Robin Harris (comedian) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Robin Harris Sr. |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 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 | |
| Nationality | American |
| Genres |
|
| Subject(s) |
|
| Spouse |
Exetta Harris
(m. 1984) |
| Children | Robin Harris Jr. |
Robin Hughes Harris Sr. (born August 30, 1953 – died March 18, 1990) was a funny comedian and actor from America. He was most famous for his comedy act about "Bé-bé's Kids." After he passed away, he was nominated for a special award for his role in the movie House Party.
Contents
Early Life and Comedy Beginnings
Robin Harris was born in Chicago, Illinois. His dad, Earl, worked as a welder, and his mom, Mattie, was a seamstress in a factory.
In 1961, his family moved to Los Angeles. There, Robin went to Manual Arts High School. Later, he studied at Ottawa University in Kansas. During this time, he started to practice his comedy skills. To pay his bills, he worked at different places like Hughes Aircraft and a rental car company. In 1980, he performed for the first time at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles.
Robin Harris's Career
In the mid-1980s, Robin Harris worked as the host at the Comedy Act Theater. His unique, "old school" style of humor started to become very popular.
Robin first appeared in a movie in 1988, playing a bartender in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. He also had roles in two movies from 1989: Do the Right Thing and Harlem Nights. In 1990, Robin played the father of a character named Kid in the movie House Party. Later that year, he had a small part as a jazz club host in Mo' Better Blues.
The Famous Bé-bé's Kids
One of Robin Harris's most famous comedy acts was called "Bé-bé's Kids." In these routines, his girlfriend Jamika would always make him take her son and her friend Bé-bé's three children with them on dates. She was always babysitting them!
These kids would often make Robin look silly or just annoy him a lot. They had a funny saying: "We Bé-bé's kids, we don't die...we multiply!"
The Hudlin Brothers wanted to make a movie based on these popular "Bé-bé's Kids" acts. But sadly, Robin Harris passed away while they were still getting ready to make the film. So, Bebe's Kids was made as an animated feature instead. Bruce W. Smith directed it, and Faizon Love voiced Robin Harris's character. Other voices included Vanessa Bell Calloway, Marques Houston, and Tone Lōc.
Robin Harris's Death
On March 18, 1990, Robin Harris died in Chicago at the age of 36. He passed away from a heart problem called cardiac arrhythmia. He was buried in an indoor mausoleum at Inglewood Park Cemetery in California.
When Robin died in March 1990, his wife was expecting their son. Robin Harris Jr. was born six months later, in September 1990.
The TV show In Living Color dedicated its second episode to Robin Harris's memory, which aired about a month after he passed away.
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 featured other famous comedians like Martin Lawrence, Bernie Mac, and Cedric the Entertainer talking about Robin. His son, Robin Jr., even performed a rap song dedicated to his dad in the film.
Award Nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film or series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Independent Spirit Award | Nominated | Best Supporting Male | House Party |
See also
In Spanish: Robin Harris para niños
