Editing Chris Rock (section)

===1984–1999: ''Saturday Night Live'' and standup ===
[[File:30 Rock Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary (52632155330).jpg|thumb|right|Rock was a cast member on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' (1990–1993)]]
Rock began working as a stand-up comic during 1984 in New York City's [[Catch a Rising Star (comedy clubs)|Catch a Rising Star]].<ref name=bigger/> Upon seeing his act at a nightclub, [[Eddie Murphy]] befriended and mentored the aspiring comic. Murphy gave Rock his first film role and big break in ''[[Beverly Hills Cop II]]'' (1987).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gray |first=Tim |date=May 20, 2022 |title=The Big Break: Chris Rock Made Film Debut in 'Beverly Hills Cop 2' 35 Years Ago |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/actors/chris-rock-beverly-hills-cop-2-1235264494/ |access-date=June 1, 2022 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> Rock rose up the ranks of the comedy circuit in addition to earning bit roles in the film ''[[I'm Gonna Git You Sucka]]'' (1988) and the TV series ''[[Miami Vice]]''.

Rock was a cast member of the [[sketch comedy]] series ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' from 1990 to 1993. He and other new cast members [[Chris Farley]], [[Adam Sandler]], [[Rob Schneider]] and [[David Spade]] became known as the [[History of Saturday Night Live#"Bad Boys" era: 1990–1995|Bad Boys of SNL]].<ref name="ToddBlue2009">{{cite book|author1=Anne M. Todd|author2=Rose Blue|author3=Corinne J. Naden|title=Chris Rock: Comedian and Actor|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8Y_zke9klLEC&pg=PA21|date=January 1, 2009|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-1-4381-0074-6|access-date=March 15, 2016|archive-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609045533/https://books.google.com/books?id=8Y_zke9klLEC&pg=PA21|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Roberts|first1=Andrew|title=The Story Behind Chris Rock's Firing From 'Saturday Night Live'|url=http://uproxx.com/tv/2014/11/the-story-behind-chris-rocks-firing-from-saturday-night-live/|publisher=[[Uproxx]]|access-date=November 5, 2015|date=November 1, 2014|archive-date=September 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910163333/http://uproxx.com/tv/2014/11/the-story-behind-chris-rocks-firing-from-saturday-night-live/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Fallon|first1=Kevin|title=The Secrets of 'Saturday Night Live': Where Comedy Legends Are Born|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/14/the-secrets-of-saturday-night-live-where-comedy-legends-are-born.html|newspaper=[[The Daily Beast]]|access-date=November 5, 2015|date=June 14, 2015|archive-date=November 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151110063113/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/14/the-secrets-of-saturday-night-live-where-comedy-legends-are-born.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1991, he released his first comedy album, ''[[Born Suspect]]'' and won acclaim for his role as a [[Crack cocaine|crack]] addict in the film ''[[New Jack City]]''. His tenure on ''SNL'' gave Rock national exposure. (Rock has hosted ''SNL'' four times; in 1996, 2014, 2020 and 2024.)<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 14, 2024 |title=Chris Rock Says Being on SNL Was "the Best Time" — Here's When He Was a Cast Member |url=https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/when-was-chris-rock-on-snl-years-cast-member-host |access-date=December 15, 2024 |website=NBC Insider Official Site |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Chris Rock 2001.jpg|thumb|upright|Rock in 1995|left]]With plans to leave ''Saturday Night Live'' after the 1992–93 season, Rock was effectively "fired" from the show.<ref name="uproxx">{{cite web |url=http://uproxx.com/tv/the-story-behind-chris-rocks-firing-from-saturday-night-live/ |title=The Story Behind Chris Rock's Firing From 'Saturday Night Live' |work=[[Uproxx]] |first=Andrew |last=Roberts |date=November 1, 2014 |access-date=September 22, 2016 |archive-date=September 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923104624/http://uproxx.com/tv/the-story-behind-chris-rocks-firing-from-saturday-night-live/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.laughspin.com/2011/11/03/chris-rock-why-i-left-saturday-night-live/ |title=Chris Rock: Why I left Saturday Night Live |work=Laughspin |author=Dylan P. Gadino |date=November 3, 2011 |access-date=September 22, 2016 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160904035713/http://www.laughspin.com/2011/11/03/chris-rock-why-i-left-saturday-night-live/ |archive-date=September 4, 2016 }}</ref> Beginning that fall, he appeared in six episodes of the predominantly African American sketch show ''[[In Living Color]]'' as a special guest star.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/62630/22-things-you-might-not-know-about-living-color |title=22 Things You Might Not Know About 'In Living Color' |work=[[Mental Floss]] |first=Roger |last=Cormier |date=April 15, 2015 |access-date=September 22, 2016 |archive-date=September 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160907121256/http://mentalfloss.com/article/62630/22-things-you-might-not-know-about-living-color |url-status=live }}</ref> The show was canceled a month after he arrived.<ref name="uproxx" /> Rock then wrote and starred in the low-budget comedy ''[[CB4]]'', which made $18 million against its budget of $6 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=cb4.htm |title=CB4 (1993) |website=Box Office Mojo |date=April 13, 1993 |access-date=March 4, 2012 |archive-date=January 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130213418/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=cb4.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> He signed on as client of [[3 Arts Entertainment]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fleming|first=Michael|date=April 12, 2000|title=3 Arts taps Henson exec|url=https://variety.com/2000/film/news/3-arts-taps-henson-exec-1117780499/|access-date=November 27, 2021|website=Variety|language=en-US|archive-date=November 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127030810/https://variety.com/2000/film/news/3-arts-taps-henson-exec-1117780499/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Rock headlined his first [[HBO]] comedy special in 1994, titled ''Big Ass Jokes'', as part of ''[[HBO Comedy Half-Hour]]''. His second special, 1996's ''[[Chris Rock: Bring the Pain|Bring the Pain]]'', made Rock one of the most acclaimed and commercially successful comedians in the industry.<ref name="roll"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/chris-rock-bring-the-pain-v178087|title=Chris Rock: Bring the Pain|website=AllMovie|access-date=January 3, 2021|archive-date=November 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130051847/https://www.allmovie.com/movie/chris-rock-bring-the-pain-v178087|url-status=live}}</ref> Rock won two [[Emmy Awards]] for the special and gained large critical acclaim.<ref name="SweeneyGuardian2001">{{cite news|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,499318,00.html|title=Chris Rock: The funniest man in America?|work=The Guardian|location=London|date=June 1, 2001|access-date=October 20, 2007|first=Kathy|last=Sweeney|archive-date=June 12, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612184646/http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,499318,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A controversial part of the special was "[[Niggas vs. Black People]]".<ref name="SweeneyGuardian2001" />
For his much-publicized role as a commentator for [[Comedy Central]]'s ''[[Politically Incorrect]]'' during the [[1996 United States presidential election|1996 Presidential elections]],<ref name="roll" /> he earned another Emmy nomination.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/shows/politically-incorrect-bill-maher-0 |title=Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher |access-date=January 4, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403023704/http://www.emmys.com/shows/politically-incorrect-bill-maher-0 |archive-date=April 3, 2016 }}</ref> Rock also was the voice for the "Lil Penny" puppet who was the alter ego to basketball star [[Penny Hardaway]] in a series of [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] shoe commercials from 1994 to 1998,<ref name="roll">{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_n7_v52/ai_19383834|title=Chris Rock: hot comic is on the roll of his life|author=Chappell, Kevin|work=[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]]|date=May 1997|access-date=October 20, 2007|archive-date=December 14, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214054017/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_n7_v52/ai_19383834|url-status=live}}</ref> and hosted the '97 MTV Video Music Awards.Rock's first music video was for his song "Your Mother's Got a Big Head" from his album ''Born Suspect.'' Rock also made videos for his songs "Champagne" from ''Roll With the New'' and "[[No Sex (In the Champagne Room)]]" from ''Bigger & Blacker''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chris Rock's Funniest Rap Moments |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2014/07/chris-rocks-funniest-rap-moments |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=Complex |language=en}}</ref>

Rock later had two more [[HBO]] comedy specials: ''[[Bigger & Blacker]]'' in 1999, and ''[[Never Scared]]'' in 2004. Articles relating to both specials called Rock "the funniest man in America" in ''Time''<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/americasbest/pro.crock.html|title=America's Best Artist's and Entertainers|magazine=Time|author=Handy, Bruce|year=2001|access-date=October 20, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010123021/http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/americasbest/pro.crock.html |archive-date = October 10, 2007}}</ref> and ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''.<ref name="ew">{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2004/03/19/chris-rock-fire/|title=Chris Rock On Fire|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|last=Wolk|first=Josh|date=March 19, 2004|access-date=October 13, 2007|archive-date=October 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016233538/http://www.ew.com/article/2004/03/19/chris-rock-fire|url-status=live}}</ref> HBO also aired his talk show, ''[[The Chris Rock Show]]'', which gained critical acclaim for Rock's interviews with celebrities and politicians. The show won an Emmy for writing. His television work has won him a total of three [[Emmy Award]]s and 15 nominations.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/bios/chris-rock|title= Chris Rock|website= Emmys.com|accessdate= May 30, 2021|archive-date= June 2, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215947/https://www.emmys.com/bios/chris-rock|url-status= live}}</ref> By the end of the decade, Rock was established as one of the preeminent stand-up comedians and comic minds of his generation. During this time, Rock also translated his comedy into print form in the book ''Rock This!'' and released the [[Grammy Award]]-winning comedy albums, ''[[Roll with the New]]'', ''Bigger & Blacker'' and ''Never Scared''. Rock's fifth HBO special, ''[[Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger|Kill the Messenger]]'', premiered on September 27, 2008, and won him another Emmy for outstanding writing for a variety or music program.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/tag/kill+the+messenger/|title=Chris Rock to do his fifth HBO special in September – TCA Report|publisher=[[TVSquad.com]]|author=Sample, Kristin|date=July 10, 2008|access-date=July 25, 2008|archive-date=November 12, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081112071323/http://www.tvsquad.com/tag/kill+the+messenger/|url-status=live}}</ref>

It was not until the success of his stand-up act in the late 1990s that Rock began receiving [[leading man]] status in films. He began the decade with supporting roles in such films as ''[[New Jack City]]'' (1991) as crack addict Pookie, in the [[Eddie Murphy]] comedy ''[[Boomerang (1992 film)|Boomerang]]'' (1992), the [[Steve Martin]] comedy ''[[Sgt. Bilko]]'' (1996) as well as ''[[Beverly Hills Ninja]]'' (1997), and ''[[Lethal Weapon 4]]'' (1998). He also appeared in the [[Kevin Smith]] fantasy comedy film ''[[Dogma (film)|Dogma]]'' (1999). The film received positive reviews and premiered at the [[Cannes Film Festival]]. The film starred an ensemble cast with actors such as [[Ben Affleck]], [[Matt Damon]], [[Alan Rickman]], [[Salma Hayek]], and [[George Carlin]].