Happy Birthday, Mike Epps! Michael Elliot Mike Epps (born November 18, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, film producer, writer and rapper. He is best known for playing Day-Day Jones in Next Friday and the sequel-to-the-sequel, Friday After Next, and also appearing in The Hangover, as Black Doug. He was the voice of Boog in Open Season 2 (the sequel to Open Season), but was replaced by Matthew J. Munn in Open Season 3. As of 2010, Epps was the executive producer on a documentary about the life story of a former member of Tupac Shakurs Outlawz, Napoleon: Life of an Outlaw. He is also known for playing L.J. in Resident Evil: Apocalypse and Resident Evil: Extinction in 2004 and 2007 respectively. Epps was born at Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, the son of Mary Reed and Tommy Epps. Epps natural comedic ability was encouraged at an early age, and he began performing stand-up as a teenager. Epps moved to Atlanta where he worked at the Comedy Act Theater, before moving to Brooklyn to star in Def Comedy Jam in 1995. Epps ended up on the Def Comedy Jam tour and starred in two of HBOs Def Comedy Jam broadcasts. Epps began his professional career by joining the Def Comedy Jam tour in 1995 and starred in two of HBOs Def Comedy Jam broadcasts. Epps first on-screen appearance came in Vin Diesels directorial debut, Strays in 1997. In 1999, Epps was then cast as Ice Cubes co-star (effectively, Chris Tuckers replacement) in the sequel, Next Friday. This came after weeks of auditions after Ice Cube attended a stand-up set Epps did, and then asked Epps to try out for the part of Day-Day Jones. His role as Day-Day Jones was a breakthrough for the new actor, who was already familiar to much of the audience from his stand-up work. Later that year, Epps had a cameo in 3 Strikes, and supported Jamie Foxx in Bait. Epps had a voice role in the 2001 movie Dr. Dolittle 2 as Sonny, and finished the year with a featured role as comical pimp Baby Powder in How High, starring Method Man and Redman. Epps reunited with Ice Cube in 2002 as the bumbling thief to Ice Cubes bounty hunter in All About the Benjamins, and again re-teamed with Cube in the continuing Friday sagas latest entry Friday After Next. Epps also got to voice another bear character (Boog) in the 2008 film Open Season 2 after Martin Lawrence declined the role. In 2010, Epps also released a stand-up comedy special, Under Rated & Never Faded, and hosted the 2010 BET Hip Hop Awards. Epps name has become synonymous with a particular style of humor, through his appearance with several other African-American artists in the same genre. Aside from featuring Cube, the common thread of these films was the hilarious prominence of marijuana-smoking comic characters, like the ones portrayed by Epps. Epps most recently starred alongside Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston in the 2012 remake of Sparkle, in his first non-comedic role as the main antagonist, Satin. A stand-up comic by day, an evil and abusive drug kingpin by night in engaged in an affair with the titular characters sister. Epps performance was well received by critics and audiences. Epps is currently working on a baseball-themed movie, entitled Bad Behavior, alongside teen quartet Mindless Behavior, in which he plays their coach, André Parker. On August 26, 2014, it was announced that Epps landed the coveted role of Richard Pryor in the upcoming biopic directed by Lee Daniels, despite Nick Cannon very publicly campaigning for the role and Pryors family stating that Marlon Wayans or Terrence Howard should get the role. Epps will star alongside Oprah Winfrey, who will play Pryors abusive grandmother Marie Carter. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Epps
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 15:39:44 +0000
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