DeRay Davis

Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, comedian-turned-actor DeRay Davis developed and honed a hip, sardonic, streetwise mentality at an early age and parlayed it into the comedy club circuit. DeRay achieved his career breakthrough at the Laffapalooza Festival in Atlanta, then scored a triple-whammy by winning the Comedy Central Laugh Riots Competition and landing covetable spots in the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival and the Cedric the Entertainer Festival. Throughout this time, Davis built routines that were natural to him, maintaining his signature style – vulgar and droll, yet also telling and deeply personal. He wrote about the subjects of race, poverty, and his challenging experiences growing up in the Windy City projects with a dysfunctional African-American family.

The transition from stand-up to movies represented a relatively short jump, as most of Davis’ early film assignments emphasized the same subject matter as his routines. For example, he played the “Hustle Guy” in Barbershop and its sequel, Barbershop 2: Back in Business; rapper Mario “Fa Real” Greene in the Martin Short comedy Jiminy Glick in La La Wood; and a Jamaican stoner in Johnson Family Vacation.

DeRay also scored roles in blockbuster comedies like 21 Jump Street, Semi-Pro, and Old Dogs. He has appeared on television series including his recurring role on FX’s Snowfall, HBO’s Entourage, Comedy Central’s Reno 911!, and, perhaps most famously, as a series regular on the hit MTV series Wild N Out. His stand-up comedy has brought him success on televised comedy revues such as Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, HBO’S Def Comedy Jam, and his wildly successful Showtime comedy special, DeRay Davis: Power Play. DeRay currently headlines tours around the country.

Age Recommendation: Adults Only (18+)This show contains adult humor and uncensored language that may not be suitable for younger audiences.