Mike Epps

Mike Epps
Birth name	Michael Elliot Epps
Born	November 18, 1970 (1970-11-18) Indianapolis, Indiana, US
Medium	Film television stand-up comedy
Nationality	American
Years active	1989–present
Genres	Stand-up comedy
Spouse	Michelle McCain (2006–present)
Website	http://mikeepps.com/

Michael Elliot "Mike" Epps (born November 18, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, film producer, writer, singer, and rapper. He is 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 was the voice of Boog in Open Season 2 (the sequel to Open Season), but was replaced by Matthew J. Munn in 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 Michael Elliot Epps at Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis, IN . 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. Also a great comedian.

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.

Movie career

Epps' first on screen appearance came 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.^{[citation needed]} 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^{[citation needed]}. 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 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 appeared in the music video "Gangsta Nation" by Westside Connection. 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.

Epps is also featured on the Dom Kennedy song "Intro/Hard Work" on his Best After Bobby mixtape.

Epps sings the chorus of "I'm On Everything" alongside Eminem and Royce Da 5'9" as Bad Meets Evil on the EP Hell: The Sequel.

Super Bowl XLVI

Epps is serving as the "Super Bowl ambassador" in his native Indianapolis for the 2012 Super Bowl. Epps was featured in commercials promoting the Super Bowl Village and will make special appearances in the Village during the week of the Super Bowl.

Personal life

Epps married Michelle McCain in July 2006. He 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.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Note
1997	Strays	Mikeys	Film Debut
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	Direct-to-video Voice only Replacing Martin Lawrence
2009	Next Day Air	Brody
2009	The Hangover	Black Doug
2009	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
2011	Jumping the Broom	Willie Earl
2012	Sparkle	Satin	pre-production
2012	Last Friday	Day-Day Jones	pre-production

Television

• The Sopranos (1999) .... Jerome
• Pimps Up, Ho's Down (1999)
• All About The Stunts (2002)
• 106 & Park (1 episode, 2005)
• Letter to The President (2005)
• Def Comedy Jam (5 episodes, 1995–2006)
• Inapporiate Behavior (2006)
• The Unsuccessful Thug (2006)
• The Boondocks (2006) .... Moe "Mo Gunz" Jackson
• BET Hip Hop Awards (2009–present) .... Himself/Host

Music videos

• "Gangsta Nation" — Westside Connection
• "Why We Thugs" — Ice Cube
• "What You Know" — T.I.
• "ASAP" — T.I.
• "Never Forget" — Napoleon
• "I'm Lit" — Square Off
• "I Don't Know Y'all" — Young Dro
• "Mrs. Right" — Mindless Behavior Ft. Diggy Simmons
• "Nothin'" - NORE
• "I'm on Everything" - Bad Meets Evil
• "How Come You Don't Call Me" - Alicia Keys

Discography

Studio albums

• Funny Bidness: Da Abum (2009)

Collaboration albums

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

Singles

• Big Girls (2008)
• Trying to Be a Gangsta (2009)

External links

• Mike Epps at the Internet Movie Database
• Mike Epps on Myspace
• Official website