David Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle (/ʃəˈpɛl/; b. August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. With his incisive observations, he has been described as "poetically unfiltered and socio-politically introspective, with an ability to illuminate and interrogate agonizing and poignant topics." Chappelle is the recipient of numerous accolades, including four Emmy Awards and three Grammy Awards as well as the Mark Twain Prize. He is known for his satirical comedy sketch series Chappelle's Show (2003–2006). The series, co-written with Neal Brennan, ran until Chappelle quit the show in the middle of production of the third season. After leaving the show, Chappelle returned to performing stand-up comedy across the U.S. By 2006, Chappelle was called the "comic genius of America" by Esquire and, in 2013, "the best" by a Billboard writer. In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked him No. 9 in their "50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time."
Chappelle has appeared in several films, including Mel Brooks's Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), The Nutty Professor (1996), Con Air (1997), You've Got Mail (1998), Blue Streak (1999), Undercover Brother (2002), Chi-Raq (2015), and A Star Is Born (2018). His first lead role was in the 1998 comedy film Half Baked, which he co-wrote with Neal Brennan. Chappelle also starred in the ABC comedy series Buddies (1996).
In 2016, he signed a $20 million-per-release comedy-special deal with Netflix and, as of 2019, he has released five standup specials under the deal.
That same year, he hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time for it's the first post-election show following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, on November 12, 2016, the sixth episode of Saturday Night Live's 42nd season, with musical guests A Tribe Called Quest, a hip hop group.
Chappelle received his first Emmy Award in 2017 for his guest appearance on SNL. In 2018, he received a Grammy Award for his Netflix-produced comedy album The Age of Spin and Deep in the Heart of Texas. Equanimity, another Netflix special, was nominated in 2018 for three Emmys and received the award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded). In 2019, Chappelle was selected to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which is presented by the Kennedy Center as America's highest comedy honor. In 2020, Sticks & Stones earned Chappelle his third consecutive Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.
He returned to Saturday Night Live to hosting for the 2d time on November 7, 2020, the sixth episode of Saturday Night Live's 46th season, following the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, the second time he's hosted the second post-election episode, with musical guests Foo Fighters, the legendary rock band.
On October 5, 2021, Chappelle starred in his sixth and final Netflix special The Closer. In The Closer, Chappelle made jokes about gay and transgender people, particularly transgender women, that some called transphobic. Simultaneously, Chappelle argued that he was not anti-transgender, bringing up his opposition to North Carolina's anti-transgender bathroom laws and his friendship with late Daphne Dorman. The special was met with backlash, including from students of Chappelle's alma mater Duke Ellington School, because of what some called "transphobic jokes." within his standup. This included a portion where he identified himself as a TERF. On October 20, Netflix employees organized a walkout demonstrating their support of the transgender community, claiming Chappelle's set is an example of the rhetoric that leads to transgender inequality and violence against transgender people. The protestors demanded that The Closer be taken off of Netflix. CEO Ted Sarandos acknowledged that "storytelling has real impact in the real world" but denied taking down the special, as he stated he "does not believe it falls into hate speech."
In November 2021, Saturday Night Live Lampoon the controversy during its Weekend Update segment, stating, "A Washington D.C. art school is postponing renaming its theater after alumni Dave Chappelle's Netflix controversy. Well, of course, because God forbid, you should name a building after someone problematic in Washington D.C." In summer of 2022, Chappelle announced that he would not give his name to the Duke Ellington School theater, instead insisting it should be named the Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression.
The upcoming documentary Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert will be released about Chappelle's concerts in Yellow Springs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in June 2021, followed by a series of roadshow events in the United States and Canada and a limited theatrical release on November 19, 2021. In the early hours of May 4, 2022, Chappelle was performing at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, as part of the Netflix is a Joke Fest, where he was tackled onstage by a member of the audience, who was swiftly subdued by security. The attacker was later found to have been armed with a replica handgun containing a knife blade. Chappelle's 4-night stint at the Hollywood Bowl ties him with Monty Python for the most headlined shows by a comedian at the venue.
In July 2022, Chappelle's upcoming performance at the First Avenue in Minneapolis was canceled following transgender rights protests outside of the venue. In response, the show was moved to the Varsity Theatre.
He returned to Saturday Night Live again to hosting for the third time on November 12, 2022, the sixth episode and the third post-election episode of 48th season of Saturday Night Live, following the 2022 U.S. Midterm Elections, making the third time he's hosted the post-election show, with musical guests Black Star, a hip-hop duo.
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