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Coming to theaters this fall is an exposé of comic proportions that only Chris Rock could pull off.
'Good Hair' visits beauty salons and hairstyling battles, scientific laboratories and Indian temples to explore the way hairstyles impact the activities, pocketbooks and sexual relationships of the black community.
Director Jeff Stilson and producer Nelson George follow the Grammy and Emmy Award-winning funnyman on this raucous adventure, which was birthed, Rock says, when his daughter Lola asked him why she didn't have "good hair." The comedian spent nearly two years developing the documentary, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival this past January.
Hair care professionals, beauty shop and barbershop patrons, and celebrities such as Ice-T, Nia Long, Paul Mooney, Raven Symoné, Maya Angelou, Salt n' Pepa, Eve and Rev. Al Sharpton, candidly offer their stories and observations to Rock while he struggles to find an answer to his daughter's question.
The film is presented by HBO Films and released theatrically by Liddell Entertainment and Roadside Attractions. It's set to open on Oct. 9, but check out our exclusive preview of it below.
Popular Black Comedians
Famous, Black & Funny
Being funny comes as a natural gift for man – but only the really talented (and really daring) ones have answered the call to make the masses laugh with their comedy. The wild and crazy Tracy Morgan, the much heralded Whoopi Goldberg, the brassy Mo'Nique and the late, great Richard Pryor are just a few of the black, famous and funny people who made us laugh over the last 50 years. There are many more. And they all have stories behind the funny. Check out who they are and what they've done.
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Famous, Black & Funny
Wanda Sykes
Started Out: Began her stand-up career at a Coors Light Super Talent Showcase in Washington, D.C. Big Break: Played multiple roles on Chris Rock's Emmy Award-winning HBO show. Hometown: Portsmouth, Va. Also Was Seen: In the movies 'Monster-in-Law' and 'Pooty Tang' and on the TV shows 'Wanda At Large,' 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and 'The New Adventures of Old Christine.' Factoid: During a Las Vegas gay rights rally in November 2008, Sykes proclaimed she was "proud to be gay."
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Famous, Black & Funny
Jamie Foxx
Started Out: Acting on a dare (from a girlfriend) and competing in an open-mic contest at a comedy club in 1989. Big Break: Playing the comely date-challenged Wanda on 'In Living Color' Hometown: Linden, Texas Also Was Seen: In the films 'Booty Call,' 'The Players Club,' 'Any Given Sunday,' 'Miami Vice,' 'Ali' and 'Ray,' for which he won an Academy Award for best actor in 2005. Also fronted his eponymous sitcom. Factoid: As of 2009, Foxx (real name: Eric Marlon Bishop) has released three music albums: 1994's 'Peep This,' 2005's 'Unpredictable' and 2008's 'Intuition.'
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Famous, Black & Funny
Tracy Morgan
Started Out: Appearing on the sitcom 'Martin,' where he played 'Hustle Man.' Big Break: Morgan's claim to fame came in 1996 when he began appearing on 'Saturday Night Live.' Hometown: New York City Also Was Seen: In 'A Thin Line Between Love and Hate,' 'Martin,' 'Half Baked,' 'How High,' 'Head of State,' 'The Tracey Morgan Show,' 'Little Man,' 'First Sunday' and '30 Rock.' Factoid: Andrew Dice Clay inspired Morgan to pursue comedy.
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Famous, Black & Funny
Chris Rock
Started Out: Doing stand-up comedy in 1985 in New York City's Catch a Rising Star Comedy Club. Big Break: Was a cast member of the popular sketch comedy series 'Saturday Night Live.' Hometown: New York City Also Was Seen: In the movie 'New Jack City,' where he played a crackhead informant. Factoid: Born in 1965, Rock won a Grammy for best spoken comedy album in 1999 for the project 'Bigger & Blacker.'
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Famous, Black & Funny
Mo'Nique
Started Out: Appearing at the downtown Baltimore Comedy Factory Outlet. Big Break: Starred on the hit UPN sitcom 'The Parkers.' Hometown: Baltimore Also Was Seen: In 'Three Can Play That Game,' 'Hair Show' and 'Shadowboxer.' Factoid: Born in 1967, Mo'Nique (real name: Monique Imes) is the author of 'Skinny Women are Evil: Notes of a Big Girl in a Small-Minded World' and the cookbook 'Skinny Cooks Can't Be Trusted.'
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Famous, Black & Funny
Eddie Griffith
Started Out: Griffith began his acting career the 1991 action-thriller 'The Last Boy Scout.' Big Break: In 1996, Griffith showcased his talent on a national scale when he landed the role of Eddie on the TV series 'Malcolm & Eddie.' Hometown: Kansas City, Mo. Also Was Seen: In 'Foolish,' 'Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo' and 'Undercover Brother.' Factoid: Suffered a heart attack in 1996 while taping an episode of 'Malcolm & Eddie' following a scene in which he did the salsa dance.
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Famous, Black & Funny
Bill Cosby
Started Out: While in his early twenties, Cosby appeared on various well-known variety programs including 'The Ed Sullivan Show.' Big Break: In 1965, he appeared as Alexander Scott in the Emmy Award-winning flick 'I Spy.' Hometown: Philadelphia Also Was Seen: In 'Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,' 'Uptown Saturday Night,' 'Let's Do it Again,' 'Ghost Dad,' 'The Meteor Man' and the groundbreaking NBC sitcom 'The Cosby Show.' Factoid: Beginning in 1965, Cosby scored the Grammy Award for best comedy album six years in a row.
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Famous, Black & Funny
George Wallace
Started Out: Doing a completely improvised routine in a New York City comedy club circa 1977. Big Break: Worked as a writer for 'The Redd Foxx Show.' Hometown: Atlanta Also Was Seen: In the movies 'The Ladykillers' and 'Batman Forever.' Factoid: Born in 1952, Wallace owns and operates one of Las Vegas' most popular stand-up comedy shows -- his very own at the legendary Flamingo.
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Famous, Black & Funny
Martin Lawrence
Started Out: Making an appearance on the national talent show 'Star Search,' which ultimately led to a gig on 'What's Happening Now!' Big Break: Hosting the groundbreaking comedy series 'Def Comedy Jam.' Hometown: Landover, Md. Also Was Seen: In the films 'Do the Right Thing,' 'House Party,' 'Boomerang,' 'Bad Boys,' 'Thin Line Between Love & Hate' and 'Big Momma's House.' In addition, he starred and executive-produced his own Fox sitcom 'Martin' for five seasons. Factoid: In 1989, Lawrence was engaged to 'Saved by the Bell' actress Lark Voorhies.
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Comments: (193)
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By: monchell on 8/11/2009 2:04PM
Chris Rock has lost his damn mine, But on the other hand, some of the comments, are so true to home, in all of our lives, it's sad but o sooo true....
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By: sam on 8/01/2009 7:30AM
hello monchell, i hope he did some investigating before the movie. but i think not because if he did he would probably make a different movie. we get played from all sides.
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By: fitfour on 8/01/2009 7:26AM
This is just another show of how ignorant we are about ourselves. We try to understand everyone else but when it comes to self knowledge wew are the lost to know or care to know.
Our so-called nappy hair is there to protect us from the sun's heat and brain overheating. When we sweat and body overheat as the body heat rises (heat rises)our hair collects the sweat and moisture holding it to maintain a balance temperature.
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By: bill on 8/17/2009 7:34AM
Sell sand to a man in the desert !!
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By: ackeegrl on 8/17/2009 7:53AM
Duh.....it's not about not the purpose of why we have hair on our head since we all know what HAIR does.....and our body is covered with it.....but the OBJECT of the docu is bad hair vs. good hair....It's a black thing...and even if you're mixed or european or white you know about straight or curly hair. Same difference except blacks have to jump through hoops to comb and manage thick nappy(extremely curly) hair that really doesn't look like it's curly. It's one way of "fiting" in a white world and looking the part. Braiding hair and dreads were once banned in the work place but it was an easier hairstyle. Now it's no big deal. One day we're all going to be bald like those aliens. lol. This should be hilarious.
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By: anatreus on 8/17/2009 8:13AM
Your brain doesn't overheat unless you're an idiot. Your BODY overheats.
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By: MsQ on 8/17/2009 10:36AM
This is a satirical attempt by Chris Rock. Maybe you just need to get over yourself to find the humor.
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By: blackrelishlilt on 8/18/2009 9:48AM
This is the craziest thing that I have read in a long time. Hair has noting to do with heat. do some research first.
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By: SCPARKER on 8/18/2009 1:28PM
This doesn't make since to me. Doesn't everyone need to be protected from the Sun & Heat. Are you saying only Black people need to be protected?
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By: CB on 8/18/2009 9:47PM
You are what is considered to be a person that is SSOOO SMART, YOU ARE STUPID!!!
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