Dave Chappelle is an actor and stand up comedian. He is known for his comedy sketch series Chappelle’s Show from 2003 to 2006. Further, after a hiatus, he returned to perform standup comedy across the U.S., and by 2006, Dave was called the “comic genius of America” by Esquire. In addition, he became “the best” by a Billboard writer (2013), and in 2017, Rolling Stone ranked him 9th in their “50 Best Standup Comics of All Time”.
Dave has appeared in numerous films, including Robin Hood: Men in Tights, The Nutty Professor, Con Air, You’ve Got Mail, Blue Streak, Undercover Brother, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, Chi-Raq, and A Star Is Born. His first lead role was in Half Baked (1998), a comedy film that he co-wrote. Further, he also starred in Buddies (1996), the ABC comedy series. In 2016, Dave signed a comedy-special deal with Netflix worth $20-million-per-release, and in total, there are six standup specials under the deal.
Dave has received several accolades, which include 6 Emmy Awards and 3 Grammy Awards, along with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. In 2017, he received his 1st Emmy for his guest appearance on Saturday Night Live. Further, in 2018, Dave received a Grammy Award for The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas, his Netflix-produced comedy album. The same year, another Netflix special, Equanimity, featuring Dave, was nominated for 3 Emmys and received the Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) award. In 2019, he earned the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, America’s highest comedy honor, presented by the Kennedy Center. In 2020, Sticks & Stones earned him his 3rd consecutive Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.
Comedian Dave Chappelle appeared On Weekends’ SNL
On weekend’s Saturday Night Live (SNL), Comedian Dave Chappelle appeared and spoofed the recently-released drama series House of the Dragon’. He also commented on the popular series ‘Game of Thrones by saying that he was the ‘biggest’ fan and loved its makers for including Black characters in the show.
Although the controversial comedian Dave joked about the Black characters who appeared in ‘House of the Dragon,’ he also said that Lorne Michaels, the executive producer, has secured a preview of the show’s 2nd season.
Interestingly, the SNL show of the HBO series was filled with references and characters to Dave’s Show titled “the Noughties sketch show of Chappelle.” The show also included Donnell Rawlings, an original cast member. In addition, Kenan Thompson was displayed as Lord Corlys Velaryon, who introduced ‘new allies’ like Ice-T as Larry Targaryen.
Dave has also been in controversies because of his talks.
Dave Chappelle Early Life:
| Full Real Name | David Khari Webber Chappelle |
| Family Name | Chappelle |
| Profession | Stand-up comedian and actor |
| Date Of Birth | August 24th, 1973 |
| Age | 49 years old |
| Birthday | August 24th |
| Year Of Birth | 1973 |
| Nick Name | Dave |
| Current Residence | Yellow Springs, Ohio |
| Country | USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Religion | Islam |
Dave was born on 24th August 1973 in Washington, D.C. He was raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. In May 2005, Dave told Time magazine that in 1991, he converted to Islam. He has often seen videos explaining the history of the Well of Zamzam in Mecca.
Dave’s parents were active people in politics, and their family house visitors included Johnny Hartman and Pete Seeger. Once Johnny predicted that Dave would be a comedian. He started taking comic inspiration from Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy during this time. After his parent’s separation, Dave lived in Washington with his mother and used to spend his summers with his father in Ohio.
Once Dave mentioned in his interview with Inside the Actors Studio that his biggest influences in comedy are Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Mort Sahl, Paul Mooney, Mel Blanc, and Chris Rock.
Dave Chappelle Family Background:
| Father | William David Chappelle III |
| Mother | Yvonne Seon |
| Brothers | William S. Chappelle |
| Sisters | Felicia Chappelle Jones |
Dave’s father was William David Chappelle III, and his mother was Yvonne Seon. William was a professor and the dean at Antioch College (Yellow Springs, Ohio). Further, Yvonne worked for Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba (a Unitarian Universalist minister). She was also a professor and university administrator at several institutions like Prince George’s Community College and Wright State University. Dave has a stepmother and two siblings named William S. Chappelle (brother) and Felicia Chappelle Jones (sister).
Dave’s great-grandfather Bishop William D. Chappelle, served as the president of Allen University.
Dave Chappelle Education:
| Highest Qualification | Graduation |
| College | Washington’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts |
| High School | Woodlin Elementary School and Eastern High School |
Dave attended Woodlin Elementary School and later attended Eastern High School for a short duration before being transferred to Duke Ellington School of the Arts. In 1991, he graduated from the art school, majoring in theater arts.
Dave Chappelle Physical stats:
| Weight In Kg | 80Kg |
| Height In Feet | 5’11” |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Dark brown |
Dave stands 5’11” tall and weighs around 80kg. His eyes are dark brown, and his distinctive features are bald. Though Dave will be entering his 50s next year, due to his strength training and workouts, is have been able to keep his body healthy and fit.
Dave Chappelle Birth Signs:
| Sun Sign | Virgo |
| Star Sign | Virgo |
| Birth Sign Duality | Passive |
| Birth Sign Modality | Mutable |
Dave is now 49 years old, and according to his birth date, he comes under the zodiac sign, Virgo. People born under Virgo always pay attention to the tiniest details, and their deep sense of humanity makes them the most careful zodiac sign. They are self-effacing, diligent, humble, and practical. Further, they have a systematic approach and are quick thinkers, yet they, at times, use their mental energy to the extent that Virgo frequently is under stress and tension.
Dave Chappelle Net worth:
| Net Worth | $65 million |
Dave is a comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer with an estimated net worth of $65 million. Over the years, he has appeared in several T.V. shows, but his Netflix standup specials add a large amount to his networth.
Dave currently lives on a 65-acre farm near Yellow Springs, Ohio, and he also owns many houses in Xenia, Ohio.
Dave Chappelle Relationship Status:
| Spouse Name | Elaine Mendoza Erfe |
| Sons | Sulayman and Ibrahim |
| Daughters | Sanaa |
| Marital Status | married |
Dave has been married to Elaine Mendoza Erfe since 2001. The couple has 3 children, including two sons named Sulayman and Ibrahim, and a daughter, Sanaa.
Dave Chappelle Career:
On 13th September 1990, Dave was featured in the 1st episode of ABC’s America’s Funniest People. He then moved to New York City to make his career as a comedian. Dave performed in front of the “Amateur Night” audience at Harlem’s Apollo Theater but was booed off the stage. This experience gave him the courage to continue his show aspirations, and he quickly became famous on the New York comedy circuit. He performed in the city’s parks, weekend standup gigs, and Monday night “open mic” performances, including places like the Boston Comedy Club (West 3rd Street). In 1992, Dave was praised and became popular for his television cast in Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam (HBO).
Further, he became a regular guest on late-night television shows like Late Show with David Letterman, Politically Incorrect, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and The Howard Stern Show. When Dave was 19, he made his film debut in Mel Brooks’Robin Hood: Men in Tights as “Ahchoo” and also appeared on Star Search 3 times. In 1994, Dave played a supporting role in Doug Liman’s film, Getting In, and in 1997, he duplicated the film Bowl of Pork. During the same time, he was the opening act for Aretha Franklin, an R&B soul singer.
Further, in 1995, Dave made a guest appearance on ABC’s popular sitcom Home Improvement in an episode. In 1996, he appeared as a standup insult comic in the comedy The Nutty Professor starring Eddie Murphy. In 1997 he had a minor role in Con Air.
In early 1998, Dave did a standup performance for HBO Comedy Half-Hour, and in the same year, he appeared in an episode of The Larry Sanders Show’s 6th season, “Pilots and Pens Lost.” Further, Dave and Neal Brennan co-wrote the cult stoner film Half Baked. Dave’s first starring role made money at the box office and was a classic “stoner” film. Later in December, he appeared as Tom Hanks’ character’s friend in You’ve Got Mail. The following year Dave appeared in the film Blue Streak by Martin Lawrence.
In 2000, Dave recorded his first television film, an HBO special, Dave Chappelle: Killin’ Them Softly. The same year, he also starred alongside Norm Macdonald in the comedy film Screwed and followed this with an appearance in the film Undercover Brother as “Conspiracy Brother.”
In 2003, Dave debuted his weekly sketch comedy show on Chappelle’s Show. The show parodied several aspects of American culture, including politics, racial stereotypes, and pop culture. The show featured mostly hip-hop and soul artists’ comedy sketches and musical performances. Dave promoted the work of other black comedians, including Charlie Murphy and Paul Mooney.
Following his show’s popularity, Viacom offered Dave a $55 million contract ( also giving him a share of DVD sales) to continue production of his Show for 2 more years and allowed him to do side projects.
In June 2004, Dave recorded his 2nd comedy special, airing on Showtime, titled Dave Chappelle: For What It’s Worth at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium.
Season 3 was scheduled to air on 31st May 2005. Still, Dave surprised everyone earlier in May when he abruptly left for a trip to South Africa during production. He later said that he was unhappy with the show’s direction.
Further, Dave was the producer and star of the Michel Gondry-directed documentary film Dave Chappelle’s Block Party. From February to March, he toured several cities in 2006 to promote the film “Block Party All-Stars Featuring Dave Chappelle.” On 3rd March 2006, this film was released under Universal Pictures’ genre division, Rogue Pictures, and it was a success, costing $11.7 million on a $3 million budget.
In June 2005, Dave performed standup shows in Los Angeles. On 11th May 2006, he made a surprise appearance at the Tigerfest celebration, Towson University’s annual function. Dave also made another appearance on HBO’s Def Poetry and performed 2 poems.
On 18th December 2005, Dave was interviewed for Inside the Actors Studio at Pace University’s Michael Schimmel Center. This show premiered on 12th February 2006, and four days earlier, at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, he introduced the musical tribute to Sly Stone.
On 9th July 2006, the 1st episode of Chappelle’s Show: The Lost Episodes was aired by Comedy Central.
In April 2007, Dave at the Laugh Factory comedy club set a standup endurance record, beating Dane Cook’s fellow comedian’s record of 3 hours and 50 minutes. The same year in December, Dave broke his record for 6 hours and 12 minutes. Later, in January 2008, Dane reclaimed the record with a time of 7 hours.
Further, in celebration of the Inside the Actors Studio show’s 200th episode, Dave again appeared and the episode aired on 11th November 2008. Later, for its 250th episode, he appeared again in 2013.
In February 2009, Dave did a 4 hour set at Comic Strip Live (New York).
In August 2011, he appeared at Comedy Jam (San Francisco).
In August 2013, Dave returned as a headliner to full-time touring standup when he appeared during the Oddball Comedy and Curiosity festival. He co-headlined with the comedy act Flight of the Conchords. In August 2014, he returned to Hartford at the 2014 Oddball Festival and gave a surprise appearance; he also received standing ovations during his set.
In June 2014, Dave made his 1st major New York City appearance in 11 years, performing 10 nights at Radio City Music Hall. He promoted the dates by appearing on The Tonight Show, Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and Late Show with David Letterman.
The following year, he appeared in Chi-Raq, his 1st film role in 13 years.
On 12th November 2016, Dave made his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live, the weekend Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election. Further, for his appearance, Dave received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards. He donated the award to his high school while filming one episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, a Jerry Seinfeld Netflix series.
On 21st November 2016, Netflix announced that they would release 3 new standup comedy specials from Dave in 2017. The first 2 specials were released on Netflix on 21st March 2017 and hail directly from Chappelle’s comedy vault. In April 2015, “Deep in the Heart of Texas” (filmed at Austin City Limits Live), and in March 2016, “The Age of Spin” (filmed at the Hollywood Palladium). The special was an immediate success.
The 3rd special, Equanimity, (was filmed at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C.) in September 2017. Then on 20th November 2017, Dave filmed a 4th special, The Bird Revelation, in Los Angeles at The Comedy Store.
In October 2018, Dave returned to the big screen in Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut, A Star Is Born, as “Noodles,” Jackson Maine’s best friend and a retired musician. The film was a commercial success. The same year Dave and Jon Stewart joined a duo comedy tour in the U.S. and U.K. He also collaborated with Aziz Ansari for 3 standup shows in Texas and Austin. In February 2019, Dave won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for Bird Revelation and Equanimity.
On 27th October 2019, the Prize was given at the Kennedy Center gala, and the ceremony was broadcast on PBS on 7th January 2020. The Mayor of the District of Columbia, Muriel Bowser, declared “Dave Chappelle Day” the day of the award ceremony in Washington, D.C.
On 26th August 2019, Dave’s 5th Netflix special, Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones, was released, and in 2020, the special won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.
During the COVID-19 time, Netflix released 8:46, a 27-minute and 20-second video of a newly recorded standup by Dave on the YouTube channel titled”Netflix Is a Joke.” This video was recorded at a private outdoor event in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Further, expanding on the concept of online and socially distanced comedy presentation, it began with duel performances in late June 2020 and was officially known as “Chappelle Summer Camp.” Later in July, after several shows, some issues about noise and disturbances arose from neighbors’ complaints. The local zoning officials granted special permission to perform. Then on 25th September 2020, The Chappelle Summer Camp series of shows ended suddenly, and all further performances were canceled.
Further, it was announced that Dave would host again on Saturday Night Live during the 2020 United States presidential election.
On 5th October 2021, Dave starred in his 6th and final Netflix special, The Closer.
The documentary Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life, directed by Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, had a limited theatrical release on 19th November 2021, and the film was initially premiered in June 2021 at Tribeca Film Festival.
On 4th May 2022, Dave performed at the Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles, California) as part of the Netflix is a Joke Fest.
On 12th November 2022, he hosted Saturday Night Live for the 3rd time.
Dave Chappelle social Appearance:
Dave has accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter with around 2.9M, 94K, and 1M followers. Further on his YouTube channel, he has around 1.83K subscribers. He usually posts his upcoming projects pictures. Dave is not so active on any of his social media accounts.
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