Everybody Hates Chris is an award-winning CW sitcom that premiered in 2005 and ran until 2009. Chris Rock and Ali LeRoi found inspiration in the comedian’s childhood to create a television series about a nerdy African American teenager from a close-knit family growing up in the then-crime-ridden Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn while traveling across town to study and navigate the social hierarchy at the all-white Corleone Junior High School in the 1980s. Young Chris experiences isolation until he befriends fellow geek Greg (Vincent Martella).
With an animated reboot of Everybody Hates Chris coming to Comedy Central and Paramount Plus soon, it’s time to catch up with the stellar cast of the original show and see what they are up to today.
Chris Rock
After the success of his semi-autobiographical TV show, Chris Rock continued to be a force in the entertainment industry. The Saturday Night Live alum continued to act, starring in films like Death at a Funeral, Top Five, The Week Of, and Amsterdam. Rock made his Broadway debut in the play The Motherf-r with the Hat in 2011. He also appeared on the small screen on Empire, Kevin Can Wait, and Fargo.
Over the years, Rock has hosted the Academy Awards several times. In 2022, he was attacked on stage by Academy Award-winning actor Will Smith. A year later, the comedian roasted Smith in the Netflix stand-up comedy special, Selective Outrage, which rocketed to Netflix’s Top 10 Most Watched charts.
Tyler James Williams
Tyler James Williams captured the hearts of a generation of young Chris on the popular CW sitcom. After the show, the actor moved from one strength to another, starring in the musical film Let It Shine in 2012 and the hit AMC series The Walking Dead as Noah from 2014 to 2015.
Today, Williams plays Gregory Eddie on the acclaimed ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary, for which he won the 2023 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Television Series and received two nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards.
He has also appeared on the silver screen in films like Detroit and The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Williams’ acting talent continues to prove that his early success on Everybody Hates Chris was just the beginning.
Terry Crews
Terry Crews shone in the role of Julius Rock, the hardworking and dedicated patriarch on Everybody Hates Chris. After the show, he starred in the reality TV series The Family Crews. He later won the role of Terry Jeffords in the hit sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which lasted from 2013 to 2021. Crews published his autobiography, Manhood: How to Be a Better Man or Just Live with One in 2014. He also appeared on the big screen in Blended, Rumble, and the blockbuster Expendables franchise. The charismatic star became the host of the popular gameshows Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and America’s Got Talent.
Crews also became an influential activist during the #MeToo movement when he revealed he was sexually assaulted in 2016. The courage of his vulnerable disclosure and his robust support for other survivors of sexual abuse saw him awarded the prestigious 2017 Person of the Year feature by Time Magazine.
Tichina Arnold
Tichina Arnold was unforgettable as Rochelle, the firm yet loving mother on Everybody Hates Chris. In 2014, she appeared in the Chris Rock film Top Five and The Main Event on Netflix. Arnold appeared in other sitcoms, playing the role of Judi Mann opposite Fran Drescher in Happily Divorced and Cassie Calloway in Survivors Remorse. Since 2018, she has played Tina Butler in The Neighborhood.
Tequan Richmond
After playing Drew, Chris’ little brother, Tequan Richmond continued to have a successful career as a television actor. He starred as TJ Ashford on the soap opera ABC’s General Hospital from 2012 to 2018. Before he became a member of the Everybody Hates Chris cast, Richmond played young Ray Charles Jr. in the Academy Award-winning biopic Ray. The North Carolina native returned to the silver screen in 2013 as Beltway sniper Lee Boyd Malvo in Blue Caprice. He also appeared on popular shows like Numbers, Weeds, and Private Practice. Richmond starred as Bryson on BET’s Boomerang from 2018 to 2019.
Imani Hakim
After playing Tonya, the little sister of Chris, Imani Hakim starred as Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas in the Lifetime film The Gabby Douglas Story in 2014. She’s also appeared on the big screen in Chocolate City and Burning Sands. Today, Imani co-stars as game tester Dana Bryant on the hit Apple TV comedy series Mythic Quest.
Vincent Martella
Vincent Martella played adorable geek Greg Wuliger on Everybody Hates Chris. He has forged a successful career as a voice actor after the show ended. Martella played Phineas Flynn on the animated series Phineas and Ferb from 2007 to 2015 on Disney. He is also the voice of Hope Estheim in Final Fantasy XIII.
Martella voices Jason Todd/Robin in the animated DCEU films Batman: Under the Red Hood and Batman: Death in the Family. He also played Patrick on the fourth season of The Walking Dead, which starred his former co-star Tyler James Williams.
Conclusion
It’s heartwarming to see that the talented cast of Everybody Hates Chris is enjoying continued success. From acting to activism, the sitcom was a launchpad for each actor to make their mark.