Mike Epps
Mike Epps
Michael Elliot "Mike" Epps 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 its sequel, Friday After Next, and also appearing in The Hangover, as "Black Doug". He was the voice of Boog in Open Season 2, 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...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionComedian
Date of Birth18 November 1970
CityIndianapolis, IN
CountryUnited States of America
I don't know why people think I'm this ad-lib dude.
You can get really bored in this business [film], and I think that's one of the reasons why I've challenged myself so many times in different areas because you can get really bored and stagnated in one area. So, I do a lot of different things to keep myself occupied. In this business, it's a 'hurry up and wait' business and you have to really wait sometimes in some areas. I just keep myself busy. When one thing stops, the other one is rolling.
Well, I think Hollywood, to be quite honest, I think they've run out of material.
Everybody that's living in this earth is living in a situation. It's not narrow-minded to the point where everybody is serious and nobody has a personality. I think people die telling jokes.
I think in life, the sense of humor and comedy always exists.
The biggest obstacle I've had to overcome is loving myself 100%. And that's still a battle. I love myself, but sometimes you can be your own worst enemy. And I think I've been my worst enemy in life, because others haven't been able to do anything to me unless I allowed them to do it.
From there, I moved out to L.A. and met Ice Cube. He put me in the movie 'Next Friday,' and I've been working ever since.
To have longevity in this business, you have to reinvent yourself. You can't keep doing the same stuff. Sometimes I've turned down stuff and lost money.
With Ice Cube they ain't no telling. He might have one cocked and loaded, ready to bust. We might do The Sunday, two old men sitting around the house waiting on the social security check.
May I never forget, on my best day, that I need God as desperately as I did on my worst day
They have what you call a black night where they have black people come in for just one night only to watch comedy, and you get all your local drug dealers, thugs, prostitutes, all of them come in, sit down, and listen to you tell jokes. They the hardest people to make laugh.
On 'Friday,' I had a big trailer, and we would have a barbecue going and music playing. It was a fun set. There was too much involved for 'The Hangover' to be a fun set. They're trying to get money.
Cedric, man, it's like if I'm working with you, like I'm sitting here now talking to you, I want to get along with you. That's how I am. I feel like if I get along with you, the work will be splendid.
I'm telling a Richard Pryor story through me.