Trivia: After cutting his teeth on the stand-up comedy circuit on the East Coast, comic Kevin Hart got his big break when he was cast in the Judd Apatow series Undeclared in 2000. The then 21 year old had grown up using his sense of humor to help his family cope with issues like his father's drug addiction and incarceration, and eventually learning to thrive in the stand-up scene helped give Hart the tenacity to make it on a national scale, both on stage and on screen. Hart would headline several successful national stand-up tours over the coming years, in addition to his successful movie career, which would find him appearing in a host of films like Soul Plane, Fool's Gold, The Five Year Engagement, This is the End. In 2014, he had a trio of hits, Ride Along, About Last Night and Think Like a Man Too. His success continued into the following years, headlining The Wedding Ringer and Get Hard in 2015, and Ride Along 2 and a stand-up film, What Now? in 2016.

Trivia: Though he wouldn't enjoy a hint of his brother Eddie Murphy's mainstream and financial success until 2003, Charlie Murphy was an active participant in a variety of films: sometimes as an actor, often as a writer, and occasionally as both. After offering small but indelible performances in Harlem Nights (1989) and Mo' Better Blues (1990), Murphy could be seen in the role of "Livin' Large" in Spike Lee's groundbreaking urban drama Jungle Fever. Despite the relative failure of Vampire in Brooklyn, which Murphy co-wrote, the young actor continued on with his career, and began to develop a devoted, if small, fan base. Ultimately, after more bit parts in African-American-oriented comedies (The Players Club [1998], The Pompatus of Love [1995]), Murphy got his big break as a writer and actor for Dave Chappelle's surprise TV hit Chappelle's Show. Though he was a key figure in many of the show's sketches, he gained the most notoriety for an allegedly true encounter involving Murphy and funk rocker Rick James. He had his own comedy series, Charlie Murphy's Crash Comedy, on the Crackle network in 2009 and continued working in both television and film. Murphy died in 2017, at age 57.

Trivia: Within four years of his film debut in Zebrahead (1993), Michael Rapaport (born March 20th, 1970) became one of Hollywood's hardest-working and most versatile supporting/character actors. He began as a standup comedian, but turned to acting after landing a guest-starring role in a 1990 episode of the ABC television drama China Beach. Rapaport's portrayal in Zebrahead of a Jewish teen struggling to survive in an African-American-dominated Detroit neighborhood while romantically involved with a black girl earned him considerable acclaim and a nomination for an Independent Feature Project Spirit Award. After that, he did a bit more television work and his career remained low-key until the following year, when he suddenly burst back onto the screen in four major films: True Romance, Point of No Return, Money for Nothing, and Poetic Justice. Some of Rapaport's notable subsequent roles include that of a college student who mistakenly attempts to find his niche by becoming a skinhead in John Singleton's Higher Learning (1995) and that of a slightly dim prizefighter set up for a blind date with a goodhearted hooker in Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite (1995). In 1998, Rapaport co-starred in the Showtime cable network's black comedy series about the zany world of substance abuse recovery programs Rude Awakening. That year, Rapaport also appeared in the films Palmetto and Some Girls. Rappaport worked in film sporadically throughout the 2000, but found some success in Metro, Deep Blue Sea, and Higher Learning. However, the actor is much more recognized for his work in the television shows Boston Public, Prison Break, and the War at Home.

Trivia: Born in the Bronx, Stacey Dash made her name as one of the quintessential Beverly Hills princesses in Clueless (1995). After doing commercials as a child, Dash further honed her acting skills on TV in episodes of St. Elsewhere, The Cosby Show, and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. After making her film debut in Richard Pryor's comedy Moving (1988), Dash featured more prominently as the object of Damon Wayans' affection in Mo' Money (1992) and as one of the recruits in Renaissance Man (1994). Dash's comic skills (and an ability to carry off outrageous hats with style) were put to clever use as Alicia Silverstone's best friend and fellow fashion plate Dionne in Amy Heckerling's Clueless. A sleeper summer hit, Heckerling's affectionate satire of privileged L.A. teens became a key film in the 1990s teen pic resurgence; Dash reprised her role on the Clueless TV series from 1996 to 1999. Taking a break from Dionne during hiatuses, Dash appeared in the crime drama Cold Around the Heart (1997) and the indie comedy Personals (1999). She continued to work steadily at the beginning of the 21st century appearing in a variety of projects such as View From the Top, Gang of Roses, Murder in Fashion, and Dysfunctional Friends.

Trivia: Though he enjoyed a long and lucrative screen career as a multi-hyphenate on various projects, Damon Dash made biggest headlines for his stellar record as a business mogul. The co-founder of multi-platinum generating urban music label Roc-A-Fella Records with rap star Jay-Z, Dash helped guide that outfit into the fiscal stratosphere on the strength of Jay-Z's records plus high-end distribution deals with Def Jam and Priority. Publicly, Dash possessed a rare ability to shift his media image from that of a street-smart urban maestro to that of a sharp-suited, high-rolling entrepreneur in the blink of an eye, depending on the situation and audience at hand. In 2005, Dash turned heads by severing ties with Roc-a-Fella, then promptly diversified his interests by expanding into such areas as watches, apparel, vodka, footwear, and -- significantly -- motion pictures. Cinematically, Dash concentrated predominantly on low-medium budgeted urban-oriented efforts including the crime thrillers State Property (2002) and State Property 2 (2005), and the crime comedy Paper Soldiers (2002) -- projects that frequently witnessed him holding court as a screenwriter, director, producer, and story author. Dash moved into arthouse material of commendable depth, maturity, and insight by teaming up with producer Lee Daniels (Monster's Ball) and producer/actor Kevin Bacon to create the finely felt, compassionate psychological drama The Woodsman (2004). Dash also produced the documentary Backstage: Hard Knock Life (2000), an up-close and personal view of rap life as filtered through the eyes of Jay-Z and friends. Dash is the cousin of actress and model Stacey Dash (Clueless, Renaissance Man).

Trivia: Raised in Brooklyn, he took his stage name from the J and Z subway lines that ran in his neighborhood. Formed Roc-A-Fella Records with his manager, Damon Dash, and road manager and childhood friend Kareem "Biggs" Burke. A film crew followed his 1999 tour with DMX, Beanie Sigel and others for the documentary Backstage. He and Sean "Diddy" Combs donated $1 million to the Red Cross in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. Supported Barack Obama in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Cofounder of the clothing line Rocawear. Released the memoir Decoded in November 2010.

Trivia: Born in Massachusetts, comedian Patrice O'Neal began honing his skills on the microphone during his early twenties at comedy clubs in his native Boston. A star athlete in high school, O'Neal turned down football scholarships in lieu of studying performing arts at Northeastern University with the help of a public housing grant. After graduating, O'Neal began moving to bigger cities, looking for a comedy scene where he wouldn't have to battle comedy-club owners over his now famously confrontational stage act, in which he often provoked audience members and pitted couples against each other. He tried New York, Los Angeles, and London before returning to New York in 2002, where he got an offer to do a stand-up special for Showtime. The pay-cable station proved a good fit for O'Neal's no-holds-barred style, and with the fame he garnered from the special, he would go on to appear on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and Comedy Central Presents. With his stand-up career in full force, O'Neal also began acting on-screen in the early 2000s, playing memorable roles on Arrested Development, Chappelle's Show, and The Jury. O'Neal additionally became a successful radio personality, appearing frequently on shows like Opie and Anthony and hosting his own show on XM Radio. Tragically, O'Neal had a stroke in October 2011 and died a month later at age 41.