| Godfrey | |
|---|---|
Godfrey at a 2007 American Music Awards after-party |
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| Born | Godfrey C. Danchimah, Jr. July 21, 1969 Lincoln, Nebraska, United States |
| Occupation | Actor/Comedian |
| Years active | 1996–present |
Godfrey C. Danchimah, Jr. (born July 21, 1969), professionally known as Godfrey, is an American comedian and actor[1] who has appeared on BET, VH1, Comedy Central, and feature films such as Soul Plane, Original Gangstas, Zoolander, and Johnson Family Vacation. He was also a spokesperson for 7 Up during the popular '7up yours' advertising campaign. He was also a cast member on the first season of The It Factor, a reality television show. Currently, he is a regular performer at the comedy club Comedy Cellar in New York City. He played voices of Mr. Stubborn and Mr. Tall (Season 2) in The Mr. Men Show.
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Godfrey's parents migrated to the United States from Nigeria to escape the Nigerian Civil War. Godfrey was born in Nebraska on July 21, 1969. Soon after, the family settled in Chicago where Godfrey grew up. He attended Lane Technical College Preparatory High School and received an academic scholarship to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he majored in psychology. Here he tried out for and made the varsity football team, where he performed at a traditional talent show for new team members. He stole the show performing impressions of his coaches and teammates and discovered his comedic talent. Godfrey honed his stand-up skills at the legendary All Jokes Aside Comedy Club in Chicago in the early 90's. In 1995, Godfrey made his New York debut at Caroline's Comedy Club and The Comic Strip Live and was soon signed by the William Morris Talent Agency. He began working regularly in television, first behind the cameras as a warm-up comedian for The Cosby Show and Soul Man. His first on-camera appearance featured him performing stand-up comedy for NBC's Friday Night Videos, followed by more small television and film roles. In 2000, Godfrey appeared in the Aspen Comedy Festival and on Comedy Central's Premium Blend. He also played a comical role in the urban movie Soul Plane, acting as an African pilot. He has also been in numerous episodes of BET's Comic View. He continues to do film and television work alongside his stand-up career in New York. His first one-hour special, "Godfrey: Black by Accident" was shot for Comedy Central on January 22, 2011 at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City to a standing room only audience.[2]