Hubbry Logo
search
logo
401974

Mike Epps

logo
Community Hub0 Subscribers
Write something...
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
See all
Mike Epps

Michael Elliot Epps (born November 18, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He played Day-Day Jones in Next Friday and its sequel, Friday After Next, and also appeared in The Hangover and The Hangover Part III as "Black Doug". He was the voice of main character Boog in Open Season 2, replacing Martin Lawrence, with whom he starred in the comedy Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, playing "Reggie", cousin of Roscoe (played by Lawrence). He played Lloyd Jefferson "L.J." Wayne in the Resident Evil films (2004–2007) and O'Neil in the Sony's Spider-Man Universe film Madame Web (2024). He has had starring roles in the sitcoms Uncle Buck and The Upshaws.

Epps was born and raised in Indianapolis, the son of Mary Reed and Tommie Epps. In his adulthood, Epps moved to Brooklyn to star in Def Comedy Jam in 1994.

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.

Epps' first on-screen appearance came in Vin Diesel's second directorial film, Strays in 1997. In 1999, Epps was then cast as Ice Cube's co-star in the sequel, Next Friday. This followed weeks of auditions, after Ice Cube attended a stand-up set Epps did, and then asked Epps to try out for the role of Day-Day Jones. Later that year, Epps had a cameo in 3 Strikes, and supported Jamie Foxx in Bait.

Epps had a voice role in the 2001 film Dr. Dolittle 2 as Sonny the Bear 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 Friday's second sequel Friday After Next. He played Lloyd Jefferson "L.J." Wayne in the films Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) and Resident Evil: Extinction (2007). Epps also voiced another bear character (Boog) in the 2008 film Open Season 2 after Martin Lawrence declined the role; he previously worked with Lawrence in the comedy Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008), playing "Reggie", cousin of Roscoe (played by Lawrence). He played "Black Doug" in The Hangover (2009) and The Hangover Part III (2013). In 2010, Epps also released a stand-up comedy special, Under Rated & Never Faded, and hosted the 2010 BET Hip Hop Awards.

Epps 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, who is engaged in an affair with the titular character's sister. Epps' performance was well received by critics and audiences. In 2014, Epps landed the coveted role of Richard Pryor in a planned Pryor biopic to be directed by Lee Daniels; however, the project has remained in development hell. Epps did portray Pryor in the 2016 Nina Simone biopic Nina and in an episode of the HBO drama series Winning Time about the L.A. Lakers.

Epps had a starring role in the 2016 comedy horror film Meet the Blacks and its 2021 sequel The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2. He also starred as the title character in the single-season 2016 sitcom Uncle Buck. Since 2021, he has been a main cast member on the Netflix sitcom The Upshaws.

Epps "hosted" the Jim Jones and Skull Gang album 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.

See all
User Avatar
No comments yet.