Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Dave Chappelle
How Dave Chappelle built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Dave Chappelle is a highly acclaimed American stand-up comedian and actor. He gained significant recognition as the star and co-creator of 'Chappelle's Show,' a satirical sketch comedy series that ran from 2003 to 2006. Despite the show's success, Chappelle famously left during the third season. After a break, he returned to stand-up comedy, earning widespread praise and being lauded as a comedic genius. He is regarded as one of the greatest stand-up comics of all time.
2004: Donation to Seeds of Peace International Camp
In 2004, Dave Chappelle donated his time to Seeds of Peace International Camp, located in Otisfield, Maine, which brings together young leaders from communities in conflict.
August 2013: Oddball Comedy & Curiosity festival performance
In August 2013, Dave Chappelle co-headlined the Oddball Comedy & Curiosity festival. During a stop in Hartford, he walked off stage due to intense heckling from the crowd, which included chants of "White Power".
June 2014: New York City appearance after eleven years
In June 2014, Dave Chappelle performed for ten nights at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, marking his first major appearance in the city in eleven years. He promoted these shows with appearances on The Today Show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Show with David Letterman.
August 2014: Surprise appearance at Oddball Festival in Hartford
In August 2014, Dave Chappelle made a surprise return to Hartford at the Oddball Festival, where he received standing ovations during his performance.
2015: Appearance in Spike Lee's 'Chi-Raq'
In 2015, Dave Chappelle appeared in Spike Lee's film Chi-Raq, which marked his first film role in 13 years.
March 2016: Filming of "The Age of Spin"
In March 2016, Dave Chappelle filmed his comedy special "The Age of Spin" at the Hollywood Palladium.
November 12, 2016: Hosting debut on Saturday Night Live
On November 12, 2016, Dave Chappelle hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time following Donald Trump's 2016 presidential election win. A Tribe Called Quest was the musical guest. Chappelle's opening monologue addressed Trump and the election and received widespread acclaim, later earning him an Emmy Award. He donated the Emmy to his former high school during the filming of Jerry Seinfeld's Netflix series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
November 21, 2016: Netflix announces three new stand-up comedy specials
On November 21, 2016, Netflix announced a deal with Dave Chappelle for three new stand-up comedy specials, with Chappelle being paid $20 million per special.
March 21, 2017: Release of "Deep in the Heart of Texas" and "The Age of Spin" on Netflix
On March 21, 2017, Dave Chappelle's first two comedy specials, "Deep in the Heart of Texas" filmed in April 2015, and "The Age of Spin" filmed in March 2016, were released on Netflix. They became the most viewed comedy specials in Netflix history within a month.
September 2017: Filming of Equanimity at the Warner Theater
In September 2017, Dave Chappelle filmed his third Netflix special, Equanimity, at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C.
November 20, 2017: Filming of The Bird Revelation at The Comedy Store
On November 20, 2017, Dave Chappelle filmed his fourth Netflix special, The Bird Revelation, at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.
December 22, 2017: Netflix announces expansion of deal to include The Bird Revelation
On December 22, 2017, Netflix announced that they were expanding their deal with Dave Chappelle to include The Bird Revelation. The special was released with Equanimity on December 31.
2017: Emmy Awards Shout-out to D.C. Public Schools
During his acceptance speech at the 2017 Emmy Awards, Dave Chappelle gave a shout-out to D.C. Public Schools.
September 2018: Emmy Award for Equanimity
In September 2018, Dave Chappelle's Equanimity special received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded).
October 2018: Appearance in 'A Star Is Born'
In October 2018, Dave Chappelle returned to the big screen as "Noodles" in Bradley Cooper's remake of 'A Star Is Born'.
February 2019: Grammy Award for Equanimity and Bird Revelation
In February 2019, Dave Chappelle won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for Equanimity and Bird Revelation.
August 26, 2019: Release of 'Sticks & Stones' on Netflix
On August 26, 2019, Dave Chappelle's fifth Netflix special, 'Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones', was released. It generated controversy for jokes about Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, the LGBT community, and cancel culture.
October 27, 2019: Mark Twain Prize Award Ceremony
On October 27, 2019, Dave Chappelle was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at a Kennedy Center gala. The Mayor of D.C. declared it "Dave Chappelle Day".
2019: Awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
In 2019, Dave Chappelle was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The award ceremony was turned into a television special released on Netflix and received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
January 7, 2020: Broadcast of Mark Twain Prize ceremony on PBS
On January 7, 2020, the ceremony where Dave Chappelle was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor was broadcast on PBS.
June 6, 2020: Private event in Yellow Springs, Ohio
On June 6, 2020, Dave Chappelle held a private, socially distanced stand-up event in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where audience members observed social distancing rules and wore masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This performance would be released on June 12, 2020 as 8:46.
June 12, 2020: Netflix releases 8:46 on YouTube
On June 12, 2020, Netflix released 8:46, a 27-minute stand-up video by Dave Chappelle, on the YouTube channel "Netflix Is a Joke". The special touches on Floyd's murder and subsequent protests and takes aim at Don Lemon, Laura Ingraham and Candace Owens.
June 2020: Beginning of Chappelle Summer Camp
In late June 2020, Dave Chappelle initiated "Chappelle Summer Camp", a series of live performances with masked, socially distanced audiences at Wirrig Pavilion in Yellow Springs, Ohio. The shows featured comedians and musical guests.
September 25, 2020: Cancellation of Chappelle Summer Camp due to possible COVID-19 exposure
On September 25, 2020, Elaine Chappelle announced the cancellation of the Chappelle Summer Camp series of shows due to a possible COVID-19 exposure in their inner circle.
October 4, 2020: Variance granted for Chappelle Summer Camp to continue until October 4
After issues with neighbors' complaints, local zoning officials granted a special variance allowing the Chappelle Summer Camp performances to continue through October 4, 2020.
December 2020: Purchase of Fire Station for Comedy Club
In December 2020, Dave Chappelle's company, Iron Table Holdings, purchased a fire station near his home in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with plans to convert it into a comedy club. He also retrofitted a mechanic's garage into a clubhouse named "The Shack" for podcasting.
2020: Hosts Saturday Night Live after the 2020 United States presidential election
In 2020, Dave Chappelle hosted Saturday Night Live the weekend of the United States presidential election. In response to allegations that Joe Biden's presidency had been stolen from Donald Trump, Chappelle offered jokes ranging from Trump's handling of the pandemic to his resulting legacy, and the political future of the United States.
June 2021: Premiere of Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life at Tribeca Film Festival
In June 2021, 'Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life,' a documentary about Chappelle's concerts in Yellow Springs during the COVID-19 pandemic, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
October 5, 2021: Release of The Closer on Netflix
On October 5, 2021, Dave Chappelle starred in his sixth Netflix special, The Closer. The special generated backlash for jokes some considered transphobic.
November 2021: SNL lampoons 'The Closer' controversy
In November 2021, Saturday Night Live lampooned the controversy surrounding Dave Chappelle's special, 'The Closer', during its Weekend Update segment.
November 19, 2021: Limited theatrical release of 'Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life'
On November 19, 2021, 'Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life' received a limited theatrical release.
May 4, 2022: Attack at Netflix Is a Joke Festival
In the early hours of May 4, 2022, Dave Chappelle was tackled onstage at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles during the Netflix Is a Joke Festival. The attacker was armed with a replica handgun containing a knife blade.
November 12, 2022: Hosts SNL for the third time
On November 12, 2022, Dave Chappelle hosted Saturday Night Live for the third time.
February 5, 2023: Fourth Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album
On February 5, 2023, Dave Chappelle received his fourth Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for The Closer.
December 31, 2023: Release of 'The Dreamer' on Netflix
On December 31, 2023, Dave Chappelle's special, 'The Dreamer,' was released on Netflix, debuting at No. 5 with 2.2 million views.
January 2025: Monologue on SNL touches on wildfires, Jimmy Carter, and Trump re-election
In January 2025, Dave Chappelle's 17-minute monologue on Saturday Night Live included commentary on recent events, including the January 2025 Southern California wildfires, Jimmy Carter's death, and Donald Trump's reelection to the United States presidency.
January 18, 2025: Hosts Saturday Night Live for the fourth time
On January 18, 2025, Dave Chappelle hosted Saturday Night Live in its first show of 2025, marking Chappelle's fourth time hosting.
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