Dave Chappelle Wiki: 5 Things To Know About The Stand-up Comedian

If you love watching stand-up comedians doing their thing, then you have probably watched David Chappelle. Chappelle is one of those comedians who can make you laugh until your ribs hurt. His jokes are original, creative and sometimes raw. If you think you have seen enough in Chris Rock and Kevin Hart, then you need to find David Chappelle next. Before Chappelle became a stand-up comedian, he was an actor who appeared in a few movies, including the “The Nutty Professor.” Chappelle was born in Washington D.C. His dad, William David Chappelle III was a college professor at Antioch College in Ohio while his mother Yvonne Chappelle was a professor at Howard University before moving to the University of Maryland. Currently, Chappelle’s mother is a Unitarian Universalist minister. Chappelle was raised in Maryland and being in an active political family, notable political figures visited Chappelle's home. His parents separated before 1991. Chappelle studied theatre arts in Ellington School of the Arts.

Chappelle grew up watching Bill Cosby and hot inspired by him. When he was 14, Chappelle read an article talking about Cosby. From the article, Chappelle realized that as a black kid, he could use his smart mouth to achieve a lot. However, after the controversial Cosby case, Chappelle turned against Cosby and even throws punch lines at him.

Chappelle was the youngest comedian to be among the 100 greatest stand-up comedians according to Comedy Central’s list. Chappelle was 32 years old when he became part of the list and was ranked 43 at the time. Having such a high status in stand-up comedy paid him more and grew his net worth.

Chappelle doesn’t have a TV stand-up special, but he still performs his jokes. Recently, he has been on tours where phones are entirely banned. Dave Chappelle claimed that blocking attendees’ phones would help prevent jokes leaking onto the web. Chappelle believes that smartphones are the ones destroying comedies.

Dave Chappelle converted to Islam back in 1998. In one of his interviews, he stated that he takes his religion seriously, but he is not comfortable talking about it publicly. He said that it was inappropriate to speak about his faith because he didn’t want people to judge and connect his flaws with his beautiful religion.

When he was 19, Chappelle opened up for Aretha Franklin at the Radio City Music Hall. Chappelle had been given 15 minutes to perform. He used the 15 minutes allocated for him, but the crowd heard him for a total of 12 minutes. What really happened? The young Chappelle didn’t know that he should do a mic check before performing and the first three minutes of his set were a total waste of time because the mic failed and the audience didn't hear him.

Before David Chappelle made it as a stand-up comedian, he was an actor who landed minor and supporting roles. One of the movies the actor starred in was “The Nutty Professor.” The movie was directed by Tom Shadyac and alongside Chappelle, the movie stars Eddie Murphy, James Coburn, and Jada Pinkett. The 1996 movie won one Academy Award. Chappelle plays Reggie Warrington. One of his appearances is in a club where he is a guest comedian. Sherman goes to that club with Purty for a date, but Reggie mocks him publicly about his weight and makes him feel depressed. The movie was a hit and helped Chappelle have some grip in the entertainment industry, which helped him grow his net worth. The actor landed more roles.

Dave Chappelle had his own show known as “Chappelle’s Show” which was created by him and Neal Brennan. Chappelle was the one hosting the “Chappelle’s Show” mostly and even starred in most of its sketches. The show went for two complete seasons. The third season had numerous delays, and it was abruptly brought to a halt after Chappelle left the show. However, three episodes were created form the complete shootings. The show was one of the highest ranking ones at the time. After Chappelle left it was rumored that he went to Africa and stayed there. The real truth is he did but for only two weeks.

Dave Chappelle has also made his own documentary named “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party” which was directed by Michel Gondry. The film chronicles the actor and stand-up comedian’s time from the summer of 2004 to September of the same year. “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party” was released before the actors publicized decision to leave a $50 million deal that would have seen his net worth grow drastically. Chappelle invited some artists to perform at the time including Kanye West. The film also debuted at the box office at number six.

In this week, Chappelle is trending again. He discussed the allegations thrown at Louis C.K. that he masturbated as multiple women were watching. Chappelle was talking in his latest Netflix stand-up special titled “The Bird Revelation.” The actor and comedian said that the allegations made him laugh. Chappelle also said that one of Louis C.K.’s accusers was not strong enough to pursue a career in comedy.

Dave Chappelle has a net worth of $42 million. Much of his net worth is from his shows and tours. Part of the net worth is from his earnings as an actor. Chappelle would probably be richer than that if he wouldn’t have turned down a $50 million deal.

Chappelle started the year with style. He always has something to joke about especially the latest events. He is one of the most successful actors-come-comedians and 2018 will surely be a year of more laughs.