Jamie Foxx is an actor, singer, and stand-up comedian. After accepting a girlfriend's dare, Foxx told jokes and did impressions at a comedy club's open mic night in 1989. When he found that female comedians were often called first to perform, he changed his name to Jamie Foxx, feeling that it was an ambiguous enough name to disallow any biases. He joined the cast of In Living Color in 1991 and subsequently had a recurring role in the comedy-drama sitcom Roc. In 1996, Foxx was given his own sitcom, The Jamie Foxx Show. The following year, he made his film debut.

Wanda Sykes is an Emmy Award-winning stand-up comedian known for her blunt style and her hilarious observations on topics of both race and gender. She is one of the most prominent lesbian comedians and often incorporates issues of sexuality into her performances.

Chris Tucker is an actor and comedian most widely known for his roles as Smokey in "Friday" and James Carter in the "Rush Hour" trilogy. He is famous for his high voice and motormouth talking.

Bruce Bruce is an actor/stand-up comedian from Atlanta, Georgia. He has performed stand-up on BET's Comic View, on various shows on Comedy Central and on "Comedy Central Presents" in 2003. Bruce appeared as a guest on "Wild 'N Out" on MTV. He also played an important role in promoting Def Comedy Jam, a black stand up comedy. He has appeared in the films XXX: State of the Union, The Wash, Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, Cloud 9 and most recently Outkast's new big screen debut Idlewild.

Cedric the Entertainer is an actor and comedian. He is best known as the co-star of the WB sitcom "The Steve Harvey Show," as Eddie in the "Barbershop" films, and as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film "The Original Kings of Comedy."

Martin Lawrence is an actor, comedian, director, and producer. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor. Lawrence has acted in numerous movie roles and starred in his own television series, "Martin," which ran from 1992 to 1997.

Mo'Nique is a comedian, actress, and reality television hostess. Before working in comedy, Mo'Nique worked as a phone sex operator. She is best known for the role of Nicole "Nikki" Parker on the UPN television series "The Parkers." She is currently the hostess and executive producer of "Mo'Nique's Fat Chance," a beauty pageant for plus-sized women, on the Oxygen cable network.

Steve Harvey is a comedian, actor, entertainer, and radio personality. He is probably best known as the star of the WB sitcom "The Steve Harvey Show," and as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film "The Original Kings of Comedy." Currently, he is the host of "The Steve Harvey Morning Show," a nationally syndicated radio program.

Bill Cosby is a comedian, actor, author, television producer, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show "I Spy." He later starred in his own series, "The Bill Cosby Show," in 1969. He was one of the major characters on the children's television show "The Electric Company" for its first two seasons, and created the humorous educational cartoon series "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids," about a group of young friends growing up in the city. Cosby also acted in numerous films.

Richard Pryor (1940-2005) was a black stand-up comedian who revolutionized the craft of comedy. Famous for his blunt style, use of profanity, and fearless examination of racism, Pryor was as much a political satirist as a stand-up comedian. Full Richard Pryor Bio

Sheryl Underwood won the BET "Funniest Female Comedian on Comic View" award in 1994 and the BET Comedy Awards' Platinum Mic Viewers Choice Award in 2005. Following her stand up success, Underwood to a number of minor acting roles including Bad Mouth Bessie in the 1998 film "I Got the Hook Up," and Catfish Rita in the 2005 film "Beauty Shop." Underwood was the host of BET's "Comic View" and executive producer and host of the limited run comedy/variety series "Holla."

Tracy Morgan is an actor and comedian, best known for his work on the TV series "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock" on which he plays Tracy Jordan.

Eddie Murphy is an Academy Award-nominated American actor, voice actor, film director, producer, comedian and singer. He was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984, and has worked as a stand-up comedian. He was ranked #10 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.

D. L. Hughley is an actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known as the star of the ABC/UPN sitcom "The Hughleys," and as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film "The Original Kings of Comedy."

Debra Wilson Skelton is a comedian and actress. Wilson is notable for being one of the original, and one of the longest-serving, cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, having appeared for the show's first eight seasons. She has also done voice work for the animated series The Oblongs, American Dad!, Family Guy, Gary and Mike, The Proud Family, and Clone High.

Damon Wayans is a stand-up comedian, writer and actor, known as one of the popular Wayans brothers. He started doing stand-up comedy in 1982. For his outstanding role in the ABC comedy series "My Wife and Kids," Wayans earned 4 International Press Academy "Golden Satellite Award" nominations and 4 Emmy awards nominations for his acting and directing in the 90's series "In Living Color." In May 2008, Wayans was highlighted by the media for the production of a controversial video titled "Abortion Man".

Dave Chappelle is a comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, and actor. In 2003, Chappelle debuted his own weekly sketch comedy show on Comedy Central called Chappelle's Show. The show parodied many aspects of American culture including racial stereotypes, politics and pop culture. Along with comedy skits, the show also featured musical performances by mostly hip-hop and soul artists. Chappelle's pointed social and political commentary quickly helped the show garner critical and commercial success as well as controversy.

Bernie Mac was a renowned actor and comedian. His most noted film role was as Frank Catton in the remake Ocean's Eleven and the titular character Mr. 3000. He was the star of The Bernie Mac Show, which ran from 2001-2006, earning him two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. His other films included starring roles in Friday, Head of State, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Bad Santa, Guess Who, Pride, Soul Men, and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.

Comedy Central voted Chris Rock the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time. As a child, Chris attended a nearly all-white school, and his experiences with discrimination there influenced his comedic style. When Chris was 18, he was discovered by Eddie Murphy at New York's Comedy Strip. He debuted in Beverly Hills Cop II. Since then, he has appeared in many movies and frequently as a stand-up comedian. His most famous works include "Born Suspect," "Roll with the New," "Bigger and Blacker," and "Never Scared."

Katt Williams is a hilarious comedian, rapper, and actor. Katt began his career at a young age, when he attempted to sneak into a nightclub. They weren't checking IDs in the line for comedians, so he stood in that line and got in. To his surprise, he was called onstage, and he performed a 5-minute improv piece. The audience loved it, and the rest is history. Katt's works include "It's Pimpin' Pimpin'," "American Hustle: The Movie," "Katt Williams: Live: Let a Playa Play," and "Pimp Chronicles, Pt. 1." Among others, Katt is inspired by Dave Chappelle, who he calls the "Malcolm X of comedy."