Despite A Reported $60M Net Worth, Chris Rock Regrets Missing Out On This Opportunity In The Business — ‘I’m Out Of $30M’ – AfroTech
Chris Rock reveals how much money he missed out on with the film “Shrek.”
Rock is a South Carolina native raised in Brooklyn, New York. He dropped out of high school, earned a GED, studied broadcast journalism for a year at a community college, and worked various jobs to sustain himself, including as a busboy at Red Lobster, according to Oprah. He held on to his aspirations for a career in comedy.
“By the time I was 7 or 8, I wanted to be a comedy writer. When I’d see the credits roll after a comedy show, I’d say to myself, ‘I’m going to write for one of these shows one day,’” he said, per Oprah.
While in line for a ticket to comedian Eddie Murphy’s stand-up show at Radio City Music Hall in 1985, he stumbled upon a newspaper ad promoting an open-mic session at comedy club Catch a Rising Star. He auditioned and performed there as part of his entry into comedy. Rock credited Murphy as the first to inspire him “to be in front of the camera as a comedian” during a conversation with Oprah.
A few years later, opportunities arose, including appearances on “The Arsenio Hall Show” in the late 80s and “Saturday Night Live,” which paved the way for a slew of comedy specials and shows, including “The Chris Rock Show” (1997-2000). Murphy, also a Saturday Night Live alum, gave Rock his first film role as a valet in “Beverly Hills II” (1987), according to an interview on The Tonight Show.
Rock and Murphy have forged their own legacies in comedy. So, it should come as no surprise that their talents were both sought after for the role of Donkey in “Shrek”, a box-office phenomenon whose first three films alone grossed millions. According to Box Office Mojo, across the franchise’s lifetime, “Shrek” has earned $268.2 million, “Shrek 2” has earned $441.5 million, and “Shrek the Third” has earned $322.7 million.
Rock noted on the “Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade” podcast that the “Shrek” cast earned “so much money” from the franchise that they didn’t have to work for nearly two decades.
Murphy ultimately landed the role of Donkey. Rock shared he had been approached for the role “at least twice.” However, Eddie Murphy had the advantage of a home studio, allowing him to record at his convenience and ultimately giving him the edge.
“I love Eddie. This is how crazy Eddie could be. Eddie has the studio in his house, like the recording studio in his house. So all he has to do is go downstairs to do Donkey. He would make them wait for months at a time, and at least twice, they negotiated deals with me to play Donkey,” Rock explained. “And then Eddie just went downstairs, and I’m out of $30 million just cause Eddie went downstairs.”
While “Shrek” would have been a great opportunity, the comedian is still doing well. His career has led him to amass an estimated net worth of $60 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
