Big was born February 7, 1966, in Andrews, South Carolina, to parents Julius (former truck driver) and Rose (teacher). Raised in the neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, New York, Chris always knew he was cut out to be a comedian, and took his talent to the New York comedy club circuit after dropping out of high school.

Who better to discover a young aspiring comedian than Eddie Murphy who caught Rock's act at a club and was so impressed that he cast him in Murphy's 1987 Beverly Hills Cop II, in his film debut as a parking valet.

With the support of the late Sam Kinison as well as Murphy, Rock was cast in a string of television shows and films, albeit in small parts. His early roles include 1988's I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and an episode of Miami Vice, before appearing in 1991's New Jack City, 1992's Boomerang (also an Eddie Murphyfilm), and starring in 1993's CB4, a parody of the gangsta rap world.

In the early '90s, Rock received the coveted part of any comedian's career, as a cast member and writer on Saturday Night Live. With three years of SNL experience under his belt, Rock was cast in the comedies Sgt. Bilko, Beverly Hills Ninja, as well as 1998's Doctor Dolittle (as a voice) and the 4th installment of the Lethal Weapon series. In 1996, he was also a correspondent and writer for "Indecision 1996," on the then Comedy Central show, Politically Incorrect.

While Rock wasn't achieving great cinematic success, he was scoring big with his own stand-up comedy shows. 1997's HBO special Bring the Pain -- which practically revived Rock's career -- garnered the comedian two Emmys, one for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special and one for Outstanding writing. 1999's stand-up album and HBO special, Bigger & Blacker, was also lauded as an abrasive "commentary" on family values and American politics and racial issues. Rock picked up a Grammy for Best Spoken Comedy Album for Bigger & Blacker in 1999.

More critical and commercial praise came Rock's way, thanks to his Emmy-nominated HBO comedy and variety show, The Big Show. The trash-talking show debuted in 1997, and enjoyed a successful three-year run marked with two CableACE awards, for Variety Special or Series and for Entertainment Host. The show made a television star of Rock, and spawned memorable characters such as Pootie Tang, which was developed into a feature film of the same name in 2001.

Speaking of films, Rock's film career has taken an upwards turn since 1999, with a larger role in the star-studded Dogma, and a role alongside Morgan Freemanand Renee Zellwegerin the critically-acclaimed Nurse Betty. But then Rock starred in the disappointing Heaven Can Wait remake, Down to Earth, which Rock also wrote and produced. Rock bombed again as a voice in the animated feature Osmosis Jones, before appearing in Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

Rock once said in a Larry King Live interview that he seems to get the "black guy lead roles" that guys like Will Smith turn down, but he is certainly coming into his own with a starring role opposite Gene Hackman and Garcelle Beauvaisin the 2002 action/comedy, Bad Company.

The television host (Rock's hosting stint for the 2000 MTV Movie Awards was one of the highest rated), producer (he is now executive producer of TV's The Hughleys) and writer (in addition to screenplays, he wrote a book, Rock This) can now add directing to his resume, with his film directorial debut for the upcoming Head of State.

As for his family life, Big has been married to Malaak Compton-Rock since November 1996.

The man Time has named the "funniest man in America" and one of America's best entertainers, the caustic comedian is proving to be a force to be rockened with.