Robin Harris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Robin Harris Sr. |
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| Birth name | Robin Hughes Harris Sr. |
| Born | August 30, 1953 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 18, 1990 (aged 36) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up, film |
| Nationality | American |
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| Spouse |
Exetta Harris
(m. 1984) |
| Children | Robin Harris Jr. |
Robin Hughes Harris Sr. (born August 30, 1953 – died March 18, 1990) was a funny American comedian and actor. He was best known for his comedy sketches about "Bébé's Kids." He was also nominated for an award for his role in the movie House Party.
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Early Life and Comedy Beginnings
Robin Harris was born in Chicago, Illinois. His father, Earl, was a welder. His mother, Mattie, worked as a seamstress in a factory.
In 1961, his family moved to Los Angeles. Robin went to Manual Arts High School there. Later, he attended Ottawa University in Kansas. During this time, he started to develop his comedy skills. He worked different jobs, like for Hughes Aircraft and a rental car company, to pay his bills. In 1980, he performed his first stand-up show at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles.
His Comedy Career
In the mid-1980s, Robin Harris became a master of ceremonies at the Comedy Act Theater. This means he was the host who introduced other performers. His unique "old school" style of humor started to become very popular.
Robin made his first movie appearance as a bartender in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988). He also had roles in the movies Do the Right Thing (1989) and Harlem Nights (1989). In 1990, he played the father of a character named Kid in the movie House Party. Later that year, he had a small role as an MC in a jazz club in Mo' Better Blues.
The Famous "Bé-bé's Kids"
One of Robin Harris's most famous comedy routines was called "Bé-bé's Kids." In these sketches, his girlfriend Jamika would ask him to take her son and her friend Bé-bé's three children on their dates. She was always babysitting them. The children would often play tricks on Robin or annoy him. They had a famous line: "We Bé-bé's kids, we don't die...we multiply!"
The Hudlin Brothers wanted to make a movie based on these "Bé-bé's Kids" sketches. Sadly, Robin Harris passed away while the movie was still being planned. Instead, Bébé's Kids became an animated feature film. It was directed by Bruce W. Smith. The voices in the movie included Faizon Love (who voiced Robin Harris), Vanessa Bell Calloway, Marques Houston, and Nell Carter.
His Legacy
On March 18, 1990, Robin Harris passed away in his sleep from a heart attack. He was only 36 years old. He had just performed for a large crowd at the Regal Theater in his hometown of Chicago. His brother found him. Robin was buried in California at Inglewood Park Cemetery.
When Robin passed away, his wife was expecting their son. Robin Harris Jr. was born six months later, in September 1990.
In 2006, a DVD called We Don't Die, We Multiply: The Robin Harris Story was released. This film showed performances by Robin that had never been seen before. It also included tributes from other famous comedians like Martin Lawrence, Bernie Mac, and Cedric the Entertainer. Robin's son, Robin Jr., even performed a rap song dedicated to his father in the film.
See also
In Spanish: Robin Harris para niños
