Dave Chappelle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dave Chappelle |
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Chappelle in 2018
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| Birth name | David Khari Webber Chappelle |
| Born | August 24, 1973 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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Elaine Erfe
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| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | William David Chappelle III Yvonne Seon |
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David Khari Webber Chappelle (born August 24, 1973) is a famous American stand-up comedian and actor. He is well-known for creating and starring in the funny sketch comedy show Chappelle's Show (2003–2006). He later decided to leave the show during its third season.
After taking a break, Chappelle returned to doing stand-up comedy across the U.S. By 2006, he was called a "comic genius" by Esquire magazine. In 2017, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him as one of the top stand-up comedians of all time.
Chappelle has acted in many movies, including Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), The Nutty Professor (1996), Con Air (1997), and A Star Is Born (2018). His first main role was in the 1998 comedy film Half Baked, which he also helped write. In 2016, he signed a big deal with Netflix to release several stand-up comedy specials.
He has won many awards, including six Emmy Awards and five Grammy Awards. In 2019, he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which is America's highest award for comedy.
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Dave Chappelle's Early Life and School
David Khari Webber Chappelle was born on August 24, 1973, in Washington, D.C.. His father, William David Chappelle III, was a college professor. His mother, Yvonne Seon, was a university administrator and a minister. Dave also has a stepmother and a stepbrother.
Chappelle grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland. His parents were involved in politics, and famous people like Pete Seeger visited their home. Dave's comedy heroes were Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. When his parents separated, he lived with his mother in Washington, D.C., and spent summers with his father in Ohio. He worked as an usher at Ford's Theatre in high school. He studied theater arts at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and graduated in 1991.
Dave Chappelle's Comedy Career
Starting Out and Becoming Known (1990–2002)
Dave Chappelle first appeared on TV in 1990 on ABC's America's Funniest People. After high school, he moved to New York City to become a comedian. He performed at the famous Apollo Theater, where he was booed at first, but he said this experience made him even more determined. He quickly became popular in New York's comedy scene.
In 1992, he gained a lot of attention for his appearance on Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam on HBO. This helped him become a regular guest on popular late-night shows. At 19, he made his movie debut in Mel Brooks' Robin Hood: Men in Tights. He also opened shows for R&B singer Aretha Franklin.
Chappelle tried to create several TV shows, but none were picked up at first. In 1995, he appeared on the sitcom Home Improvement. This led to a spin-off show called Buddies in 1996, but it was canceled after only a few episodes. After this, Chappelle considered leaving comedy.
He then appeared in the 1996 movie The Nutty Professor with Eddie Murphy. In 1998, he co-wrote and starred in the movie Half Baked. He also appeared in You've Got Mail (1998) and Blue Streak (1999). In 2000, he recorded his first hour-long HBO comedy special, Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly.
Chappelle's Show (2003–2006)
In 2003, Chappelle launched his own weekly sketch comedy show on Comedy Central called Chappelle's Show. The show made fun of many parts of American culture, including different kinds of people and pop culture. It also featured music performances by hip-hop and soul artists. He helped other black comedians, like Paul Mooney and Charlie Murphy, become more known.
The show became very popular. Comedy Central offered Chappelle a $55 million contract to continue the show. However, Chappelle felt stressed and unhappy with the show's direction. In May 2005, he surprised everyone by leaving during production of the third season and traveling to South Africa. He said he needed time to think and that the show was making it hard for him to do stand-up, which was most important to him.
Chappelle's decision meant he walked away from a huge contract. Even though there were not many episodes, Chappelle's Show is still shown on TV today.
Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2004)
Chappelle starred in and produced the documentary film Dave Chappelle's Block Party, which came out in 2006. The movie shows him hosting a free concert in Brooklyn in 2004. Many musical artists, like Kanye West and The Roots, performed. Chappelle even brought people from his hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio, to the concert. The film was a success, earning $11.7 million.
Later Comedy Appearances (2005–2015)
After leaving Chappelle's Show, Chappelle performed stand-up comedy less often. In February 2006, he explained on Oprah Winfrey's show why he quit Chappelle's Show. He said he felt some of his comedy sketches were "socially irresponsible." He mentioned a sketch where he felt a crew member was laughing at him, not with him.
Chappelle did not say he would never return to Chappelle's Show, but he wanted changes to the production. He also wanted to give half of the DVD sales to charity. Comedy Central later aired some unfinished episodes from the third season, which Chappelle did not like.
Chappelle is known for making surprise appearances at comedy clubs. In April 2007, he set a record for the longest stand-up performance at the Laugh Factory club, performing for over six hours in December of that year.
In August 2013, Chappelle returned to full-time stand-up touring. During a show in Hartford, he walked off stage because the audience was being too loud. However, he returned to Hartford the next year and received a standing ovation. In June 2014, he performed ten nights at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, his first major appearance there in eleven years. In 2015, he acted in the film Chi-Raq, his first movie role in 13 years.
Career Comeback (2016–2019)
On November 12, 2016, Chappelle hosted Saturday Night Live right after the 2016 presidential election. His performance was highly praised, and he won an Emmy Award for it. He donated the Emmy to his old high school.
In November 2016, Netflix announced they would release three new stand-up comedy specials from Chappelle, paying him $20 million per special. The first two, "Deep in the Heart of Texas" and "The Age of Spin," were released in March 2017 and became the most-watched comedy specials in Netflix's history. He later released two more specials, Equanimity and The Bird Revelation, in December 2017.
In 2018, Chappelle won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for his specials The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas. His Equanimity special also won an Emmy Award. He returned to movies in 2018, playing "Noodles" in A Star Is Born, which was a big success. He also toured with comedian Jon Stewart.
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In February 2019, Chappelle won another Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for Equanimity and Bird Revelation. In 2019, Chappelle received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, a very important award. Many famous comedians and actors honored him at the ceremony. The Mayor of Washington, D.C., even declared October 27, 2019, "Dave Chappelle Day."
On August 26, 2019, his fifth Netflix special, Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones, was released. It won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 2020.
Recent Work (2020–present)
On June 12, 2020, Netflix released 8:46, a stand-up video by Chappelle. The title refers to the time related to the death of George Floyd, and Chappelle spoke about social issues and protests.
Chappelle also hosted "Chappelle Summer Camp" shows in Yellow Springs, Ohio, during the COVID-19 pandemic. These shows featured many famous comedians and musicians.
He hosted Saturday Night Live again in November 2020, after the presidential election. His monologue was praised for being thoughtful and powerful.
In December 2020, Chappelle's company bought a fire station near his home in Yellow Springs, Ohio, planning to turn it into a comedy club. He also created a clubhouse called "The Shack" for podcasting.
On October 5, 2021, Chappelle released his sixth Netflix special, The Closer. This special led to discussions about artistic freedom and how comedy can affect people. His alma mater, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, had planned to name their auditorium after him. After some discussions, Chappelle decided it should be named the "Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression" instead.
In May 2022, while performing at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, Chappelle was tackled onstage by an audience member. He was unharmed, and the attacker was quickly stopped by security.
He hosted Saturday Night Live for the third time in November 2022. In February 2023, he received his fourth Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for The Closer. His latest Netflix special, Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer, was released on December 31, 2023. He hosted Saturday Night Live for a fourth time in January 2025.
Dave Chappelle's Influences
Chappelle has said that his biggest comedy influences are Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Mort Sahl, Chris Rock, Paul Mooney, and Mel Blanc.
He also mentioned that Bugs Bunny was a big influence on him. He said that the animators and the voice actor, Mel Blanc, created performances that were "off the hook" and had a big comedic impact on him.
Awards and Achievements
Chappelle has won many awards for his stand-up comedy and TV work. These include three Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album and five Primetime Emmy Awards. He was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award with the cast of A Star Is Born.
In 2017, the Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, declared February 3 "Dave Chappelle Day." This was when Chappelle spoke at the Chappelle Auditorium at Allen University, a building named after his great-grandfather, Bishop William David Chappelle.
In 2019, he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This award ceremony was made into a TV special and was nominated for an Emmy Award.
Dave Chappelle's Activism and Personal Life
Helping Others
In 2004, Chappelle volunteered at Seeds of Peace International Camp, which brings together young leaders from different communities.
He also supports his high school, Duke Ellington School of the Arts. He has given money to the school and visited to give speeches. In his 2017 Emmy Awards speech, he gave a special mention to D.C. Public Schools.
Community Involvement
In December 2021, Chappelle spoke to the village council in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where he lives. He expressed concerns about a proposed housing project, stating he was against a development that didn't consider the community's culture and infrastructure. He said he was not against affordable housing itself. The council did not approve the zoning change.
Personal Life
Chappelle married Elaine Mendoza Erfe in 2001. They have two sons and one daughter. They live on a 65-acre farm near Yellow Springs, Ohio. Chappelle also owned homes in Xenia, Ohio. He once told Yellow Springs residents, "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. That's why I came back and that's why I'm staying."
Chappelle became a Muslim when he was 17. He told Time magazine in 2005 that he doesn't usually talk about his religion publicly because he doesn't want people to connect his personal flaws with his faith. He believes his faith has helped him use his career to help people.
His great-grandfather, Bishop William D. Chappelle, was born into slavery in 1857 and later became a president of Allen University. His great-great-grandfather, Robert John Palmer, was a member of the South Carolina Legislature. His grand-uncle, W. D. Chappelle Jr., was a doctor who opened a hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, around 1915, at a time when many African Americans did not have access to healthcare.
Images for kids
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Chappelle in 2007
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Chappelle (right) and Donnell Rawlings (left) stand in front of a C-17 Globemaster III at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. (2017)
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See also
In Spanish: Dave Chappelle para niños
