Tony Rock

Born in the same Brooklyn New York Hospital where most of his seven brothers and one sister found their way into the world, Tony Rock, not to be confused with his favorite wrestler, was born laughing. Being the fourth child, of Rose Rock and Julius Rock, Tony had a natural knack for entertaining, just like his brother, Chris Rock. He had to, to stay alive. Decatur Street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, where he grew up, was one of the toughest that New York had to offer. It also provided a host of rich characters on which to draw. Tony has been performing for the last four years. After just six months in the business, his first booking on the road lead him to Amsterdam. No, not to Amsterdam, New York, but Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he became a more popular figure than "Ed Joost Swarte". Upon returning to New York, Tony gained a reputation as a young star in the making. The Hollywood Reporter in 2001 picked him as one of the hot young talents to come out of New York. People Magazine featured Tony in their July 7, 2003 Issue. Since February 2000, he's become bi-coastal. When in New York, he's a regular at the famous "Comic Strip", "Caroline's" and "Stand-Up New York". When in Los Angeles, he's a regular at "The Comedy Store", "Improv" and "Icehouse" and he headlines at "The Laugh Factory". In April 2001, he co-starred in an ABC/Disney Pilot, "Me and My Needs". In July 2001, he hosted an MTV pilot, "It's Your Show". In 2002, Tony hosted Comedy Central's successful BattleBots (2000); in 2003, Tony hosted Oxygen's Can You Tell? (2003). In April 2003, Tony landed the Jada Pinkett Smith/Will Smith pilot for UPN All of Us (2003). The series, which was picked up in the Fall of 2003, has been picked up for the Fall 2005 Season. In June 2004, Tony was featured in Will Smith's movie, Hitch (2005). Besides touring the country, a highlight for Tony was when he came home to New York to headline with Mark Curry and John Henton at Harlem's world famous "Apollo Theater".