Chris Rock Biography
Chris Rock is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He is known for his work in film, television, and stage, and he has received multiple accolades, including three Grammy Awards for best comedy album, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe Award nomination. He was also ranked No. 5 on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time as well as No. 5 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time.
Chris Rock Age
How old is Chris Rock? Chris is 58 years old as of 2023. He was born on February 7, 1965, in Andrews, South Carolina, United States
Chris Rock Height
He is 5 feet 10 inches tall (approximately 1.78m or 178cm).
Chris Rock Nationality
Born and raised in the United States of America, Chris is American by nationality.
Chris Rock Education
Does Chris Rock have a college degree? No, Rock earned a General Educational Development (GED) after he dropped out of high school due to bullying. He attended James Madison High School and Stuyvesant High School and was bused to school in predominantly white neighborhoods of Brooklyn, where he endured bullying and beatings from white students. As he grew older, the bullying worsened and Rock’s parents pulled him out of James Madison High School before he dropped out of high school altogether.
Chris Rock Parents
What happened to Chris Rock’s dad?
Chris is the son of Rosalie (née Tingman) and Julius Rock. His mother was a teacher and social worker for the mentally handicapped while his father was a truck driver and newspaper deliveryman. Shortly after his birth, his parents moved to the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. A few years later, they relocated and settled in the working-class area of Bedford–Stuyvesant.
In 1988, Chris’s dad, Julius died after ulcer surgery.
In 2008, Chris’s family history was profiled on the PBS series African American Lives 2. A DNA test showed that he is of Cameroonian descent, specifically from the Udeme (Ouldémé) people of northern Cameroon. His great-great-grandfather, Julius Caesar Tingman, was enslaved for 21 years before serving in the American Civil War as part of the United States Colored Troops. During the 1940s, his paternal grandfather moved from South Carolina to New York City to become a taxicab driver and preacher.
Chris Rock Siblings
Does Chris Rock have siblings? Chris is the eldest of six siblings (five boys and one girl); Tony Rock, Andre Rock, Jordan Rock, Kenny Rock, Andi Rock, and Brian Rock. He also had an older paternal half-brother, Charles Ledell Rock, who died in 2006 after suffering from alcoholism. His younger brothers Tony, Kenny, and Jordan are also in the entertainment business.
Chris Rock Wife
Who is Chris Rock married to? Chris was married to Malaak Compton-Rock, a Humanitarian, Advocate, and Author. Compton-Rock is very passionate about humanitarian work and advocacy. Aside from her prior work for UNICEF, Compton-Rock founded the Angelrock Project Foundation in 2008. The non-profit organization “supports global programs for women and underserved youth from low socio-economic backgrounds in the U.S. and abroad, with a particular focus in South Africa.” Additionally, Compton-Rock serves on the board of the Children’s Defense Fund New York and she is the author of the book: If It Takes a Village, Build One: How I Found Meaning Through a Life of Service and 100+ Ways You Can Too.
The couple met in 1994 when Chris crashed the Essence magazine awards where Compton-Rock was working as a Hollywood publicist at the time. On November 23, 1996, they tied the knot. The couple lived in Alpine, New Jersey with their two daughters; Lola Simon born on June 28, 2002, and Zahra Savannah born on May 22, 2004. Compton-Rock also has another daughter, Ntombi, whom she adopted from South Africa.
In December 2014, Chris filed for divorce from Compton-Rock. He admitted to infidelity in the marriage, as well as struggling with a pornography addiction.
Much of the couple’s contentious divorce proceedings centered around whether Chris should pay child support for Ntombi, the daughter they were reportedly in the process of adopting just before their split. While Chris stated in his divorce filing that he had just two daughters, Compton-Rock claimed that the couple had a third child, “who has resided with the parties since before her first birthday.” She added that Ntombi, “has been raised by the parties as a member of the family and has been solely supported by the parties.”
The couple disagreed over child support in general, as Chris claimed that Compton-Rock had “the ability to work and contribute to her own support, as well as the support and other financial needs of the children.” On August 22, 2016, the divorce was finalized.
On July 7, 2022, it was reported that Chris had started dating actress, screenwriter, and director Lake Bell. Compton-Rock is also in a relationship with a man whose name she hasn’t publicly revealed. She’s shared several photos with him on her Instagram, including a sweet birthday tribute in January 2021.
“Happy birthday to my love. Sweet, kind, loving, romantic, adventurous, fun-loving, inquisitive, giving, and spiritual,” she wrote alongside a carousel of photos of them. “A great man. A great friend. A great father. And a great partner. Been around the world and back for two and a half years. Looking forward to more wonderful adventures! And sweetheart 60 never looked so good! Love you!”
Chris Rock Movies
Rock is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He has starred in films such as Nurse Betty (1999), Down to Earth and Pootie Tang (2001), Head of State (2003), The Longest Yard (2005), the Madagascar film series (2005–2012), I Think I Love My Wife (2007), Death at a Funeral (2010), Grown Ups (2010), its sequel Grown Ups 2 (2013), Top Five (2014) and Spiral (2021). He is also known for his appearances on television shows including Louie, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, and Fargo.
Rock made his Broadway theater debut in the 2011 Stephen Adly Guirgis play The Motherfucker with the Hat. He hosted the Academy Awards twice; in 2005 and 2016.
Chris Rock Jada Pinkett Smith
Rock made a bold Oscars claim about Jada Pinkett Smith during a new comedy special. On Saturday (4 March 2023), the comedian historically performed a live set for Netflix, titled Selective Outrage, during which he roasted Will Smith for slapping him at the Oscars in March 2022. Smith walked onto the Oscars stage to hit Rock after he made a joke about Pinkett Smith. He was later banned as a member of the Academy for 10 years.
Rock also used the set to make a claim about Smith’s wife, Pinkett Smith. According to Rock, the Girls Trip actor attempted to force him to quit hosting the Oscars in 2016 because her husband didn’t get a Best Actor nomination.
That year, Smith was being tipped for a possible nod for the drama Concussion, but he ultimately failed to make the list of nominees.
“Years ago, his wife said I should quit the Oscars. I shouldn’t host ’cause her man didn’t get nominated for Concussion. And then he gives me a f***ing concussion,” Rock quipped.
He added that Pinkett Smith told him he “should quit ’cause Will didn’t get nominated”.
Rock ignored Pinkett Smith’s pleas and, while presenting that year’s ceremony, he made a joke at Pinkett Smith’s expense, which resurfaced following the Oscars slap. Now, Rock claims he made this joke in response to Pinkett Smith’s request.
“That’s how it is – she starts it, I finish it, OK? That’s what the f*** happened. Nobody’s picking on her. She started this s***.”
In 2016, Pinkett Smith, alongside many Hollywood stars, boycotted the 2016 ceremony due to the lack of diversity among that year’s nominations. This lack of diversity prompted the #OscarsSoWhite campaign.
Elsewhere during Rock’s stand-up special, the comedian lambasted Meghan Markle’s claims that she experienced “racism” during her time at Buckingham Palace. He also directly addressed Smith’s slap, saying he “took that hit” like former professional boxer Manny Pacquiao.
Chris Rock Net Worth
Rock has an estimated net worth of $60 million as of 2023.
