Mike Epps Background Information

Mike Epps' first taste of comedy was when he joined a stand-up comedy contest in Seville's, club in Indiana. Because of his success on the stage, he was inspired to go to Atlanta, and there he started to gain a little popularity at the Comedy Act Theater. The club's owner told him to go to New York so he could improve his act, and in a week, he was already traveling to Manhattan. He was only 21 at the time.

Epps eventually made a mark in New York's conventional comedy clubs through the Def comedy Jam phenomenon's stimulation of an underground black comedy. In 1995, he became part of Def Comedy Jam tour. He also appeared in 2 of HBO's broadcasts on Def Comedy Jam. He played a role in Vin Diesel's directorial debut Strays in 1996. Three years later, Epps appeared in the television series The Sopranos, and within the same year, he was cast to star alongside Ice Cube in the Friday sequel. Epps then went to Los Angeles for a stand-up performance, and he had invited Ice Cube to see him. The rapper was impressed with his performance that he asked Epps to audition for part of Day-Day. Epps successfully got the part after weeks of auditions.

He starred in Next Friday, which opened at number one in the box office charts. In 2001, Epps voiced a character in Dr. Dolittle 2 starring Eddie Murphy. His other works include playing the comical pimp Baby Powder for How High and the thief in All About the Benjamins. He later worked with Ice Cube again for Friday After Next in 2002.Epps' other movie appearances are with Bernie Mac in Guess Who, Resident Evil: Apocalypse in 2004, with Cuba Gooding in The Fighting Temptations, Jr. and Beyonce Knowles, The Honeymooners with Cedric the Entertainer in 2005, and Roll Bounce with Charlie Murphy.