Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle is an enigmatic stand-up comedian with a cutting take on social issues. He is best known for his sketch show Chappelle's Show, featuring iconic impersonations of the likes of Prince and, of course, Rick James. He took a significant break from his career in Hollywood but is now back and better than ever! Book Dave Chappelle tickets now at StubHub and witness the return to form of this comedic voice of a generation.
The man who left Hollywood
Dave Chappelle was born to parents who were both professors, which helps explain the uniquely intellectual grounding of his stand up act. He starred in a variety of sitcoms and made multiple movie appearances in the early days of his career, including roles in Robin Hood, Men in Tights, You've got Mail and The Nutty Professors.
The American comedian shot to super stardom thanks to his sketches on Chappelle's Show, many of which became YouTube sensations. At the height of his celebrity, he notoriously vanished from Hollywood, citing afterwards the pressures of fame and celebrity as the primary cause. Now he has returned to his first love, stand up comedy, and the world is ready and waiting for his unique brand of humour.
You know the one about Rick James, right?
Aside from his movie roles and sitcoms, Dave Chappelle's first real foray into the broader public's eye came after the success of his now critically acclaimed Killin' Them Softly stand up show. It was this show that became his calling card for many audiences and catapulted him into the spotlight for both fans and other comedians, who saw him as the new bar for social commentary comedy. Dave's next great success came with his hilarious 'Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories' section on Chappelle's Show. These were acted out scenarios that Eddie Murphy's brother Charlie claimed to have witnessed first hand and featured stories that are now an established part of pop culture.
Who could forget Prince's domination of Charlie on the basketball court in full stage regalia? Or the unstoppable Rick Jones asking Charlie what the five fingers said to the face? (Slap!, is the answer, in case you were wondering). The show also dealt with controversial issues such as race relations and garnered two Emmy nominations at the peak of its success. However, immediately after having been offered a 50 million dollar contract to continue the series, Chappelle left production and Hollywood due to creative conflicts and the pressures of fame. In 2013, he staged a major comeback with his Funny or Die tour and is now a firmly re-established star on the comedy circuit.
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