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, most notably known for creating and starring in the influential satirical sketch comedy series *Chappelle's Show*. Despite the show's success, he famously left during its third season. After a break, he returned to stand-up, receiving widespread recognition. He was lauded as a 'comic genius' and 'the best' by various publications, with Rolling Stone ranking him among the greatest stand-up comedians 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, a camp that brings together young leaders from communities in conflict.
June 2014: Return to New York City Stage
In June 2014, Dave Chappelle performed for ten nights at Radio City Music Hall, marking his first major New York City appearance 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 for an appearance at the Oddball Festival, where he was met with standing ovations during his set, a stark contrast to the previous year's experience.
2015: Appearance in Spike Lee's Chi-Raq
In 2015, Dave Chappelle appeared in Spike Lee's film "Chi-Raq", marking his first film role in 13 years.
March 2016: Filming of "The Age of Spin" at the Hollywood Palladium
In March 2016, Dave Chappelle filmed the stand-up comedy special "The Age of Spin" at the Hollywood Palladium.
November 12, 2016: Saturday Night Live Hosting Debut
On November 12, 2016, Dave Chappelle hosted "Saturday Night Live" for the first time, following Donald Trump's presidential election win. He delivered a monologue addressing Trump and the election results, and received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance. A Tribe Called Quest was the musical guest.
November 21, 2016: Netflix Announces Three New Chappelle Specials
On November 21, 2016, Netflix announced a deal to release three new stand-up comedy specials from Dave Chappelle in 2017, paying him $20 million per special.
March 21, 2017: Netflix Releases "Deep in the Heart of Texas" and "The Age of Spin"
On March 21, 2017, Netflix released two stand-up comedy specials from Dave Chappelle's vault: "Deep in the Heart of Texas", filmed in April 2015, and "The Age of Spin", filmed in March 2016. They became the most-viewed comedy specials in Netflix's history a month later.
September 2017: Filming of Equanimity at the Warner Theater
In September 2017, Dave Chappelle filmed his third Netflix stand-up 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 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 the expansion of their deal with Dave Chappelle to include "The Bird Revelation", which was released alongside "Equanimity" on December 31.
2017: Release of Netflix Comedy Specials
In 2017, Chappelle released multiple stand-up comedy specials on Netflix as part of a lucrative deal, marking a significant return to the spotlight after a period of relative absence from the stand-up scene.
October 2018: Role in A Star Is Born Remake
In October 2018, Dave Chappelle appeared in Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, a remake of "A Star Is Born", as "Noodles". The film was a critical and commercial success, and Chappelle was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast in a Motion Picture along with the rest of the cast.
August 26, 2019: Release of Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones on Netflix
On August 26, 2019, Dave Chappelle's fifth Netflix special, "Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones", was released, garnering controversy for jokes about Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, the LGBT community, and cancel culture.
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, which honored Chappelle with appearances from Jon Stewart, Bradley Cooper, Aziz Ansari, Sarah Silverman, Chris Tucker, Frederic Yonnet, and Lorne Michaels, was released on Netflix as a television special and received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
June 6, 2020: Private Recording of 8:46 in Yellow Springs, Ohio
On June 6, 2020, Dave Chappelle recorded the stand-up special "8:46" at a private, socially distanced event in Yellow Springs, Ohio.
June 12, 2020: Release of 8:46 on Netflix Is a Joke YouTube Channel
On June 12, 2020, Netflix released "8:46", a 27-minute and 20-second video of Dave Chappelle's newly recorded stand-up, on the "Netflix Is a Joke" YouTube channel. The special addresses George Floyd's murder and the subsequent protests.
June 2020: Start of "Chappelle Summer Camp" Performances
In late June 2020, Dave Chappelle initiated the "Chappelle Summer Camp" series of live performances at Wirrig Pavilion in Yellow Springs, Ohio, featuring masked and socially distanced audiences. The series officially kicked off with a Fourth of July celebration.
December 2020: Purchase of Fire Station for Conversion into 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 podcasting clubhouse called "The Shack".
2020: Second Time Hosting Saturday Night Live Post-Presidential Election
In 2020, Dave Chappelle hosted Saturday Night Live following the United States presidential election, his second time giving a post-presidential election monologue. The results were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on vote counting. Chappelle delivered jokes about Trump's handling of the pandemic 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's sixth Netflix special, "The Closer", was released. It sparked controversy due to jokes about gay and transgender people. Some considered these jokes transphobic. The special was met with backlash, including from students of his alma mater Duke Ellington School.
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 after premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in June.
November 12, 2022: Third Time Hosting Saturday Night Live
On November 12, 2022, Dave Chappelle hosted "Saturday Night Live" for the third time.
December 31, 2023: Release of The Dreamer on Netflix
On December 31, 2023, Netflix released Chappelle's latest special, "The Dreamer", which debuted at No. 5 on the chart with 2.2 million views.
January 2025: Monologue on SNL Includes Commentary on Recent Events
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: Fourth Time Hosting Saturday Night Live
On January 18, 2025, Dave Chappelle hosted "Saturday Night Live", marking his fourth time hosting, in the show's first episode of 2025.
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