Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
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 Shakur's Outlawz, Napoleon: Life of an Outlaw.
Early life
Epps was born Michael Elliot Epps at Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis, IN . 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 HBO's Def Comedy Jam broadcasts.
Career
Stand-Up Comedy
Epps began his professional career by joining the Def Comedy Jam tour in 1995 and starred in two of HBO's Def Comedy Jam broadcasts.
Movie career
Epps' first on screen appearance came in Vin Diesel's directorial debut, Strays in 1997.
In 1999, Epps was then cast as Ice Cube's co-star (effectively, Chris Tucker's 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 Cube's bounty hunter in All About the Benjamins, and again re-teamed with Cube in the continuing Friday saga's 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.
Music
Epps recently had a small part in the song A Bay Bay by Hurricane Chris, doing the Rick James move. He appeared in the music video "Gangsta Nation" by Westside Connection. He also hosted a Jim Jones and Skull Gang album entitled Jim Jones & Skull Gang Present A Tribute To Bad Santa Starring Mike Epps. Epps has also made a song called Trying To Be a Gangsta with Pooh Bear.
Epps also has a song called Big Girls, which came out in 2008. It was originally recorded by Bow Wow, and featuring Yung Joc. The song is currently on iTunes and can be found on his album, Funny Bidness - Da Album, which was released October 27, 2009. Epps also has featured in rapper French Montana's 'Mac Wit Da Cheese' mixtape which was released April 19, 2009.
Epps is also featured on the Dom Kennedy song "Intro/Hard Work" on his Best After Bobby mixtape.
Part of his standup in Under Rated & Never Faded was sampled for the song "I'm On Everything" by Eminem and Royce Da 5'9" as Bad Meets Evil on the EP Hell: The Sequel.
Super Bowl XLVI
Epps is serving as the "Super Bowl ambassador" in his native Indianapolis for the 2012 Super Bowl. He was featured in commercials promoting the Super Bowl Village and he made special appearances in the Village during the week of the Super Bowl.
Personal life
Epps married Michelle McCain in July 2006, they currently live in Beverly Hills, California. He met her while filming The Fighting Temptations (in which they appeared alongside Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Beyonce). McCain had a minor, non-speaking role in the movie as Epps' character's girlfriend. Epps has also dedicated his time and money to the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation for the Arts in Georgia.
Filmography
Television
The Sopranos (1999) .... JeromePimps Up, Ho's Down (1999)All About The Stunts (2002)106 & Park (1 episode, 2005)Letter to The President (2005)Def Comedy Jam (5 episodes, 1995–2006)Inapporiate Behavior (2006)The Unsuccessful Thug (2006)The Boondocks (2006) .... Moe "Mo Gunz" JacksonBET Hip Hop Awards (2009–present) .... Himself/HostThe game
