• Faith: Muslim
• Career: Comedian
• Birthday:  August 24, 1973

Dave Chappelle is an actor and stand-up comedian. He co-created and starred in the satirical comedy sketch series “Chappelle’s Show” before quitting in the middle of production during the third season. After a hiatus, he returned to performing stand-up comedy across the U.S. By 2006, he 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 numerous films, including “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” “The Nutty Professor,” “Con Air,” “You’ve Got Mail,” and “A Star Is Born.” His first lead role was in the 1998 comedy movie “Half Baked,” which he co-wrote. He also starred in the comedy series “Buddies.” In 2016, Chappelle signed a $20 million-per-release comedy-special deal with Netflix and released six stand-up specials under the deal. He’s received numerous accolades, including six Emmys and five Grammys, as well as the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2019, which is presented by the Kennedy Center as America’s highest comedy honor.

Chappelle has received two Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for hosting “SNL” in 2016 and 2020. He received five Grammys for Best Comedy Album for “The Age of Spin,” “Equanimity & The Bird Revelation,” “Sticks & Stones,” and “The Closer.” Chappelle was born in 1973 in Washington, D.C.. He grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and attended Woodlin Elementary School. His parents were politically active, and family house visitors included Peter Seeger and Johnny Hartman, who predicted that Chappelle would be a comedian. Around this time, Chappelle’s comic inspiration came from Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor.

After his parents separated, Chappelle stayed in Washington with his mother while spending summers with his father in Ohio. In high school, he worked as an usher in Ford’s Theatre. He attended D.C.’s Eastern High School for a short time before transferring to Duke Ellington School of the Arts, where he studied theater arts and graduated in 1991.

What religion is Dave Chappelle?

When Chappelle was 17 years old, he converted to Islam. In 2006, he told Time Magazine, “I don’t normally talk about my religion publicly because I don’t want people to associate me and my flaws with this beautiful thing. And I believe it is beautiful if you learn it the right way.” He appears in a video explaining the religious history of the Well of Zamzam in Mecca, and he’s also shared that his faith helped him use his career to benefit people.