ONE-MAN SKETCH TROUPE / AGE: 32
Digital Journal — Dave Chappelle went from the funniest man on television to the biggest name walking away from television to the most serious comedian ever to critique television. He did everything no one expected of him: turned his Chappelle’s Show (a wickedly crass sketch comedy) into the hottest show on air, its DVDs selling more than six million copies. He then walked away from Comedy Central’s $50 million (US) contract when fame’s pressure started to strangle him. On his comeback talk-show tour, he told Oprah “when you’re a guy that generates money, people have a vested interest in controlling you.”
But no one can control Dave. He’s too fierce, too opinionated. Here’s Chappelle speaking his mind in an Esquire interview: “The bottom line was, white people own everything, and where can a black person go and be himself or say something that’s familiar to him and not have to explain or apologize?” He went on to explain that he’s not fighting fame but trying to avoid corruption.
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And here’s what he said on Inside the Actor’s Studio in response to theories he suffered a massive wig-out when he bolted to Africa: “The worst thing to call somebody is crazy. It’s dismissive… These people are strong people. Maybe the environment is a little sick.”
On the same show that celebrates Hollywood, Chappelle slammed its self-righteous beliefs. Unafraid to bite the hand that feeds him, this humble comedian tells it like it is in an industry fraught with pretension.
The celeb, who cut his chops on films like 1998’s Half Baked, prefers to live on an Ohio farm with his wife and kids rather than languish in a mansion. He also put his own money (close to $1 million) into the live-action hip-hop documentary Dave Chappelle’s Block Party. Behind the scenes, he’s the anti-celebrity every frat boy would love to hang with. On the set, though, Chappelle is a dedicated professional who breathes new life into controversial comedy. If you feel uncomfortable watching Chappelle’s Show, Dave’s done his job.
Case in point: In a skit where Chappelle is playing video games with a dying kid in a hospital, the comedian says: “Tell your little friends that dreams really do come true.” Dramatic pause. “Dave Chappelle came and saw you in the hospital and whooped your monkey ass at some Street Hoops!”
The King of Crude Comedy lives on through his popular DVDs, since he’s performing stand-up in select cities. But Chappelle isn’t the type to quit acting. He’ll just do it whenever he wants, however he wants. He could even pull a Jim Carrey and get all dramatic on our asses. That’s part of Chappelle’s appeal — he’s unpredictable.
For a quick peek into his subconscious, read between the lines of a sketch due to feature in the third season of Chappelle’s Show. This is Dave before he quit, looking comfortably wild playing a wealthy celebrity in a spoof of MTV’s Cribs. Draped in bling, Chappelle cooks an omelette using four-million-year-old dinosaur eggs. He sprinkles his meal with diamonds instead of salt, grinning maniacally the whole time.
This is classic Chappelle, with an important footnote: As attractive as fame can be, it can turn men into monsters, and comedians into caricatures.
DAVE’S BITS
The Chappelle’s Show DVDs have outsold every other TV show DVD
His first film role was Achoo in Robin Hood: Men in Tights. He later acted in The Nutty Professor, You’ve Got Mail, Half Baked and Undercover Brother
On July 9, Comedy Central will air several episodes from the incomplete third season of Chappelle’s Show
This article is part of Digital Journal’s national magazine edition. Pick up your copy of Digital Journal in bookstores across Canada and the United States or buy the electronic version here.
