Dave Chappelle

The stand-up comedian and star of Comedy Central's 'Chappelle's Show' ranked by Rolling Stone as the ninth in their '50 Best Standup Comedians of All Time' in 2017.

Comedian

August 24, 1973

Virgo

51

Dave Chappelle is a highly-acclaimed American comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his comedic wit, satirical commentary on social and political issues, and his sketch comedy show, “Chappelle’s Show”. Additionally, he has starred in several successful movies, including “The Nutty Professor” and “Half Baked”. Chappelle has won multiple Emmy, Grammy, and Screen Actors Guild awards for his work, making him one of the most successful and respected comedians of his generation. Other notable works of his include “Block Party”, “For What It’s Worth”, and “Sticks & Stones”.

Dave Chappelle’s name was given to him by his father, William David Chappelle III. His father was a professor of music and he named Dave after the artist Michelangelo’s given name, which was also Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni.

One lesser-known fact about Dave Chappelle is that he converted to Islam in 1998. He has talked about his faith in several interviews and has even incorporated it into some of his stand-up comedy. Chappelle has stated that his conversion was partly inspired by his interactions with Muslim inmates while visiting prisons as part of a program with other comedians.