With a net worth of $60 million, Chris Rock is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and director. Unfortunately, he lost tens of millions of dollars (reportedly as much as $40 million) in a divorce settlement with his wife of 20 years, Malaak Compton, reducing his net worth significantly. After 20 years of marriage, in 2016, the couple decided to separate.
Chris’s initial fame came from his appearances on “Saturday Night Live” in the early 1990s, but he has since earned acclaim for his acting in a number of critically acclaimed films, including “The Longest Yard” (2005), the “Madagascar” film series (2005-2012), and “Grown Ups” (2010). ‘Everybody Hates Chris,’ a semi-autobiographical sitcom he created and produced, ran for 88 episodes from 2005 to 2009. According to a poll conducted by Comedy Central, he is the sixth best stand-up comedian of all time.
Chris Rock Earnings
Chris, while on tour, is always one of the highest-paid comedians in the world. Chris Rock, for instance, made around $60 million between June 2016 and June 2017. Chris’s $30 million salary was collected between June 2017 and June 2018.
Early Life and Career
Christopher Julius Rock was born in Andrews, South Carolina on February 7, 1965. Rock and his parents moved shortly after to Brooklyn, New York, finally settling in Bedford-Stuyvesant after a second migration. While growing up in Brooklyn, he was subjected to bullying and harassment by white classmates at schools located in predominantly white areas since he was forced to take the bus there. He eventually had to drop out of high school because of the bullying and instead obtained a job at a fast food joint to pay for his GED.
In 1984, Rock performed his first stand-up routine at the New York City club Catch a Rising Star. His performances earned him small but steady appearances, including one on the TV series Miami Vice. During this time, Eddie Murphy discovered a young Chris Rock playing at a nightclub and quickly became his buddy, offering him advice and eventually casting him in the film Beverly Hills Cop II (1987).
Chris Rock Saturday Night Live and Comedy Success
During the 1990s, Rock became a regular on SNL’s cast. They quickly became known as the “Bad Boys of SNL,” along with fellow new cast members Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, and David Spade. Born Suspect, his debut comedy album, came out in 1991. The next year, for his role as an addict in “New Jack City,” he won an award.
Rock quit SNL after two years and began making appearances on its prime time counterpart, “In Living Color,” which featured primarily African-American cast members. Six episodes were filmed with him in it, but the show was cancelled a month after he joined. Shortly after, Rock starred in and created the comedy “CB4”, which grossed $18 million on a $6 million budget.
Rock premiered his first HBO special, “Big Ass Jokes”, in 1994, but it was the 1996 follow-up “Bring the Pain” that garnered him two Emmy Awards and a reputation as one of the top comedians in America. While serving as a commentator on “Politically Incorrect” on Comedy Central during the 1996 United States Presidential Elections, he rose to even greater prominence and was nominated for an Emmy Award for his efforts.
Time and Entertainment Weekly hailed him as “the funniest man in America” after seeing his HBO comedy specials “Bigger & Blacker” (1999) and “Never Scared” (2004). He also had a discussion programme on HBO called “The Chris Rock Show,” for which he won an Emmy for writing. Other award-winning ventures of his from this time period include the comedy albums “Roll with the New”, “Bigger & Blacker” and “Never Scared”, which all earned Grammy Awards. In September of 2008, HBO aired Rock’s sixth special, “Kill the Messenger,” for which Rock received an Emmy Award for best writing for a variety or music show.
Chris Rock Netflix Special Payday
Even in the new decade, comedy specials from Rock were a hit. Rock reportedly received $40 million ($20 million each special) from Netflix for his two new stand-up specials, which were confirmed for release on October 30, 2016. ‘Chris Rock: Tamborine,’ his first concert special in ten years, premiered on February 14, 2018.
Chris Rock Film Career
Rock’s success as a comedian helped him land starring roles in films like “Down to Earth” (2001), “Bad Company” (2002), “The Longest Yard” (2005), “Death at a Funeral” (2010), “Grown Ups” (2010), and “2 Days in New York” (2012). Furthermore, in three instalments of the “Madagascar” animated film series, he lent his voice to the zebra character of Marty.
In addition to his work as an actor, Rock has also directed and written for films. He has acted in, directed, and written several successful films, including 2003’s “Head of State,” 2007’s “I Think I Love My Wife,” and 2012’s “Top Five” (2014). In 2009, he published “Good Hair,” a documentary examining the cultural construction of African American women’s hair.
Chris Rock Other Projects and Ventures
Rock has worked in television production in addition to his filmwriting and directing. When UPN premiered its comedy series “Everybody Hates Chris” in 2005, he was the show’s executive producer and narrator. The show’s last season aired in 2009 after moving to The CW. The show, which was heavily inspired by Rock’s own adolescence, garnered nominations for several prestigious awards in 2006, including the Golden Globe for Best TV Series (Musical or Comedy),
the People’s Choice Award for Favorite New Television Comedy, and two Emmys for costuming and cinematography. The series “Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell” was also produced by Rock (2012). Rock hosted both the 77th Academy Awards in 2005 and the 88th Academy Awards in 2016, drawing on his extensive background in stand-up comedy. In August of 2019, Rock, who is supposedly “a passionate cannabis consumer,” made an investment in Lowell Herb Co., a California cannabis company.
Ego Death World Tour 2022 all new material introspective very personal and very funny . Can’t wait to show you. The link for tickets is in my bio. pic.twitter.com/YEfF2ybnWZ
— Chris Rock (@chrisrock) February 22, 2022
Chris Rock Personal Life
On November 23 of 1996, Rock wed Malaak Compton-Rock, and the couple settled in New Jersey with their two kids (born in 2002 and 2004). Rock filed for divorce in December 2014, admitting to extramarital affairs and a pornographic addiction. In 2016, they completed their separation. An estimated $40 million in cash and property had to be given to Chris’s ex-wife.
Chris Rock Real Estate
Chris bought a house in Brooklyn, New York in 1994 while he was working at SNL. After two years, he and his new wife Malaak decided to make the move to the suburbs. Until 2017, when he listed it for sale at $3.25 million, he charged renters in Brooklyn $8,000 a month for the house. Malaak stayed in the family’s 13,000 square foot mansion in Alpine, New Jersey after they divorced. They had purchased the home in 2001 for $3 million.