History of Chris Rock in Timeline
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.
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.
1989: Stand-up Routine on Religion
In a 1989 stand-up routine, Chris Rock remarked on the lack of accessible religion for Black people due to the historical justification of slavery and segregation through Christianity.
November 23, 1996: Marriage to Malaak Compton-Rock
On November 23, 1996, Chris Rock married Malaak Compton-Rock.
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.
2008: Kill the Messenger Tour Rant
During his 2008 Kill the Messenger tour, Chris Rock labeled George W. Bush as "the worst president ever".
2011: Interview with David Letterman
In 2011, during an interview with David Letterman, Chris Rock complained that his favorite baseball team, the New York Mets, "had no money."
2012: Settlement of Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
In 2012, Chris Rock settled a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse. He was not charged with a crime and denied the alleged rape ever occurred.
2013: Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Incident
In a 2013 episode of "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" with Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Seinfeld were pulled over by the police. Rock admitted he would be scared if Seinfeld wasn't present.
December 2014: Filing for Divorce
In December 2014, Chris Rock filed for divorce from Malaak Compton-Rock.
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.
2015: Pulled Over Multiple Times
In 2015, Chris Rock was pulled over by the police three times in the first three months of the year, posting selfies of the incidents each time.
August 22, 2016: Divorce Finalized
On August 22, 2016, Chris Rock's divorce from Malaak Compton-Rock was finalized.
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.
2017: Statements on Religion During Tour
In 2017, during his Total Blackout Tour, Chris Rock stated he was "trying to get a little bit of religion" and wanted to "find God before God finds me," while also referring to comedy as his religion.
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.
September 18, 2020: Diagnosis of Non-Verbal Learning Disorder
On September 18, 2020, Chris Rock revealed that he was diagnosed with a non-verbal learning disorder, a neurological condition that impacts understanding of non-verbal social cues.
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".
May 2021: Opposition to Cancel Culture
In May 2021, Chris Rock voiced his opposition to cancel culture, stating it has led to "boring" and "unfunny" material from comedians.
September 19, 2021: COVID-19 Diagnosis
On September 19, 2021, Chris Rock announced on Twitter that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and advocated for vaccination.
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.
July 7, 2022: Reported Dating of Lake Bell
On July 7, 2022, it was reported that Chris Rock had started dating Lake Bell.
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".
2023: Identified as Single
In his 2023 Netflix special, Chris Rock self-identified as single.
November 2024: Debut of "Misty Green" at American Film Market
In November 2024, Chris Rock's upcoming film, "Misty Green", which he wrote and is set to direct, will debut at the American Film Market.
