Chris Rock

Growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., Rock was bussed to schools in white neighborhoods where was regularly beat up by his classmates. To escape habitual bullying, Rock dropped out of high school. In 1984, Rock began a career as a standup comic. Eddie Murphy, who saw his act at a nightclub, gave Rock a role in the 1987 movie Beverly Hills Cop II. By 1990, Rock was a regular on Saturday Night Live. After SNL, Rock reinvented himself as a standup comic with specials like 1996’s Bring the Pain, and began receiving prominent film roles. Rock also produced the successful TV sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, which aired from 2005-2009 and was based on Rock’s teenage experiences.