Chris Redd

Last updated

Chris Redd
Birth nameChristopher Jerell Redd
Born (1985-03-25) March 25, 1985 (age 39)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
MediumStand-up, television, film
Education Elgin Community College
Years active2006–present
Genres Sketch comedy
Subject(s)
Website iamchrisredd.com

Christopher Jerell Redd [1] (born March 25, 1985) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, rapper, and singer. After several years performing stand-up comedy, Redd was hired to join the cast of the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live ahead of the show's 43rd season in 2017, making his debut alongside Heidi Gardner and Luke Null, and serving as a cast member for five seasons until 2022. For his work on the show, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics in 2018 for co-writing the SNL song "Come Back Barack". He is also known for his roles in Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016), Disjointed (2017–2018), and Kenan (2021–2022).

Contents

Early life

Redd was born on March 25, 1985, [2] [3] in St. Louis, Missouri, and moved to Naperville, a suburb of Chicago, at the age of eight. [4] According to Redd, he had a childhood stutter that he overcame by learning how to rap. [5] He attended Naperville schools, including Gregory Middle School and Neuqua Valley High School, [6] and later attended community college in Elgin, Illinois, where he took his first improvisational theater class. [7]

Career

Redd briefly pursued a career as a rapper, but switched to sketch comedy after realizing that he enjoyed improvisational comedy. [8] He took comedy classes at Jokes & Notes, a now-closed comedy club in Chicago. [9] Redd joined the comedy group The Second City, and was a member of its touring company. [10] He moved to Los Angeles in 2016 to further pursue an acting career, and made his film debut as Hunter the Hungry, an underground rapper, in the 2016 mockumentary Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping . [11] Redd co-starred in the 2017–2018 Netflix comedy series Disjointed , in which he played the role of Dank, a stoner. [7]

After a previous unsuccessful audition for Saturday Night Live , [12] it was announced in September 2017 that Redd had joined the show's cast as a featured player for season 43, alongside fellow newcomers Heidi Gardner and Luke Null. [13] In 2018, Redd won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for writing the song "Come Back Barack", which lamented former president Barack Obama's departure from the White House and aired during Chance the Rapper's episode on November 18, 2017. [14] [15] The award was shared with co-writers Kenan Thompson and Will Stephen, and composer Eli Brueggemann. [14] Redd and Gardner were promoted to repertory status in 2019, ahead of SNL's 45th season. [16] His celebrity impressions on the show included U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Kanye West, Sterling K. Brown, and Mayor Eric Adams. [17] [18] Redd left SNL in 2022, after the show's 47th season. [19]

Redd's debut stand-up comedy album, But Here We Are, was released by Comedy Central Records in March 2019. [9] Between 2021 and 2022, Redd co-starred in the comedy television series Kenan , alongside his SNL castmate Kenan Thompson. [20] Their ongoing roles in both shows resulted in frequent travel between New York City, where SNL is filmed, and Los Angeles, where Kenan was filmed. [21] Redd appeared in the 2023 film Spinning Gold as Frankie Crocker, a disc jockey for the first black music radio station in New York. [22] Other recent projects include the Lorne Michaels–produced comedy series Bust Down , in which Redd plays a discontented casino employee, and a stand-up comedy special on HBO Max. [23] [24]

Personal life

In October 2022, Redd was assaulted by an unknown assailant outside of a comedy club in New York. He was then taken to the hospital, and later released. [25]

Other activities

In June 2020, Redd and fellow The Second City alumna Lisa Beasley raised over $360,000 on GoFundMe to cover the medical costs of racial justice protesters who had contracted COVID-19. [26] After Second City CEO Andrew Alexander resigned during the same month over allegations of institutional racism within the group, Redd and 18 other black alumni and current employees signed an open letter calling for an independent investigation into the allegations. [27]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2016 Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Hunter the Hungry [11]
2017 Handsome Detective Gunner [28]
2018 A Futile and Stupid Gesture Skeptical Black Man [29]
2018 Deep Murder Jace [30]
2019 Joker Comedy Club Emcee [31]
2020 Scare Me Carlo [32]
2020 Vampires vs. the Bronx Andre [33]
2023 Spinning Gold Frankie Crocker [22]
2023 Candy Cane Lane Lamplighter Gary [34]
TBA Merv TBAFilming [35]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef(s).
2014 Chicago P.D. CarlEpisode: "Thirty Balloons" [36]
2015 Empire Roger2 episodes [37]
2016Lonely and HornyOmar4 episodes [38]
2016 Comedy Bang! Bang! The Cleaning Crew RapperEpisode: "Krysten Ritter Wears a Turtleneck and Black Boots" [11]
2017 Love Justin2 episodes [39]
2017 Detroiters DonutEpisode: "Smilin' Jack" [40]
2017 Sofia the First Singe (voice)Episode: "The Royal Dragon" [5]
2017 Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later Mason2 episodes [41]
2017–2018 Disjointed Steven "Dank" Dankerson18 episodes [7]
2017 Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents HimselfStand-up special [42]
2017–2022 Saturday Night Live Himself/VariousRepertory player
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics (2018)		 [16]
[14]
2017 Will & Grace AlvinEpisode: "Emergency Contact" [43]
2018 Teachers DarnellEpisode: "For Poorer or Poorer" [44]
2019 Star vs. the Forces of Evil Additional voicesEpisode: "Junkin' Janna/A Spell with No Name" [45]
2019 Big Mouth Additional voice2 episodes [45]
2019 Laff Mobb's Laff Tracks HimselfEpisode: "Chris Redd Headlines"
2021–2022 Kenan Gary WilliamsMain role [20]
2022 Bust Down ChrisMain role; also co-creator, executive producer, and star
2022 The Simpsons Trevor McBride (voice)Episode: "Girls Just Shauna Have Fun"
2023 Is It Cake? Himself / JudgeEpisode: "Winner Cakes All!"

Discography

YearTitleNotesRef.
2019But Here We AreStand-up comedy album [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Farley</span> American comedian and actor (1964–1997)

Christopher Crosby Farley was an American comedian and actor. He was known for his loud, energetic comedic style, and was a member of Chicago's Second City Theatre and later a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live for five seasons from 1990 to 1995. He went on to pursue a film career, appearing in films such as Airheads, Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, Beverly Hills Ninja, and Almost Heroes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Meadows</span> American actor and comedian

Tim Meadows is an American actor and comedian. He was one of the longest-running cast members on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, where he appeared for 10 seasons from 1991 to 2000. For his work on SNL, he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series in 1993. He played main character John Glascott on the ABC sitcom Schooled for its two-season run after playing the same character in a recurring role for six seasons on The Goldbergs. Meadows is also known for his role as Principal Duvall in the 2004 teen comedy film Mean Girls, a role he then reprised in Mean Girls 2 and in the film's 2024 musical adaptation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenan Thompson</span> American comedian and actor (born 1978)

Kenan Thompson is an American comedian and actor. Thompson has been a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live since 2003, making him the longest-tenured cast member in the show's history. He was also the first regular cast member born after the show's premiere in 1975. Outside of SNL, Thompson starred on NBC's sitcom Kenan from 2021 to 2022.

<i>Saturday Night Live</i> American late-night live TV sketch comedy and variety show

Saturday Night Live (SNL) is an American late-night live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and streams on Peacock. Michaels currently serves as the program's showrunner. The show's premiere was hosted by George Carlin on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night. The show's comedy sketches, which often parody contemporary American culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, with featured performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with a cold open sketch that was usually based on political events and ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!", properly beginning the show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikey Day</span> American actor, comedian and writer

Michael William Day is an American actor, comedian and writer. Day was hired as a writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live before its 39th season in 2013. He was then promoted to on-air cast status and became a featured player during the show's 42nd season in 2016, later being promoted to repertory status beginning with the 44th season in 2018. He is also the host of the Netflix show Is It Cake? Day previously was an on-air correspondent for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Jay Leno Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate McKinnon</span> American actress and comedian (born 1984)

Kate McKinnon Berthold is an American actress, comedian, impressionist, and writer. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2012 to 2022, where she became known for her character work and celebrity impressions. For her work on the series, she was nominated for ten Primetime Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics and nine for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, winning in 2016 and 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aidy Bryant</span> American actress and comedian

Aidan Mackenzy Bryant is an American actress and comedian. Bryant is most notable for being a cast member on the NBC late-night sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live for ten seasons, joining the show for its 38th season in 2012, and leaving at the end of its 47th season in 2022. For her work on the series she was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, including two nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Tim Robinson is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He first became known as a writer and performer on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2012 to 2014, before gaining wider recognition as the co-creator, co-writer and star of the comedy series Detroiters (2017–2018) and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2019–present).

Saturday Night Live is an American sketch comedy series created and produced by Lorne Michaels for most of the show's run. The show has aired on NBC since its inception in 1975.

<i>Saturday Night Live</i> season 42 Season of television series

The forty-second season of the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live premiered on October 1, 2016, during the 2016–2017 television season, with host Margot Robbie and musical guest The Weeknd, and concluded on May 20, 2017, with host Dwayne Johnson and musical guest Katy Perry. The season removed two commercial breaks per episode in order to increase programming time. Episode 18 on April 15, 2017, was the first episode ever to be broadcast live in all four time zones within the contiguous United States. Until this episode, the show aired live only in the Eastern and Central time zones, and was tape-delayed in the Mountain and Pacific time zones.

The forty-third season of the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live premiered on September 30, 2017, during the 2017–2018 television season with host Ryan Gosling and musical guest Jay-Z, and concluded on May 19, 2018, with host Tina Fey and musical guest Nicki Minaj. Like the final four episodes of season 42, season 43 was broadcast live in all four time zones within the contiguous United States, with the exception of the Natalie Portman/Dua Lipa episode due to the network's commitment to the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heidi Gardner</span> American comedian (born 1983)

Heidi Lynn Gardner is an American actress, comedian, and writer. Gardner has been a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live since season 43 in 2017, when she debuted as a featured player. She was promoted to repertory status on the show in 2019.

Lucas Elliot Null is an American actor, stand-up comedian, singer, and musician. Null is best known for his brief tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live during its 43rd season between 2017 and 2018.

Samaria Johnson, better known as Sam Jay, is an American comedian and writer. She is best known as a writer for Saturday Night Live (2017–2020), her Netflix comedy special 3 in the Morning (2020), and as the co-creator and co-star of the HBO comedy series PAUSE with Sam Jay (2021–2022) and the Peacock comedy series Bust Down (2022).

The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced during the forty-third season of SNL, which began on September 30, 2017.

The forty-fifth season of the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live premiered on September 28, 2019, during the 2019–20 television season with host Woody Harrelson and musical guest Billie Eilish, and concluded on May 9, 2020 with host Kristen Wiig and musical guest Boyz II Men. This season featured the return of Eddie Murphy as host, on December 21, 2019, for the first time in 35 years. Murphy's episode was the most watched episode since 2008.

"Saturday Night Live at Home" refers to the final three episodes of the 45th season of the late-night comedy program Saturday Night Live. Whereas SNL typically consists of sketches performed live in-studio, these "at Home" episodes were recorded remotely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television; none of the sketches were performed live for any of these episodes, and none of the participants in any sketch from these shows were in the same physical location.

Saturday Night Live is an American sketch comedy series created and produced by Lorne Michaels for most of the show's run. The show has aired on NBC since 1975.

<i>Kenan</i> (TV series) American television sitcom (2021–22)

Kenan is an American television sitcom created by Jackie Clarke and David Caspe. The series stars Kenan Thompson as Kenan Williams, the widowed father of Aubrey and Birdie who hosts a morning show in Atlanta, Georgia. The show follows Williams' attempts to move on from his previous life, though he is met with much resistance from his former father-in-law Rick and brother Gary. He also becomes close friends with Mika, his show's executive producer. The series aired on NBC from February 16, 2021, to January 31, 2022. In April 2021, the series was renewed for a second season. The second season premiered on December 15, 2021, ahead of the second season time slot premiere on January 3, 2022. In May 2022, the series was canceled after two seasons.

The forty-seventh season of the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live premiered on October 2, 2021, during the 2021–22 television season with host Owen Wilson and musical guest Kacey Musgraves, and concluded on May 21, 2022 with host Natasha Lyonne and musical guest Japanese Breakfast. For the first time, the season's first five episodes and the remainder from episode ten onward were live-streamed on the streaming service Peacock in addition to its coast-to-coast live television broadcast.

References

  1. ↑ Night Live (October 18, 2017), 43 For 43: Chris Redd – SNL , retrieved November 2, 2017
  2. ↑ "Chris Redd". Saturday Night Live . NBC. Archived from the original on July 21, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2021. ...his birthday is March 25.
  3. ↑ Brusie, David (March 13, 2019). "Chris Redd aims to be a singular stand-up and 'SNL' team player". Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020. Redd, 33...
  4. ↑ Ihejirika, Maudlyne (August 21, 2018). "SNL's Chris Redd to his hometown Chicago: 'Stop killing each other, man'". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Donald, Elizabeth (September 27, 2017). "Live from St. Louis, it's one of SNL's new cast members". Belleville News-Democrat . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  6. ↑ Hegarty, Erin (September 27, 2017). "New 'SNL' cast member attended Naperville schools". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 Metz, Nina (July 13, 2017). "With summer camp comedy and a Netflix pot series, Chris Redd's star on the rise". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  8. ↑ "'I Love What That Job Has Brought Me': Chris Redd On 'Saturday Night Live', The Second City, 'Deep Murder'". CBS Local. June 11, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 Santi, Christina (March 14, 2019). "'SNL' Star Chris Redd Credits Chicago & Rap for His Shameless Comedy". Ebony . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  10. ↑ Virtusio, Jessi (December 12, 2019). "Second City skewers holiday season in 'Ugly Sweater' show at Beverly Arts Center". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 Beechick, Talia (June 17, 2016). "'Whirlwind of rap' got Chicago comedian Chris Redd into 'Popstar'". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Chris Redd: How comedy can be a force for social change". MSNBC . December 11, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  13. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (September 26, 2017). "'Saturday Night Live' Taps Heidi Gardner, Luke Null & Chris Redd As New Cast Members, Adds 7 Writers For Season 43". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  14. 1 2 3 Otterson, Joe (July 16, 2020). "Don Johnson, Chris Redd Join Kenan Thompson Comedy Series at NBC". Variety . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  15. ↑ Calfas, Jennifer (November 19, 2017). "Saturday Night Live Begs Barack Obama to Come Back in '90s-Inspired Sketch". Time . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  16. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (September 24, 2019). "'SNL' Promotes Heidi Gardner & Chris Redd To Full Cast Members". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  17. ↑ Porter, Rick (September 24, 2019). "'Saturday Night Live' Promotes Heidi Gardner, Chris Redd to Regular Cast". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Eric Adams Said He Was 'Laughing So Hard' at His SNL Portrayal, Wants to Go on Show Himself: 'He Had Me Down to a Science'". January 16, 2022.
  19. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (September 19, 2022). "Chris Redd Is Latest to Exit 'Saturday Night Live'". Variety . Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  20. 1 2 "New NBC comedy 'Kenan' stars Kenan Thompson, Don Johnson and Chris Redd". KSNT . February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  21. ↑ White, Peter (January 26, 2021). "'Kenan': Kenan Thompson Prepared For Challenge Of Filming New NBC Comedy & 'SNL' – TCA". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  22. 1 2 Moore, Matt (February 17, 2021). "SNL's Chris Redd to star in new sitcom from Lorne Michaels". Last Night On . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  23. ↑ White, Peter (February 17, 2021). "Peacock Picks Up Craig Robinson Comedy & Lorne Michaels' 'Bust Down' To Series". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  24. ↑ Porter, Rick (July 22, 2020). "Chris Redd Scores HBO Max Comedy Special". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  25. ↑ "SNL Alum Chris Redd Assaulted Outside of New York's Comedy Cellar". Rolling Stone . October 27, 2022.
  26. ↑ Metz, Nina (June 24, 2020). "'Saturday Night Live' star Chris Redd and Chicago comedian Lisa Beasley set up a COVID-19 protestor relief fund". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  27. ↑ Evans, Greg (June 8, 2020). "'SNL's Chris Redd, 'Veep's Sam Richardson Among Second City Alum Demanding Investigation Into Comedy Institution's Racism & Sexual Misconduct Allegations". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  28. ↑ Seitz, Matt Zoller (May 7, 2017). "Handsome". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  29. ↑ Zuckerman, Esther (January 25, 2018). "David Wain's Futile and Stupid Movie Is a Vital Piece of Comedy History". Vanity Fair . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  30. ↑ Cruz, Niki (June 11, 2019). "Chris Redd talks 'Deep Murder,' NYC and 'SNL' after-parties". AM New York Metro . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  31. ↑ Reilly, Dan (October 15, 2019). "What Joker Gets Right About Stand-Up Comedy". Vulture . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  32. ↑ Scheetz, Cameron (September 30, 2020). "SNL's Chris Redd believes aliens are trolling us with crop circles". The A.V. Club . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  33. ↑ Allen, Nick (October 2, 2020). "Vampires vs. the Bronx". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Robin Thede, Nick Offerman and Chris Redd Join Eddie Murphy's 'Candy Cane Lane' (EXCLUSIVE)". January 5, 2023.
  35. ↑ Grobar, Matt (May 7, 2024). "Charlie Cox Joins Zooey Deschanel In Amazon MGM Rom-Com 'Merv'; Chris Redd, Patricia Heaton And More Also Set – First Look". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  36. ↑ "You Probably Forgot These 9 Stars Appeared on Chicago P.D." Sun Journal . TV Guide. February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  37. ↑ Thompson, Avery (September 29, 2017). "Chris Redd: 5 Things You Need To Know About The New 'SNL' Cast Member". Hollywood Life . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  38. ↑ Dickie, George (April 2, 2016). "Netpicks". The Santa Fe New Mexican . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  39. ↑ Petski, Denise (February 10, 2017). "'Disjointed': Chris Redd Cast In Netflix Pot Comedy Series From Chuck Lorre". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  40. ↑ Simons, Seth (April 19, 2017). "A Comprehensive Ranking of All 10 Episodes of Comedy Central's Detroiters". Paste . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  41. ↑ Dubois, Lauren (August 3, 2017). "When Does 'Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later' Premiere On Netflix?". International Business Times . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  42. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (September 26, 2017). "'SNL' Adds Three Featured Players for Season 43". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  43. ↑ Kirkland, Justin (October 26, 2017). "Will & Grace recap: 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Crying'". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  44. ↑ "Teachers – Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  45. 1 2 Palat, Lakshana (October 1, 2020). "'Vampires vs The Bronx': Meet Sarah Gadon, Chris Redd, Shea Whigham and rest of the cast of Netflix's horror-comedy". MEAWW. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.