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David Chappelle answered the call of comedy at a very early age. Chappelle began his career in his native Washington, D.C. at the age of fourteen. Aa a minor, Chappelle's mother, an ordained Unitarian minister, often accompanied him to gigs. Now at thirty-three, he no longer needs a chaperone. Today, Dave's gift of laughter extends well beyond the stand-up circuit. His movie credits alone include over twenty major film major film roles.

His latest film, "Block Party" appeared in theaters March 6, 2006. "Block Party" spotlights Dave Chappelle in all-new freestyle standup material, and also one-time-only performances by Kanye West, Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Dead Prez, Jill Scott and The Roots, among others. The unprecedented combination of comedy and music was shot on location as Mr. Chappelle threw a party in downtown Brooklyn.

Like future co-stars Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy and Norm MacDonald, Dave Chappelle entered the movie business via standup comedy. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Chappelle studied acting at D.C.'s Duke Ellington School of the Arts and honed his skills as a laid back yet socially attuned comic in the city's clubs.

After making his movie debut as one of the merry men in Mel Brooks' "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" (1993), Chappelle concentrated primarily on his comedy career and appeared regularly on late night and cable television.

He returned to films with small yet key parts in two summer blockbusters as a comic who helps spoil a date for Murphy's rotund scientist in "The Nutty Professor" (1996) and a manic inmate aboard the hijacked convict plane in "Con Air" (1997). In 1998, Chappelle revealed that he could also play it (somewhat) straight as Tom Hanks best friend in Nora Ephron's popular romantic comedy "You've Got Mail".

Maintaining his dual professions, Chappelle turned a cameo role as Lawrence's former criminal partner into a full-fledged supporting turn in "Blue Streak", (1999), co-starred with MacDonald in the ill-received "Screwed" (2000) and returned to Washington, D.C. and HBO with his special "Dave Chapelle: Killin' Them Softly" (2000).

Chappelle had better luck with his next film, the blaxploitation spoof "Undercover Brother", (2002). "Undercover Brother" became a small hit amid the summer blockbusters. His cutting humor could also be heard on TV that same season, with Chappelle lending his voice as a prank caller to Comedy Central's ribald puppet "reality" show "Crank" and the following year Comedy Central gave the comedian his own series - the aptly titled "Chappelle's Show". Perhaps one of the most controversial series - comedy or otherwise - to hit the airwaves in recent memory, "Chappelle's Show" offered searing social commentary. In May 2005, Chapelle left the show to spend some time in South Africa at a "spiritual retreat". Since returning from Africa, Dave has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show and has recently been featured in Esquire Magazine.

Chappelle has gained valuable experience and lasting memories performing in prestigious venues with such entertainment legends as Aretha Franklin at Radio City Music Hall, Richard Pryor at Symphony Hall and with Whoopi Golderg at the Lincoln Center. But it was famed New York street comedian Charlie Barnett who helped tutor Chappelle as a performer and taught him that all great comedians must have a definitive point of view. Time-Out New York ascribes that "what is really arresting about comedian (Chappelle) is that he seems to possess that rare balance of depth and delivery, which makes a Pryor or a Carlin", adding , "His Jokes, all of them unapologetically about race, are painfully insightful. This natural affability allows him to sneak up from behind with the sharp stuff.

Chappelle currently lives in Ohio with his wife and child.

In partnership with The Gersh Agency.

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