Aries Spears
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Aries Spears | |
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Born | Aries Spears April 3, 1975 Chicago, Illinois |
Occupation | Actor, comedian |
Years active | 1987-present |
Aries Spears (born April 3, 1975) is an American actor and comedian. Spears was one of the actors on FOX's sketch comedy series MADtv. He, along with Debra Wilson, previously held the record being the longest serving cast member on the show. The record was broken by fellow cast member Michael McDonald, who appeared in his 10th season in September 2007.
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[edit] Early life
Aries Spears was born in Chicago, Illinois, and became a comedian at the age of 14. Spears moved to New Jersey, where he ultimately dropped out of North Brunswick Township High School in North Brunswick Township, at age 17.[1] Spears started doing his own comedy routine around his hometown. Spears' first television appearance was on Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam, followed by It's Showtime at the Apollo (1987).
[edit] Career
[edit] Early film and TV roles
Spears moved to Los Angeles in 1992, landed a recurring role on A Different World (1987) and became a regular at The Comedy Store, The Improv and The Laugh Factory. His additional television credits include Crosstown Traffic, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993) and Soul Train.
By the age of 17, he landed a part in the movie Malcolm X. Shortly thereafter, Spears was cast in a starring role opposite Glenn Frey in South of Sunset (1993). Spears' other movies included Home of Angels (1994), starring Abe Vigoda, Sherman Hemsley and Joe Frazier. Spears also appeared in The Pest (1997) opposite John Leguizamo, Jerry Maguire (1996), and Out-of-Sync (1995).
[edit] MADtv
Aries Spears joined the cast of MADtv during its 3rd season in 1997, and left at the end of its 10th season in 2005, for a total of 8 seasons. During his stay, he created characters such as comedienne Belma Buttons (co-host of fictional BET show "Reality Check"), Dollar Bill Montgomery (a host of an urban parody of Politically Incorrect called "Real **********ing Talk with Dollar Bill Montgomery"), and James Brown Jr. (co-host of Cabana Chat).
He is well known for his impressions of African American celebrities, political figures, athletes, rappers, R&B singers, and reporters. His most memorable impersonations include: Bill Cosby, Bobby Brown, Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy, Evander Holyfield, James Brown, Jesse Jackson, Kevin Eubanks, LL Cool J, Magic Johnson, MC Hammer, Michael Jackson, Mike Tyson, Queen Latifah, Shaquille O'Neal, Sisqo, Wayne Brady, Jay-Z
[edit] Impressions
- 50 Cent
- Afroman
- Al Roker
- Alan Keyes
- Allen Iverson
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Arsenio Hall
- Bernard Shaw
- Bill Cosby
- Bill Robinson
- Billy Blanks
- Billy Dee Williams
- Bobby Brown
- Bryant Gumbel
- Chaka Khan
- Chaz Lamar Shepherd
- Clipse
- Colin Powell
- Coolio
- Cuba Gooding Jr.
- Danny Glover
- Denzel Washington
- Dexter King
- DMX
- Don King
- Dulé Hill
- Ed Jones
- Eddie Murphy
- Eriq La Salle
- Evander Holyfield
- Gary Coleman
- George Foreman
- Gerald Levert
- Ice Cube
- Isabel Sanford
- James Brown
- Jamie Foxx
- Jay-Z
- Jesse Jackson
- Jesus (Bible Dude Sketch)
- Jimmie Walker
- Juvenile
- Kevin Eubanks
- Kobe Bryant
- Little Richard
- LL Cool J
- Louis Farrakhan
- Magic Johnson
- Malcolm X
- Mariah Carey
- Marion "Suge" Knight
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Martin Lawrence
- Mase (in a skit with Nicole Sullivan as the Vancome Lady, titled "It's a Vancome Life")
- Master P.
- Maya Angelou
- MC Hammer
- Method Man
- Michael Jackson
- Michael Jordan
- Mike Tyson
- Missy Elliott
- Mother Love
- O.J. Simpson
- Oprah Winfrey
- Oscar de la Hoya
- P. Diddy
- Queen Latifah
- R. Kelly
- Ray Charles
- Redd Foxx
- Ron Artest
- Ruben Studdard
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Sacha Baron Cohen
- Shaquille O'Neal
- Sisqó
- Snoop Dogg
- Stedman Graham
- Suge Knight
- Ted Lange
- The Rock
- Tiger Woods
- Tito Jackson
- The Notorious BIG
- Vaughn Lowery
- Vijay Singh
- Wayne Brady
- Wesley Snipes
- Will Smith
[edit] Post-MADtv
Spears recently appeared on a season 2 episode of Mind of Mencia, which parodied Jamie Foxx's role in Kanye West's music video for "Gold Digger". He also appeared in the 2007 movie Hood of Horror.
Spears can also be found in the TV series The Underground as well as the role of Wizard Kelly in The Proud Family disney animated series
[edit] Filmography
- Hood of Horror (2006)
- Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
- The Pest (1997)
- Jerry Maguire (1996)
[edit] References
- ^ Gadino, Dylan P. "Sketching up with Aries Spears", Punchline magazine. Accessed October 10, 2007. 'His family – his mother, Doris Spears is a renowned jazz singer – moved to New Jersey where he eventually dropped out of North Brunswick Township High School when he was 17."
Step on stage