Godfrey (comedian)
Encyclopedia
Godfrey C. Danchimah, Jr. (born July 21, 1969), professionally known as Godfrey, is an American
comedian
and actor
who has appeared on BET
, VH1
, Comedy Central
, and feature film
s 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
.
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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
who has appeared on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
, and feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
s such as Soul Plane
Soul Plane
Soul Plane is a 2004 comedy film starring Kevin Hart, Method Man, Tom Arnold, D.L. Hughley, Mo'Nique, Loni Love, K.D. Aubert, Godfrey, and Snoop Dogg.-Plot:...
, Original Gangstas
Original Gangstas
Original Gangstas is a 1996 action movie set in urban Gary, Indiana starring Blaxploitation film stars such as Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, Jim Brown, and Richard Roundtree....
, Zoolander
Zoolander
Zoolander is a 2001 American satirical comedy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the VH1 Fashion Awards television specials in 1996 and 1997. The short films and the...
, and Johnson Family Vacation
Johnson Family Vacation
Johnson Family Vacation is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Christopher Erskin. It stars Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams, Bow Wow, Gabby Soleil, Shannon Elizabeth, Solange Knowles, and Steve Harvey...
. He was also a spokesperson for 7 Up
7 Up
7 Up is a brand of a lemon-lime flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The rights to the brand are held by Dr Pepper Snapple Group in the United States, and PepsiCo in the rest of the world, including Puerto Rico, where the concentrate is manufactured at the Pepsi facility in Cidra...
during the popular '7up yours' advertising campaign.
He was also a cast member on the first season of The It Factor
The It Factor (TV series)
The It Factor is a reality television show that aired on the Bravo network. It followed actors trying to lead successful careers.The show lasted for two seasons. The first season profiled actors in New York City and the second season profiled actors in Los Angeles...
, a reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show. Currently, he is a regular performer at the comedy club Comedy Cellar
Comedy Cellar
The Comedy Cellar is a comedy club in Manhattan, where many top New York comedians perform. It was founded in 1982 by then standup comedian, and current television writer/producer Bill Grundfest...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He played voices of Mr. Stubborn and Mr. Tall (Season 2) in The Mr. Men Show
The Mr. Men Show
The Mr. Men Show is an animated television series based on the original Mr. Men and Little Miss books created in the 1970s, 80s and 90s by British author Roger Hargreaves and his son Adam Hargreaves. Adapted from the published source material into a television variety program, The Mr...
.
Biography
Godfrey's parents migrated to the United States from NigeriaNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
to escape the Nigerian Civil War
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra...
. Godfrey was born in Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
on July 21, 1969. Soon after, the family settled in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
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
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, 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
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
and Soul Man
Soul Man (TV series)
Soul Man is an American sitcom that aired on ABC in 1997 that lasted two seasons and starred Dan Aykroyd.The series premiered on April 15, 1997, and was picked up for a second season of 22 episodes after only three episodes aired for the first season...
. His first on-camera appearance featured him performing stand-up comedy for NBC's Friday Night Videos
Friday Night Videos
Friday Night Videos is an American music video show broadcast on the NBC television network from July 29, 1983 to December 30, 2000, and was the network's attempt to capitalize on the emerging popularity of music videos as seen on MTV...
, followed by more small television and film roles. In 2000, Godfrey appeared in the Aspen Comedy Festival and on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
's Premium Blend
Premium Blend
Premium Blend was a television show that aired on the American cable television channel Comedy Central from 1997 to 2005.The program features a well-known stand up comedian as an emcee who introduces four or five lesser known comedians looking for a big break on television...
. He also played a comical role in the urban movie Soul Plane
Soul Plane
Soul Plane is a 2004 comedy film starring Kevin Hart, Method Man, Tom Arnold, D.L. Hughley, Mo'Nique, Loni Love, K.D. Aubert, Godfrey, and Snoop Dogg.-Plot:...
, 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.
Television
- The Heart, She HollerThe Heart, She HollerThe Heart, She Holler is a live action miniseries on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. The series, which premiered on November 6, 2011, is produced by PFFR....
- N-WORD - The Mr. Men ShowThe Mr. Men ShowThe Mr. Men Show is an animated television series based on the original Mr. Men and Little Miss books created in the 1970s, 80s and 90s by British author Roger Hargreaves and his son Adam Hargreaves. Adapted from the published source material into a television variety program, The Mr...
- Mr. Stubborn, Mr. Tall (voice) - LateLineLateLineLateLine is an American TV sitcom that ran on NBC from March 17, 1998, through March 16, 1999. Due to an abrupt cancellation, there were seven unaired episodes .Created by John Markus and Al Franken , LateLine depicted the...
- episode The Minister of Television as Mfune Umbwebwe - Third WatchThird WatchThird Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
- episode Blackout as Ricky - Tough Crowd with Colin QuinnTough Crowd with Colin QuinnTough Crowd with Colin Quinn is a comedic talk show that aired on Comedy Central. The show featured roundtable discussions, inviting various guests of many views, mixing mostly comics/entertainers expressing themselves with journalists and political figures. Quinn's regular guests consisted mainly...
- Celebrity Paranormal ProjectCelebrity Paranormal ProjectCelebrity Paranormal Project is a paranormal reality television series that originally aired from October 22, 2006 to November 1, 2007 on VH1. The show is currently on hiatus, so it is unknown if VH1 will re-air the show and begin with a second season...
- Pearl's Story - The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest...The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest...truTV Presents: World's Dumbest... is a cable television series produced by Meetinghouse Productions, Inc. and is airing on truTV...
- Frequent commentator - Black to the FutureBlack to the FutureBlack to the Future is a 2009 television mini-series produced by VH1, that talks about history of events and trends about black people, for Black History Month...
- Himself - 30 Rock30 Rock30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
- episode "The BubbleThe Bubble (30 Rock)"The Bubble" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the American television series 30 Rock. It was written by series' creator Tina Fey and directed by Tricia Brock. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on March 19, 2009. Jon Hamm and...
" as Rick - LouieLouie (TV series)Louie is an American comedy television series on the FX network that began airing in 2010. It is written, directed, edited and produced by the show's creator, stand-up comedian Louis C.K., who stars as a fictionalized version of himself, a comedian and newly divorced father raising his two...
- Himself
Filmography
- Original GangstasOriginal GangstasOriginal Gangstas is a 1996 action movie set in urban Gary, Indiana starring Blaxploitation film stars such as Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, Jim Brown, and Richard Roundtree....
- Marcus - Joe's ApartmentJoe's ApartmentJoe's Apartment is a 1996 musical-serio-comedy film starring Jerry O'Connell and Megan Ward and the first film produced by MTV Films. It was based on a 1992 short film first made for MTV , but was also inspired by both the 1987 Japanese film Gokiburi-tachi No Tasogare and...
- Cockroach (voice) - Chain ReactionChain Reaction (film)Chain Reaction is a 1996 American film starring Keanu Reeves, Morgan Freeman, Rachel Weisz, Brian Cox, Kevin Dunn and Fred Ward. It presents a fictional account of the invention of bubble fusion using sonoluminescence and the attempts by the United States Government to prevent the spreading of this...
- Chidi Egbuna - In the Weeds - Stan
- 30 Years to Life30 Years to Life30 Years to Life is a 2001 American comedy film, written and directed by Vanessa Middleton. The film marks Middleton's directorial debut, and stars Allen Payne, Paula Jai Parker, and Tracy Morgan.-Plot:...
- Comedian - ZoolanderZoolanderZoolander is a 2001 American satirical comedy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the VH1 Fashion Awards television specials in 1996 and 1997. The short films and the...
- Janitor Derek - Johnson Family VacationJohnson Family VacationJohnson Family Vacation is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Christopher Erskin. It stars Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams, Bow Wow, Gabby Soleil, Shannon Elizabeth, Solange Knowles, and Steve Harvey...
- Motorcycle Cop - Soul PlaneSoul PlaneSoul Plane is a 2004 comedy film starring Kevin Hart, Method Man, Tom Arnold, D.L. Hughley, Mo'Nique, Loni Love, K.D. Aubert, Godfrey, and Snoop Dogg.-Plot:...
- Gaeman - The CookoutThe CookoutThe Cookout is a 2004 comedy film, directed by Lance Rivera. It is co-written by and features Queen Latifah, and is also the feature film debut for her mother Rita Owens.-Plot:...
- Jasper - Short Fuse - Dogan
- Virginia - Griffin
- Phat GirlzPhat GirlzPhat Girlz is a 2006 comedy film released in North America on April 7, 2006. The DVD and its soundtrack was released on August 22, 2006.-Box office:...
- Akibo - Stand UpStand Up (film)Stand Up is 2008 British film about stand up comedy written and directed by Joseph Pierce. It starred Max Alexander, Paul Putner, Laurene Landon, Godfrey, Ty Barnett and Daniel Rigby....
- Dante - Careless - Sabio
- A Dennis the Menace ChristmasA Dennis the Menace ChristmasA Dennis the Menace Christmas is a 2007 direct-to-video movie starring Maxwell Perry Cotton and Robert Wagner, based on the comic strip by Hank Ketcham. It is a sequel to Dennis the Menace and Dennis the Menace Strikes Again. The plot is based on Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol...
- Santa/Bob The Angel - Show StoppersShow stoppersThe Showstoppers was a four-piece African American vocal soul group formed in Philadelphia about 1967. They are best remembered for their 1967 hit, "Ain't Nothin' But a Houseparty", which was the debut release on three record labels: Showtime Records, Heritage Records, and Beacon...
- Final Judge - The Sweep - Jerome
- Unemployed - Jamal