, the series frequently courted controversy much to the delight of its loyal legions of fans. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
    Wikipedia: Dave Chappelle
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    Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
    Not to be confused with David LaChapelle.
    Dave Chappelle
    Dave Chappelle (cropped).jpg
    Dave Chappelle, 2007
    Birth name David Khari Webber Chappelle
    Born August 24, 1973 (1973-08-24) (age 36)
    Washington, D.C., U.S.[1]
    Medium Stand-up, television, film
    Years active 1987–present
    Genres Satire/political satire, improvisational comedy, observational comedy, surreal humor, sketch comedy
    Subject(s) Racism, race relations, American politics, African American culture, pop culture, recreational drug use, human sexuality
    Influences Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Bill Cosby, Martin Lawrence, Mel Blanc,[2] Chris Rock[3]
    Spouse Elaine Chappelle (2 children)
    Signature Dave Chapelle Signature.svg
    Website http://www.davechappelle.com

    David Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle[4] (born August 24, 1973)[1] is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, and actor. In 2003, he became widely known for his popular sketch comedy television series, Chappelle's Show. Comedy Central ranked him forty-third in the list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians.[5]

    Contents

    Early life

    Chappelle was born in Washington, D.C.[1][2] His father, William David Chappelle III, was a professor at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio.[2] His mother, Yvonne (née Reed), was a professor at Howard University, Prince George's Community College, and the University of Maryland and is also a Unitarian Universalist minister.[6] Chappelle grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and attended Woodlin Elementary School.[2] During young Chappelle's formative years, his comic inspiration came from various comedians, particularly Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor.[2]

    After his parents separated, Chappelle stayed in Washington with his mother while spending summers with his father in Ohio. In 1991, he graduated from Washington's Duke Ellington School of the Arts where he studied theatre arts.[2]

    Career

    Early works

    Chappelle moved to New York City to pursue a career as a comedian. He gathered the courage to perform at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater in front of the infamous "Amateur Night" audience. The performance resulted in him being booed off the stage. Chappelle has described the experience as the moment that gave him the courage to continue his show business aspirations.[2] He quickly made a name for himself in the New York comedy circuit, even performing in the city's parks. At the age of 20, Chappelle made his film debut as "Ahchoo" in Mel Brooks's Robin Hood: Men in Tights. That same year, he had a small but showy role in the film Undercover Blues. On the strength of his performances in these films, Chappelle was offered the role of Bubba in Forrest Gump, which was in a pre-production stage. Not realizing the effect this future Academy Award winner for Best Picture would have, and concerned about what seemed to be a racially demeaning character, he turned down the part. He has since admitted to regretting the decision.[7] Chappelle played another supporting movie role in 1994's little-seen Getting In. He attracted the attention of TV network executives and developed numerous pilots but none of them were picked up for series.[2][8] In 1995, he made a guest appearance in an episode of ABC's highly rated sitcom Home Improvement. The storyline had Chappelle and real-life friend comedian Jim Breuer ask Tim Taylor for advice on their girlfriends. The characters' single outing in the episode proved so popular that ABC decided to give them their own spin-off sitcom titled Buddies. However, after taping a pilot episode, Jim Breuer was fired and replaced with actor Christopher Gartin. Buddies premiered in March 1996 to disappointing ratings. The show was cancelled after only four episodes out of thirteen that were produced. Nine years later, in May 2005, ten of the episodes were released on a single-disc DVD to capitalize on Chappelle's new-found fame.

    After the failure of Buddies, Chappelle starred in another pilot. According to Chappelle, the network was uncomfortable with the African-American cast and wanted White actors added. Chappelle refused and accused the network of racism.[2][8] Shortly after this incident, Chappelle's father died. Chappelle returned to Ohio and considered leaving the entertainment business.[2][8]

    He later appeared as the nightclub comedian in The Nutty Professor starring Eddie Murphy, one of his major comedic influences. He also had minor roles in Con Air and Martin Lawrence's Blue Streak. He co-wrote (with Neal Brennan) and starred in Half Baked, a cult film about a group of pot-smoking best friends trying to get their friend out of jail.

    Chappelle appeared as himself in an episode of The Larry Sanders Show, in which he and the executives of the show's nameless television network satirized the treatment that scriptwriters and show creators were subject to, as well as the executives' knee-jerk stereotyping when it came to race. In 1998, he played a supporting role as Tom Hanks' character's friend and confidant in You've Got Mail.

    Dave then, in 2002, played the "Conspiracy Brother" in the movie Undercover Brother.

    Chappelle's Show

    Main article: Chappelle's Show

    In 2003, Chappelle debuted his own weekly sketch comedy show on Comedy Central called Chappelle's Show. The show parodied many aspects of American culture including racial stereotypes, politics and pop culture. Along with comedy skits, the show also featured musical performances by mostly hip-hop and soul artists. Chappelle's pointed social and political commentary quickly helped the show garner critical and commercial success as well as controversy.[8][9] Richard Pryor, one of Chappelle's comedic influences, was a fan of the show and stated that he had "passed the torch" to Chappelle.[8] Chappelle received two Emmy nominations for the show.[10]

    Additionally, the DVD set became the best-selling DVD of a television show to date, overtaking the previous best-selling, The Simpsons first season DVD. It had sold over 3 million copies.[11] Due to the show's popularity, Comedy Central's parent company Viacom reportedly offered Chappelle a $55 million contract (giving Chappelle a share of DVD sales) to continue production of Chappelle's Show for two more years while allowing him to do side projects. Chappelle had stated that sketches are not his favorite form of comedy, and that the characteristics of the show's format were somewhat like short films.

    Season three turbulence

    In a June 2004 stand-up performance in Sacramento, California, Chappelle walked off the stage after berating his audience for constantly shouting "I'm Rick James, bitch!," which became a catchphrase from the popular ""Rick James" sketch . After a few minutes, Chappelle returned and continued by saying "The show is ruining my life." He stated that he disliked working "20 hours a day" and that the popularity of the show was making it difficult for him to continue his stand-up career which was "the most important thing" to him. He also told the audience:

    “ You know why my show is good? Because the network officials say you're not smart enough to get what I'm doing, and every day I fight for you. I tell them how smart you are. Turns out, I was wrong. You people are stupid.[12] ”

    Season 3 was scheduled to air on May 31, 2005, but in that month, Chappelle stunned fans and the entertainment industry when he abruptly left during production of the third season of Chappelle's Show. Chappelle has since stated that he was unhappy with the direction the show had taken, claiming pressure from network executives regarding the show's content. Chappelle left the United States to visit South Africa. His decision to visit South Africa while leaving the public in the dark regarding the details about his absence triggered reports of drug problems. Chappelle gave an interview to Time Magazine's South African bureau chief. Chappelle denied any drug or mental problems but stated that his reasons for visiting South Africa were to reflect on his life and career.

    “ Coming here I don't have the distractions of fame. It quiets the ego down. I'm interested in the kind of person I've got to become. I want to be well rounded and the industry is a place of extremes. I want to be well balanced. I've got to check my intentions, man.[13] ”

    Return

    Later in the year, Chappelle performed impromptu stand-up shows in Los Angeles.[14][15][16] He then went on a tour which began in Newport, Kentucky which is not far from his Ohio home.[17] He also made a surprise appearance on HBO's Def Poetry where he performed two poems, titled Fuck Ashton Kutcher and How I Got the Lead on "Jeopardy!."[18] He was interviewed for Inside the Actors Studio on December 18, 2005 at Pace University's Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts. The show premiered on February 12, 2006.[19] Chappelle stated that the death of his father in 1998 had an impact on his decision to go to South Africa. By throwing himself into his work, he had not taken a chance to mourn his father's death. He also said the rumors that he was in drug or psychiatric treatment only persuaded him to stay in South Africa.[2]

    He continued:

    “ I would go to work on the show and I felt awful every day, that's not the way it was. ... I felt like some kind of prostitute or something. If I feel so bad, why keep on showing up to this place? I'm going to Africa. The hardest thing to do is to be true to yourself, especially when everybody is watching. ”

    Chappelle also said that he felt some of his sketches were "socially irresponsible."[20][21] He singled out the "pixie sketch" in which pixies appear to people and encourage them to reinforce stereotypes of their races. In the sketch, Chappelle is wearing blackface and is dressed as a character in a minstrel show.[22] According to Chappelle, during the filming of the sketch, a crew member was laughing in a way that made him feel uncomfortable and made him rethink the show.[20][21] Chappelle said "it was the first time I felt that someone was not laughing with me but laughing at me."[20]

    During these interviews, Chappelle did not rule out returning to Chappelle's Show to "finish what we started," but promised that he would not return without changes to the production, such as a better working environment. He also stated he would like to donate half of the DVD sales to charity.[23] Chappelle expressed disdain at the possibility of his material from the unfinished third season being aired, saying that to do so would be "a bully move," and that he would not return to the show if Comedy Central were to air the unfinished material.[21] On July 9, 2006, Comedy Central aired the first episode of Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes. An uncensored DVD release of the episodes was made available on July 25.

    Chappelle has stated that he has no intention of leaving Yellow Springs, Ohio, his current residence. "Turns out you don't need $50 million to live around these parts, just a nice smile and a kind way about you. You guys are the best neighbors ever," he stated at a blues and jazz festival in the town in mid-September 2006, "That's why I came back and that's why I'm staying."[24]

    Chappelle again appeared on Inside the Actors Studio and in celebration of the show's 200th episode, he humorously interviewed the show's usual host, James Lipton. The episode aired on November 10, 2008.

    Rick James Movie

    In June 2004, based on the popularity of the "Rick James" sketch, it was announced that Chappelle was in talks to portray Rick James in a biopic from Paramount Pictures.[25] James' estate disagreed with the proposed comical tone of the film and put a halt to the talks.[26]

    Dave Chappelle's Record Stand-up

    In April 2007, Chappelle set an stand-up endurance record at the Laugh Factory Sunset Strip comedy club, besting comedian Dane Cook's record of 3 hours and 50 minutes. In December of the same year, Chappelle broke his own record with a time of 6 hours and 12 minutes. Cook took the record again in January 2008, with a time of 7 hours.[27]

    Dave Chappelle's Block Party

    The site of Dave Chappelle's Block Party in Brooklyn.

    Chappelle was the subject and producer of the Michel Gondry-directed documentary Dave Chappelle's Block Party which chronicles a Chappelle-hosted "rap concert" in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn on September 18, 2004. Several musical artists, among them Kanye West, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, and Jill Scott are featured in the movie both performing in the concert and in conversation off-stage. The most surprising highlight of the event was the "last minute" reunion of popular '90s rap group The Fugees. Chappelle toured several cities in February and March 2006 to promote the film under the moniker "Block Party All-Stars featuring Dave Chappelle". Universal Pictures' genre division Rogue Pictures released the film in the United States on March 3, 2006.

    Personal life

    Chappelle lives with his wife Elaine and two sons,[22] Sulayman[28] and Ibrahim[29] on a 65-acre (260,000 m2) farm,[2][8] just outside Yellow Springs, Ohio.[17]

    Chappelle has stated that he is an avid World of Warcraft player.[30]

    Chappelle is a Muslim; he converted to Islam in 1998. He told Time Magazine in a May 2005 interview, “I don’t normally talk about my religion publicly because I don’t want people to associate me and my flaws with this beautiful thing. And I believe it is beautiful if you learn it the right way."[13]

    Chappelle can play two songs on the piano, Round Midnight and Misty, as revealed by drummer ?uestlove in Dave Chappelle's Block Party.

    Television work

    Filmography

    Year Film Role Notes
    1993 Undercover Blues Ozzie
    Robin Hood: Men in Tights Ahchoo first major role
    1994 Getting In Ron
    1996 Joe's Apartment Cockroach voice only
    The Nutty Professor Reggie Warrington
    1997 Damn Whitey Dave minor role
    Bowl of Pork Black Forrest Gump minor role
    Con Air Joe 'Pinball' Parker
    The Real Blonde Zee
    1998 Woo Lenny
    You've Got Mail Kevin Jackson
    Half Baked Thurgood Jenkins/Mr. Nice Guy/Sir Smoke-a-Lot also co-writer
    1999 Blue Streak Tulley
    200 Cigarettes Taxi driver
    2000 Screwed Rusty P. Hayes
    2002 Undercover Brother Conspiracy Brother Jones
    2006 Dave Chappelle's Block Party Himself also producer

    References

    1. ^ a b c Powell, Kevin (2006-04-30). "Heaven Hell Dave Chappelle". Esquire. http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0506CHAPPELLE_92. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 
    2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Dave Chappelle". Inside the Actors Studio. Bravo. 2006-02-12. No. 10, season 12.
    3. ^ Wolk, Josh (2004-03-19). "Chris Rock On Fire". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,600310,00.html. Retrieved 2007-10-13. 
    4. ^ "Obituaries: Henry T. Chappelle". Yellow Springs News. March 1991. 
    5. ^ "AaIAnnoying.com - Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups". http://www.amiannoying.com/%28S%284jcj0nq2pirw2iioa2psag55%29%29/collection.aspx?collection=2970. Retrieved 19 Sept., 2009. 
    6. ^ "Yvonne Seon Biography". The History Makers.com. http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/biography.asp?bioindex=611&category=educationMakers. Retrieved 2007-03-28. 
    7. ^ "Forrest Gump Trivia". IMDb.com. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109830/trivia. Retrieved 2007-03-23. 
    8. ^ a b c d e f Leung, Rebecca (December 29, 2004). "Chappelle: 'An Act Of Freedom'". 60 Minutes II, CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/19/60II/main650149.shtml. Retrieved 2007-03-16. 
    9. ^ Feeney, Matt (March 4, 2004). "Why is Dave Chappelle's Malice So Winning?". Slate.com. http://www.slate.com/id/2096599/. Retrieved 2007-03-23. 
    10. ^ "Awards for Dave Chappelle". IMDb.com. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0152638/awards. 
    11. ^ Ault, Susanne (June 3, 2005). "Latest Chappelle DVD is Selling Like Crazy". Video Business. http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA627685.html. Retrieved 2007-03-20. 
    12. ^ Carnes, Jim (June 18, 2004). "Dave Chappelle lets rude crowd have it, sticks up for Cosby's comment.". Sacramento Bee. 
    13. ^ a b Robinson, Simon (May 15, 2005). "On the Beach With Dave Chappelle". Time Magazine. http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1061415,00.html. Retrieved 2007-03-20. 
    14. ^ Susman, Gary (May 26, 2005). "The Buckeye Stops Here". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1065847,00.html. Retrieved 2007-03-20. 
    15. ^ Susman, Gary (June 3, 2005). "True Hollywood Story". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1068717,00.html. Retrieved 2007-03-20. 
    16. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (November 27, 2005). "Dave Chappelle Is Alive and Well (and Playing Las Vegas)". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/27/arts/television/27itzkoff.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5090&en=d4621faea456d339&ex=1290747600&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss. Retrieved 2007-03-21. 
    17. ^ a b Kaufman, Gil (September 12, 2005). "Dave Chappelle Is Back Onstage". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1509344/20050912/index.jhtml?headlines=true. Retrieved 2007-03-20. 
    18. ^ "Def Poetry: Season 5: Episode 1: Summary". HBO. http://www.hbo.com/defpoetry/episodes/season5/episode01.html. 
    19. ^ "Inside The Actors Studio: Dave Chappelle's Bio". Bravo. http://www.bravotv.com/Inside_the_Actors_Studio/guests/Dave_Chappelle.shtml. 
    20. ^ a b c "Chappelle's Story: Dave's Moral Dilemma". The Oprah Winfrey Show. http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200602/20060203/slide_20060203_284_105.jhtml. 
    21. ^ a b c "Transcript: Interview With Dave Chappelle, July 7, 2006". Anderson Cooper 360 CNN. http://insidecable.blogsome.com/2006/07/07/dave-chappelle-on-360-tonight/. 
    22. ^ a b Gordon, Devin (May 16, 2005). "Fears of a Clown". Newsweek. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7773670/site/newsweek/. Retrieved 2007-03-20. 
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    24. ^ The Associated Press (September 11, 2006). "Chappelle plans to stay in Ohio town". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-09-11-chappelle-ohio_x.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-21. 
    25. ^ Rashbaum, Alyssa (June 10, 2004). "Dave Chappelle Is Rick James, Bitch!". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1488300/06102004/story.jhtml. Retrieved 2007-03-21. 
    26. ^ Fleming, Michael (December 13, 2006). "Turner to script singer James's biopic". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117955707.html?categoryid=13&cs=1. Retrieved 2007-03-21. 
    27. ^ "Dane Cook Breaks Dave Chappelle's Laugh Factory Endurance Record". Fox News. January 4, 2008. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,320330,00.html. 
    28. ^ Klein, Joshua (March 7, 2001). "The sixth man". The Onion. http://www.avclub.com/content/node/22774. Retrieved 2007-03-21. 
    29. ^ DAVE CHAPPELLE, WIFE AND KIDS - Black Celebrity Kids
    30. ^ Thorsen, Tor (June 29, 2005). "Dave Chappelle loves World of Warcraft". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/06/29/news_6128319.html. Retrieved 2008-01-23. 

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