From Flipping Burgers To A $60 Million Net Worth: The Chris Rock Story (2024)

Christopher Julius Rock, recognized by the world at large as Chris Rock, is hands down one of the most iconic African American celebrities in Hollywood and in stand-up comedy. Beginning in the mid-1980s doing stand-up comedy in New York City's Catch A Rising Star, the South Carolina native moved to Crown Heights in Brooklyn shortly after his birth. From there, Chris' career began to blossom to the point where he laughed himself to success. Throughout his career, he has been fortunate enough to work with celebrities such as Wesley Snipes, Adam Sandler, Regina King, Anthony Hopkins, Bernie Mac, Mel Gibson, and Eddie Murphy, and is best known for his roles in movies such as New Jack City, The Longest Yard, and Grown Ups. Between sitcoms, stand-up comedy, and acting in a plethora of movies (some of which he wrote and directed), he was able to amass a net worth of $60 million.

A Not So Funny Start In Life

Born in 1965 to a working-class family, Chris Rock experienced a number of sad years in his life before he began making people laugh for a living. When he was 23-years old, his father, Julius Rock, died after having ulcer surgery. Then, some years later he lost an older half-brother, Charles Ledell Rock, to alcoholism. But perhaps the most troubling time for the comedian was his schooling.

Today, we know that Brooklyn is the home of many rappers, such as Biggie Smalls and Jay-Z, but at the time Chris and his family lived there, he attended schools in predominantly white neighborhoods, where he endured blatant displays of racism that came in the form of beatings and bullying from privileged white children. The treatment had such a profound effect on Chris that he eventually dropped out of high school, received his GED, and began working for multiple fast-food restaurants. However, the things he suffered only fueled him to turn his pain into laughter and become a success out of it.

Like many other comedians and actors, Chris didn't become famous overnight. In the 1980s, his stand-up comedy acts at various comedy clubs scouting for talent earned him a bit of recognition. This led to a few minor roles in movies such as I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, written and produced by Keenen Ivory Wayans, as well as Miami Vice, in which other upcoming celebrities were featured around the same time, like Bruce Willis. Chris's consistency with stand-up at the nightclubs finally paid off. Seeing his act and potential, Eddie Murphy thought to give Chris his first major break by offering him a role in Beverly Hills Cop 2 in 1987.

Saturday Night Live And Early Success In The Movies

After getting the breakthrough of a lifetime with one of stand-up comedy's original kings, Chris Rock was marked for success. At the start of 1990 and through to 1993, Chris became a cast member of the famous comedy sketches that made other comedians like Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler legends in their field - Saturday Night Live (SNL). It was during his time at SNL that he created a lifelong bond with other dynamic comedians Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Rob Schneider, and David Spade; a union which became known as the Bad Boys of SNL. They formed such as tight bond that they often starred together in films, such as in Grown Ups.

With his fame rising on SNL, it wasn't long before the vivacious comedian was offered another movie role in 1991's New Jack City, starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Allen Payne, and Mario Peebles. The film remained a classic drug kingpin movie and portrayed Chris as a crack addict-turned-informant, Pookie. Despite being praised years later for the legendary acting of its cast, New Jack City grossed $47.6 million worldwide.

The 1990s turned out to be a busy year for Chris as more movies landed in his lap showcasing him as the lead character. After New Jack City, he starred again with Eddie Murphy in Boomerang (1992). In 1993, after being let go from SNL, he co-wrote his own comedy film namedCB4 on a budget of $6 million, which then grossed roughly $18 million. Although Chris and the late Charlie Murphy starred in the film, there were also cameos by Ice-T, Ice Cube, Halle Berry, Thomas Davidson, and Shaquille O' Neal. Then he starred with his long-time comedy pal, Chris Farley, in Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), which grossed $31.5 million. By the following year, he hit the jackpot with his role as Detective Lee Butters in Lethal Weapon Four (1998) alongside Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Jet Li, and Joe Pesci, grossing over $285 million at the box office. His next movie in 1999 was a fantasy comedy named Dogma. Despite an iconic ensemble of actors such as Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Salma Hayek, and Jason Lee, the film $44 million against a $10 million budget.

Stand-Up Comedy Projects

In addition to movies, the comedy Bad Boy also made waves with his appearance on HBO comedy specials such as Big Ass Jokesin 1994 and Bring The Pain in 1996 for which he earned two Emmy awards, solidifying himself as one the comedy's greatest. He reprised his appearance on HBO in 1999 with Bigger and Blackerand Never Scarred in 2004, being dubbed the "funniest man in America" by Timeand Entertainment Weekly. HBO also featured The Chris Rock Show from 1997-2000, where Rock's fame skyrocketed as he interviewed politicians and celebrities. Fast forward to 2016 when Netflix announced that Rock would be releasing two new stand-up specials, each priced at $20 million per session. The first special hit on the Netflix screens in 2018, titled Chris Rock: Tambourine,marked his first stand-up concert in ten years.

RELATED: Chris Rock Gets $40 Million For 2 Netflix Comedy Specials

Continued Success In The 2000s

Chris Rock expanded his movie horizon even more in the 2000s and beyond with a list of career-building films beginning with Down To Earth (2001) which Rock wrote himself. The comedy grossed $71.2 million and featured actors such as John Cho, Eugene Levy, Wanda Sykes, and Regina King. Shortly after in 2003, he directed and starred in Head of State, which barely broke even against a $35 million budget. And again in 2007 with I Think I Love My Wife, which grossed $13.2 million at the box office and starred Kerry Washington, Gina Torres, and Steve Buscemi. He would also take on a lead role in Bad Company beside Anthony Hopkins in 2002, grossing $66 million worldwide. Around the same time, he was featured in The Longest Yard (2005) opposite his partner-in-comedy, Adam Sandler, and featured Tracy Morgan, Terry Crews, rapper Nelly, and former NFL player, Michael Irvin. The film grossed $191 million globally.

Also in 2005, Rock teamed up with Dreamworks Studios for the animated franchise, Madagascar, and was the voiceover for Marty the zebra. In total, all three Madagascar animations grossed $2.2 billion at the global box office, making it the sixth highest-grossing animated movie of all time.

Further movie milestones of Chris Rock include the 2010 black comedy, Death At A Funeral, Grown Ups (2010), What To Do When You're Expecting (2012) with Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez, and a 2014 comedy film, Top Five. Most recently, in 2021, Rock dabbled in the horror genre in the ninth installment of the Saw franchise, Spiral, where he had a leading role. The horror film grossed $40.6 million against a $20 million budget.

Real Estate Ventures

The volume of movie projects, both as an actor and as a writer/director, has been impressive, to say the least for Chris Rock. But apart from films, he has also enjoyed success as a television producer with Everybody Hates Chris,which began airing in 2005. Based largely on himself, the series made light of some of the hardships Rock faced while growing up, portraying his younger self as Tyler James Williams. Rock was not only the executive producer but also the narrator of the show. The series ended in 2009 and, according to Forbes, Chris Rock raked in $42 million that same year from the show's earnings.

Before selling the Brooklyn home he purchased in 1994 for $3.25 million in 2017, Rock rented out the property for $8000 per month before moving to Alpine, New Jersey with his ex-wife, Malaak Compton Rock.

All in all, Chris Rock has had one of the busiest and most satisfying careers of most celebrities. And, as of 2021, we can see that for him, it isn't over.

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Sources: Money, Celebrity Net Worth, NPR