Monday, June 13, 2011

Who is Michael Elliot Epps?

Who is Michael Elliot Epps? The entertainment and comedy world knows Mike Epps as an American stand-up comedian, actor, film producer, writer, singer, musician, and rapper, best known for playing Day-Day Jones in Next Friday and the sequel-to-the-sequel, Friday After Next, and also starring alongside Ice Cube in All About The Benjamins. He is known as the new voice of Boog in Open Season 2 and 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 November 18, 1970  in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 18, 1970 into a large family.
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 New York City 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. He later appeared 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 and its sequel two years later, Open Season 3, 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.[citation needed] 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 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.

Personal life

Filmography

Epps married Michelle McCain in July 2006. He had 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.
Year Title Role Note
1997 Strays Mike
2000 Next Friday Day-Day Jones
2000 3 Strikes Crackhead
2000 Bait Stevie Sanders
2001 Dr. Dolittle 2 Sonny Voice only
Credited as Michael E. Epps
2001 How High Baby Powder
2002 All About the Benjamins Reggie Credited as Michael Epps
2002 Friday After Next Day-Day Jones/Old Man with Shotgun
2003 Malibu's Most Wanted Rap-Battle Host Uncredited
2003 The Fighting Temptations Lucius
2004 Still 'Bout It Bobby Ray
2004 Resident Evil: Apocalypse L.J.
2005 Guess Who The Cab Driver Uncredited
2005 The Honeymooners Ed Norton
2005 Roll Bounce Byron
2006 The Unsuccessful Thug

2006 Something New Walter
2007 Talk to Me Milo Hughes
2007 Resident Evil: Extinction L.J.
2008 Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins Reggie Jenkins
2008 Shelly Fisher Esquire Jones
2008 Hancock Criminal Uncredited
2008 Bigg Snoop Dogg Presents: The Adventures of Tha Blue Carpet Treatment

2008 Soul Men Duane Henderson
2008 Open Season 2 Boog Voice only
Replacing Martin Lawrence
2009 Next Day Air Brody
2009 The Hangover Black Doug
2009 The Janky Promoters Jellyroll
2010 Love Chronicles: Secrets Revealed Thomas Black
2010 Lottery Ticket Reverend Taylor
2010 Ghetto Stories: The Movie Janitor Cameo
2010 Faster Grone
2010 Open Season 3 Boog Voice only
2011 Jumping the Broom Unknown
2012 Last Friday Day-Day Jones

Television

Music videos

Discography

Official studio albums

2009: Funny Bidness - Da Album

Collaboration albums

2008: A Tribute to Bad Santa Starring Mike Epps (with Jim Jones & Skull Gang) (2010)

Singles

 
















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