Tony Rock Explained

Tony Rock
Image Upright:1.12
Birth Name:Anthony Rock
Birth Date:June 30, 1974
Birth Place:Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation:Actor, stand-up comedian
Years Active:1997–present
Relatives:Chris Rock (brother)

Anthony Rock (born June 30, 1974[1]) is an American actor and stand-up comedian, the younger brother of comedian Chris Rock. He is best known for playing Uncle Ryan on Everybody Hates Chris (2008–2009), and television producer Dirk Black on the UPN/The CW series All of Us (2003–2007). Rock also appeared in many films including What Goes Around Comes Around (2012) and Redemption of a Dog (2012).

Rock was a co-star on CBS's comedy Living Biblically, co-starring with Jay Ferguson, Lindsey Kraft, Camryn Manheim, and Sara Gilbert.

Biography

Rock was born in Brooklyn, New York.[2] The son of Rosalie (née Tingman)[3] and Julius Rock (d. 1988), he grew up on Decatur Street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of New York City.[3] He has six brothers and one sister.

In the early 2000s, Rock hosted a short-lived game show entitled Can You Tell? for the Oxygen network. He was also a correspondent for BattleBots on Comedy Central for the show's fifth season.

Rock has appeared on radio and television shows including The Howard Stern Show and The D'Angelo Show.[4] He performed in New York with Mark Curry and John Henton to highlight the Apollo Theater. He co-starred as Dirk Black on the UPN/The CW sitcom All of Us. Rock has often worked as a back-up to his brother Chris, and appeared on the latter's sitcom Everybody Hates Chris in the recurring role of the title character's uncle Ryan. Chris's fictitious brother Drew from the show is loosely based on Tony. Rock has hosted The Funny Spot on TV One.

Rock starred in his own sketch comedy TV series, The Tony Rock Project, which was broadcast on MyNetworkTV from 2008 to 2009.[5] On February 19, 2010, Comedy Central aired Tony Rock's feature on season 14 of Comedy Central Presents. His episode was the first original of the 2010 season.[6]

In 2012, Rock appeared in Think Like a Man, a feature film based on Steve Harvey's 2009 book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. In the same year Rock appeared in David E. Talbert's What Goes Around Comes Around and began hosting Apollo Live on BET.[7]

In 2022, he appeared on the Netflix baking competition Is It Cake? as a judge. In early April 2022, a video surfaced online of Rock performing a stand-up show while reacting to the Oscars incident where his brother Chris Rock was physically assaulted on stage by Will Smith after he had made comments on Smith's wife's bald appearance.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2006Homie SpumoniDana
2007Life SupportNessTV movie
Three Can Play That GameGizzard
2012Think Like a ManXavier
What Goes Around Comes AroundRickyVideo
C'mon ManJeff Woods
Redemption of a DogChris
2017The Cheaters ClubTerrence
Killing Hasselhoff Himself
2018Couples' NightRob

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2001The TestHimself/PanelistEpisode: "The Vanity Test"
2002Kings of Black ComedyHimselfEpisode: "Keeping It Real... Funny"
USO Comedy Tour HimselfEpisode: "Episode #1.105"
BattleBots Himself/CorrespondentMain Correspondent: Season 5
2003Showtime at the ApolloHimselfEpisode: "Nivea/Tony Rock/Jamie Simone Nash"
2003-04Can You Tell? Himself/HostMain Host
2003-07All of UsDirk BlackMain Cast
2006BET's Top 25 CountdownHimselfEpisode: "Moments in Black History"
2008The Funny Spot Himself/HostMain Host
2008-09Everybody Hates ChrisUncle RyanRecurring Cast: Season 3-4
The Tony Rock Project HimselfMain Cast
2009-19Laugh FactoryHimselfRecurring Guest
2010Comedy Central PresentsHimselfEpisode: "Tony Rock"
Supreme Court of Comedy HimselfEpisode: "Tony Rock vs. Harland Williams"
2011The Celibate Nympho Chronicles: The Web SeriesJasonEpisode: "100 Days with No D"
2012Russell Simmons Presents: The RuckusHimselfEpisode: "Dov Davidoff/Damn Fool/Tony Rock"
Don't Sleep! Hosted by T. J. Holmes Himself/PanelistEpisode: "Affirmative Action"
Big Morning Buzz LiveHimself/PanelistEpisode: "Flo Rida/Drew Lachey/Rick Springfield"
Apollo Live Himself/HostMain Host
Let's Stay TogetherLarryEpisode: "An Even More Indecent Proposal"
Single Ladies Bobby MornayEpisode: "Deuces"
2013Gotham Comedy LiveHimselfEpisode: "Tony Rock"
Walk This WayHimselfEpisode: "No Laughing Matter"
2014Mind of a ManHimself/PanelistRecurring Panelist
2015Red EyeHimself/PanelistEpisode: "August 20, 2015"
Reed Between the LinesJulius DarrenRecurring Cast: Season 2
2015-16Real Husbands of HollywoodHimselfGuest Cast: Season 4-5
2015-17Mann & WifeMichael HobbsMain Cast
2016HimselfEpisode: "Funny Business"
2017The Game of DatingHimself/HostMain Host
Apollo Night LAHimself/HostEpisode: "ANLA 184"
All Def ComedyHimself/HostMain Host
2018The RealHimself/Guest Co-HostEpisode: "Episode #4.116"
Black Card RevokedHimself/HostMain Host
Hip Hop SquaresHimself/PanelistEpisode: "Episode #5.7" & "#5.10"
This Week at the Comedy CellarHimselfEpisode: "November 25 - November 30, 2018"
Living BiblicallyVinceMain Cast
2019Beat Bobby FlayHimself/Celebrity JudgeEpisode: "Pump It Up"
Match Game Himself/Celebrity PanelistEpisode: "Episode #4.8"
The Cool KidsTony Episode: "Vegas, Baby!"
2019-20Lights Out with David SpadeHimself/PanelistRecurring Panelist
2020The Comedy StoreHimselfRecurring Guest
2022HimselfMain Guest
Is It Cake? Himself/JudgeEpisode: "Garage Mirage"

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mike Rose . cleveland com . 2024-06-30 . Famous birthdays list for today, June 30, 2024 includes celebrities Vincent D'Onofrio, Lizzy Caplan . 2024-07-07 . cleveland . en.
  2. Web site: Bio . Tony Rock official website. February 25, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160219095601/http://www.tonyrockcomedy.com/ . February 19, 2016 . live.
  3. News: Oppenheim. Gabe . Tony Rock, Standing Up To His Name. The Washington Post. August 9, 2008 . Rock, 34... . March 5, 2016. February 26, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305075835/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080803979.html . live.
  4. Web site: 2018-07-02. On This Day In Comedy... In 1974 Comedian And Actor Tony Rock Was Born!. 2021-04-16. The Humor Mill. en.
  5. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6567702.html MyNetworkTV Prepares to Rock Out
  6. [List of Comedy Central Presents episodes]
  7. Web site: Tony Rock. https://web.archive.org/web/20121201032121/http://www.bet.com/shows/apollo-live/cast/tony-rock.html. dead. December 1, 2012. BET. June 18, 2014.