Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Chris Rock

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Chris Rock made an impact.

Chris Rock is a highly acclaimed American comedian, actor, and filmmaker known for his stand-up routines since the 1980s. His comedy addresses race relations, human sexuality, and everyday observations. Rock's success extends to film, television, and theater, earning him numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album and four Primetime Emmy Awards. He's consistently ranked among the greatest stand-up comedians of all time, securing top positions on Comedy Central's and Rolling Stone's lists.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1975: Dolemite Release

In 1975, the film Dolemite was released. The film would later be the subject of the 2019 movie Dolemite Is My Name, which featured Chris Rock in a cameo role.

1996: Roll With The New Show

In 1996, Chris Rock presented Roll With The New, a comedy show that presented some of his views.

1997: Publication of Memoir

In 1997, Chris Rock released a memoir in which he discussed the public expectation for entertainers to behave better than everybody else.

2000: Appeared on Albums

In 2000, Chris Rock appeared on multiple albums, including Method Man's Tical 2000, Prince Paul's A Prince Among Thieves, Ice Cube's War and Peace Vol. 2, Ludacris's Theater of the Mind and Busta Rhymes's Extinction Level Event 2.

February 2005: Hosting the 77th Academy Awards

In February 2005, Chris Rock hosted the 77th Academy Awards ceremony, which was intended to bring an "edge" to the ceremony and appeal to younger audiences. His performance was met with mixed reactions.

2014: Premiere of "Top Five" at Toronto International Film Festival

In 2014, Chris Rock's film "Top Five" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film, which Rock wrote, directed, and starred in, is a social commentary on fame and society and drew comparisons to Woody Allen's "Stardust Memories."

October 21, 2015: Announcement of Hosting the 88th Academy Awards

On October 21, 2015, it was announced that Chris Rock would host the 88th Academy Awards. He addressed the lack of diversity in AMPAS during the show.

2015: SNL 40th Anniversary Special and "A Very Murray Christmas"

In 2015, Chris Rock attended the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special and paid tribute to Eddie Murphy. Also in 2015, Rock appeared in Sofia Coppola's Christmas musical special, "A Very Murray Christmas", singing "Do You Hear What I Hear?" with Bill Murray.

October 30, 2016: Netflix Announces Two Chris Rock Specials

On October 30, 2016, Netflix announced they would release two new stand-up comedy specials from Chris Rock, paying him $40 million per special.

2017: Appearance in "Sandy Wexler"

In 2017, Chris Rock appeared as himself in the Netflix film, "Sandy Wexler", starring Adam Sandler.

February 14, 2018: Release of "Chris Rock: Tamborine" on Netflix

On February 14, 2018, Chris Rock's first Netflix stand-up special in 10 years, "Chris Rock: Tamborine", was released. The special was filmed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and directed by Bo Burnham.

2018: Starring in "The Week Of"

In 2018, Chris Rock starred in "The Week Of", a Netflix comedy directed by Robert Smigel, alongside Adam Sandler. The film depicts the events of the week of the wedding of their children.

August 20, 2019: Investment in Lowell Herb Co

On August 20, 2019, Chris Rock, along with other celebrities, invested in Lowell Herb Co, a California cannabis brand.

2019: Brief Appearance in "Dolemite Is My Name"

In 2019, Chris Rock made a brief appearance in the comedy film "Dolemite Is My Name", which stars Eddie Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore.

2020: Release of 'Another Round'

In 2020 Thomas Vinterberg's Academy Award-winning film Another Round was released. Chris Rock will be directing an English language adaptation of the film in 2024.

2020: Role in Fargo Season 4

In 2020, Chris Rock portrayed Loy Cannon, a central character in the fourth season of the FX crime anthology series "Fargo".

2021: Starring in "Spiral"

In 2021, Chris Rock starred in "Spiral", a reboot of the "Saw" franchise that explores the horror film genre.

March 2022: Incident at the 94th Academy Awards

In March 2022, during the 94th Academy Awards, Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head, resulting in Will Smith slapping him on stage. The event became highly publicized and controversial.

March 4, 2023: Release of "Chris Rock: Selective Outrage"

On March 4, 2023, Chris Rock's Netflix special "Chris Rock: Selective Outrage" was released; it was Netflix's first-ever live event. In the special, Rock addressed the Will Smith slap.

2023: Announcement of MLK Biopic Direction

In 2023, it was announced that Chris Rock would direct a biopic on Martin Luther King Jr., produced by Steven Spielberg, based on Jonathan Eig's biography "King: A Life".