Who is Chris Rock, the comedian slapped by Will Smith at the Oscars?

Will Smith had his slap in the face.

Before being crowned best actor for

, the 53-year-old comedian attacked one of the hosts of the Oscars ceremony: comedian Chris Rock, author of a joke - a short story - on his wife's alopecia.

Jada Pinkett Smith just rolled her eyes.

Will Smith first sketched a smile before going on stage.

Chris Rock's irritating humor earned him a stiff forehand to the face.

To discover

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From stand-up to cinema

Born in 1965 in Andrews, South Carolina, the eldest of eight children, Christopher Julius Rock spent most of his youth in Brooklyn.

Victim of discrimination, he leaves high school, does odd jobs and falls into the practice of stand-up at 19 years old.

Chris Rock first performed at Catch a Rising Star in New York, a chain of comedy clubs which notably launched the careers of Robin Williams, Adam Sandler and Eddie Murphy.

Noticed by the latter, he was invited to play in

, released in 1987, although he only made a brief appearance there

But the acting career of young Chris is still launched.

The following year, he joined the cast of

, a parody film by director Keenen Ivory Wayans (

) before filming in

and in an episode of

.

Read alsoAmazing moment at the Oscars 2022: Will Smith hits Chris Rock on stage

In 1990, Chris Rock returned to comedy programming and joined the cast of the popular

for three years.

After an express stint on the Fox channel

for the sketch series

, he turned to writing the screenplay for

, a feature film devoted to a fictional rap group, formed in a neighborhood prison.

Despite attempts to find another way, it was in the comic register that Chris Rock really broke through in the 1990s. In 1994, he headlined

HBO's

program, where he demonstrated his talent for stand-up.

In 1996, as Bill Clinton prepared for a second term, the actor covered the presidential elections for

, a late-night show hosted by comedian Bill Maher.

The same year, he returned to HBO for

, a special focusing on the OJ Simpson case, marriage, and race relations.

This performance earned him two Emmy Awards, the Oscars of American television.

His stint on the

(1999) and

(2004) propelled him to the rank of the most popular comedians in the United States.

The American press, including the

and

, even call him the funniest man in the country.

In 2003, Hollywood awarded him a star on the sidewalk of the Walk of Fame.

Read alsoBetween the triumph of

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In 2005, he played himself in

, a television series he produced, inspired by his schooling.

animation trilogy

.

Three times nominated for the Oscars

The same year, Chris Rock hosts the Oscars for the first time in his career.

A choice wanted by the organizers, who wish to attract a younger audience by making the event more attractive.

Eleven times nominated,

by Martin Scorsese leaves with five statuettes, including that of the best supporting role for Cate Blanchett.

But the target of the comedian is none other than Jude Law, another supporting role, whose rise is, at the time, dazzling.

he launches from his opening monologue, in front of a hilarious audience.

In 2016, the Academy of the Oscars entrusted him with the ceremony again.

Chris Rock tries his hand at Smith couple jokes for the first time.

While the controversy over the low diversity of the selected grows, several personalities of the seventh art boycott the ceremony.

Like Will Smith, dismissed from any nomination despite his first role in the drama of Peter Landesman,

.

Jada Pinkett Smith invites everyone to do the same.

Velvet for Chris Rock who can not help but comment during the ceremony.

” he says.

Sunday night, Chris Rock raised the bar.

But Will Smith decided to take his jokes head-on.

Mocking his wife, who suffers from alopecia, by comparing her to Demi Moore in the film

(1997) – where she plays a soldier with a shaved head – pisses the actor off.

Will Smith yelled twice, returning to his seat.

Hit in the face, the comedian, stunned, is replaced on stage by rapper Sean Combs.

In the public, we believe in the set-up, before a heavy silence reflects the discomfort of the guests.

explained Will Smith on stage, when receiving his statuette.

In tears, the winner apologized to the Academy of Oscars before leaving the stage, prize in hand.

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Despite this incident, Chris Rock

according to the Los Angeles police, who said they were

" during the ceremony.

he decides to file a complaint later, "

," she continued.