Aries Spears
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Nairobi Aries Spears (born April 3, 1975) is an American stand-up comedian, impressionist, and actor from New Jersey. Spears was a regular on Fox's sketch comedy series Mad TV (1997–2005), appearing in 198 episodes, making him the second longest-serving cast member on the show behind Michael McDonald..[1][2] In 2011, he released a special called Aries Spears: Hollywood, Look I'm Smiling.[3] and in 2018 and 2020, he co-hosted the AVN Awards.[4][5][6]
April 3, 1975
Aries Spears | |
|---|---|
Spears in 2025 | |
| Born | Nairobi Aries Spears April 3, 1975 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Children | 3 |
| Comedy career | |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Medium | Stand-up, film, television |
| Genre | Sketch comedy |
Early life
Spears was born in Chicago, Illinois, and moved to New York when he was two years old. His mother, Doris Spears, is a jazz singer. Spears moved to New Jersey at age eleven and attended Arthur M. Judd Elementary School. He was expelled for fighting during his sophomore year in North Brunswick Township High School in North Brunswick.[citation needed]
Spears said in a 2016 interview that his first experience performing stand-up comedy was doing impressions of James Brown and Jack Nicholson at the "Uptown Comedy Cafe" in Harlem at about fourteen years old.[7]
Career
Early film and TV roles
Spears cites the Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam as his first big break in comedy.[7] He featured in episode nine of the second season of the program in 1992, when he was sixteen years old,[8][9] and returned in 1997 for episode twelve of the seventh season.[8] He also performed on It's Showtime at the Apollo.[citation needed]
He moved to Los Angeles in 1992,[1] landed a recurring role on A Different World (1993) and became a regular at The Comedy Store, The Improv and The Laugh Factory. Other television credits include Crosstown Traffic, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993) and Soul Train.[citation needed]
Spears was cast in a starring role opposite Glenn Frey in South of Sunset (1993). Spears's other film appearances include Home of Angels (1994), The Pest (1997), Jerry Maguire in which he played Teepee, brother of Rod Tidwell (1996), Out-of-Sync (1995), and The Proud Family (2003).[citation needed]
MADtv
Spears joined the cast of MADtv during its third season in 1997 and he left at the end of its tenth season in 2005.[1] During his tenure, Spears created characters such as comedian Belma Buttons, Walter (Crackheads), Reggie (Erascist), Dollar Bill Montgomery, The Klumps, Sisqo, Evander Holyfield, and El Diablo Negro.[1] He also performed impressions of celebrities including Bill Cosby, Michael Jackson, Mike Tyson, Shaquille O'Neal, James Brown, Al Pacino, Eddie Murphy,[1] Jay-Z, Kanye West, LL Cool J, DMX, Snoop Dogg, R Kelly, Gerald Levert, Denzel Washington, Martin Lawrence, and Paul Mooney.[citation needed]
After MADtv
Spears appeared in a second-season episode of Mind of Mencia, which parodied Jamie Foxx's role in Kanye West's music video for "Gold Digger." He appeared in the 2006 film Hood of Horror. Spears performed in the TV series The Underground and voiced the character Wizard Kelly in the animated television series The Proud Family.[citation needed]
Spears appeared in two episodes of Frank Caliendo's sketch comedy show Frank TV as Shaquille O'Neal.[citation needed]
He appeared alongside Cedric the Entertainer and other comedians in the All Star Comedy Jam in 2009.[citation needed]
In 2011, Spears released a comedy special titled Aries Spears: Hollywood, Look I'm Smiling.[3]
According to Deadline Hollywood, Spears was expected to appear alongside Franco Nero, Sherilyn Fenn, Paul Rodriguez, and Jeff DuJardin in a dark comedy feature film directed by Vlad Kozlov, titled The Immortalist, in 2020.[10]
Spears co-hosted the AVN awards in 2018 and again in 2020.[4][5][6]
In 2025, Spears participated in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Comedy Festival, an event characterized by Human Rights Watch as an effort by the Saudi government to whitewash its human rights abuses.[11][12][13]
Sexual abuse allegation
On August 30, 2022, Spears and Tiffany Haddish were sued for alleged grooming and sexual abuse of two minors. The lawsuit details that the minors were recruited to film comedy skits, and were asked to perform sexually suggestive content. Spears's attorney stated "he isn't going to fall for any shakedown" in reference to Spears.[14][15][16] That September, the accuser filed to have the claims against both dismissed with prejudice.[17]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Home of Angels | Gang Leader | |
| 1995 | Out-of-Sync | Frank | |
| 1996 | Jerry Maguire | Tee Pee Tidwell | |
| 1997 | The Pest | Chubby | |
| 1998 | Why Do Fools Fall in Love | Redd Foxx | |
| 2001 | Josie and the Pussycats | The Other Carson Daly | |
| Higher Ed | Lil' Bud | ||
| 2003 | Love Chronicles | Playa | |
| The Night B4 Christmas | Elvin (voice) | TV movie | |
| 2004 | Jiminy Glick in Lalawood | Gunnar "MC GUN" Jorge | |
| 2005 | The Proud Family Movie | Wizard Kelly/Board Member (voice) | TV movie |
| 2006 | Hood of Horror | Quon | |
| The Boo Crew | Money/Jay-Z/Africans (voice) | TV movie | |
| 2015 | Promoted | Platinum Artist | |
| 2017 | Kings | Keith | |
| 2019 | Chase | Miles | |
| 2020 | The 420 Movie: Mary & Jane | Patrolman Watkins | |
| 2021 | Immortalist | Doctor Olivier Johnson | |
| 2024 | Holy Cash | Willie Dollars |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Def Comedy Jam | Himself | Episode: "Episode #2.9" |
| 1993 | Soul Train | Himself/Guest Host | Episode: "Episode #22.13" & "#23.3" |
| A Different World | Ty | Episode: "Mind Your Own Business" & "Dancing Machines" | |
| South of Sunset | Ziggy Duane | Main Cast | |
| 1994 | The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. | Bobby Swan | Episode: "Stagecoach" |
| 1996 | C Bear and Jamal | Kwame/Big Chill (voice) | Main Cast |
| 1997 | Def Comedy Jam | Himself | Episode: "Episode #7.6" |
| 1997–2005 | MADtv | Himself/Cast Member | Main Cast: Season 3–10 |
| 2001 | The Test | Himself/Panelist | Episode: "The Roommate Test" |
| 2001–03 | The Proud Family | Wizard Kelly (voice) | Recurring Cast |
| 2002 | Late Friday | Himself | Episode: "Episode #2.8" |
| The Rerun Show | Louise Jefferson | Episode: "Saved by the Bell: Jessie's Song/The Jeffersons: Florence in Love" | |
| 2003 | Laffapalooza | Himself | Episode: "Laffapalooza Volume 3" |
| 2004 | ComicView | Himself | Episode: "Episode #13.2" |
| 2005 | Lilo & Stitch: The Series | Wizard Kelly (voice) | Episode: "Spats: Experiment 397" |
| Comedy Central Presents | Himself | Episode: "Aries Spears" | |
| 2006 | The Underground | Himself/Cast Member | Main Cast |
| Mind of Mencia | Himself/Guest Host | Episode: "Episode #2.1" | |
| 2006–14 | Comics Unleashed | Himself | Recurring Guest |
| 2007 | CSI: Miami | Oscar Monahan | Episode: "Inside Out" & "Chain Reaction" |
| 2009 | Black to the Future | Himself | Episode: "Hour 1: The 70s" |
| Just for Laughs | Himself | Episode: "Gerry Dee" | |
| 2009–19 | Laugh Factory | Himself | Recurring Guest |
| 2010 | The Boondocks | Lord Rufus Crabmiser (voice) | Episode: "Stinkmeaner 3: The Hateocracy" |
| Supreme Court of Comedy | Himself | Episode: "Aries Spears vs. Paul Mooney" | |
| 2012 | ComicView | Himself | Episode: "Kevin Hart/Aries Spears/Omar" |
| Black Dynamite | Mr. T/O. J. Simpson (voice) | Recurring Cast: Season 1 | |
| 2013 | Funny as Hell | Himself | Episode: "Episode #3.8" |
| Who Gets the Last Laugh? | Himself | Episode: "Aries Spears/Natasha Leggero/Andy Dick" | |
| 2015 | Turbo FAST | Mr. Tinfoil (voice) | Episode: Tough as Snails/C.O.N.S.P.I.R.A.C.Y. |
| Gotham Comedy Live | Himself/Host | Episode: "Aries Spears" | |
| 2016 | MADtv | Himself | Episode: "Episode #15.3" |
| American Dad! | Shaquille O'Neal (voice) | Episode: Criss-Cross Applesauce: The Ballad of Billy Jesusworth | |
| TripTank | Various Voices (voice) | Recurring Cast: Season 2 | |
| 2018 | AVN Awards | Himself/Host | Main Host |
| Family Guy | Eddie Murphy/Shaquille O'Neal (voice) | Episode: "Pal Stewie" & "Regarding Carter" | |
| 2020 | AVN Awards | Himself/Host | Main Host |
| Gentefied | Chef Michael | Episode: "Unemployed AF" | |
| 2022 | Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy | Himself | Main Guest |
| Dark Side of Comedy | Himself | Episode: "Roseanne Barr" & "Artie Lange" | |
| 2022– | The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder | Wizard Kelly (voice) | Recurring Cast |
| 2023 | See It Loud: The History of Black Television | Himself | Recurring Guest |
Comedy releases
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2010 | Chocolate Sundaes Comedy Show: Live on Sunset Strip! |
| 2011 | Aries Spears: Hollywood, Look I'm Smiling |
| 2016 | Aries Spears: Comedy Blueprint |
Discography
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2005 | I Ain't Scared! |
Documentary
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Ladies and Gentlemen, Jordan Rock |
| Phunny Business: A Black Comedy |
See also
- Dave Chappelle - American stand-up comedian and actor
- Eddie Murphy - American stand-up comedian and actor
- Kevin Hart - American stand-up comedian and actor
- Richard Pryor - American stand-up comedian and actor (1940–2005)