Michael Elliot "Mike" Epps (born November 18, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, film producer, writer 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 appearing in The Hangover, as "Black Doug". 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. He is also known for playing L.J. in Resident Evil: Apocalypse and Resident Evil: Extinction in 2004 and 2007 respectively.
Early life[]
Epps was born 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 Brooklyn 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.
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.
Epps most recently starred alongside Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston in the 2012 remake of Sparkle, in his first non-comedic role as the main antagonist, Satin. A stand-up comic by day, an evil and abusive drug kingpin by night in engaged in an affair with the titular character's sister, Sister.
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. (Omar Ray) Life & Timez Of Suge Gotti Vol.1
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.[1]
Part of his standup in Under Rated & Never Faded was sampled for the song "I'm on Everything" by Eminem and Royce da 5'9" as Bad Meets Evil on the EP Hell: The Sequel.[2]
Super Bowl XLVI[]
Epps served as the "Super Bowl ambassador" in his native Indianapolis for the 2012 Super Bowl. He was featured in commercials promoting the Super Bowl Village and he made special appearances in the Village during the week of the Super Bowl.[3]
Personal life[]
Epps married Michelle McCain in July 2006; they currently live in Beverly Hills, California. He met her while filming The Fighting Temptations (in which they appeared alongside Cuba Gooding, Jr.and Beyoncé). 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.
Mike Epps has another daughter: Makayla Epps from a previous relationship (1999).
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 | Reginald Wright | 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 | |
| 2012 | Mac & Devin Go to High School | Mr. Armstrong | |
| 2013 | The Hangover 3 | Black Doug | |
| 2013 | Last Friday | Day Day Jones |
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
The game
Music videos[]
- "Ay Bay Bay" — Hurricane Chris
- "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)
- Omar Ray Life & Timez Of Suge Gotti Vol.1 (2012)
Singles[]
- Big Girls (2008)
- Trying to Be a Gangsta (2009)