Dave Chappelle Discusses Stand Up, Making A Rumored $60 Million & More On 'Kimmel'
Dave Chappelle made a guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night, where he discussed why he has a no phone policy, as well as earning a reported $60 million for three Netflix specials (two of which were recently released).
In regards to the latter the comedian said that he "learned from the first time," referring to the time he left a $50 million offer from Comedy Central, and the news that followed after he declined that offer.
"I would rather people didn't know, but I kind of don't care," Chappelle told Kimmel. From there the two then discussed why Chappelle does not like to have phones at his stand up shows.
"One, it became a thing where I walked onstage and I'd see a sea of cellphones so I knew that anything I said in the room I was saying to everybody whether they were in the room or not, which is not an empowering feeling as a comedian," Chappelle said. "And the other thing is comedians need the element of surprise, so if someone sees a joke I'm doing before I get to their city then I got to do all new jokes. I couldn't write fast enough."
Prior to speaking with Kimmel, Chappelle had spoken with CBS' Gayle King, where the two talked about the comedian leaving Chappelle's Show, as well as how he really feels about Key & Peele.
"I was talkin' to a guy…he basically said to me that comedy is a reconciliation of paradox, and I think that was an irreconcilable moment for me," Chappelle said. "That I was in this very successful place, but the emotional content of it didn't feel anything like what I imagined success should feel like. It just didn't feel right."
As for Key & Peele, Chappelle remarked that he is a fan of the show, but his hostility seems to be directed at Comedy Central, more so than the show and its creators.
"I'm a fan of this show. I fought the network very hard so that those conventions could come to fruition," Chappelle said. "So, like the first episode I do, that black white supremacist sketch. And it's like, 'Well, that's 10 minutes long. It should be five minutes long.' Why should it be five minutes long? Like, these types of conventions. I fought very hard. So when I watch Key & Peele and I see they're doing a format that I created, and at the end of the show, it says, ‘Created by Key & Peele,’ that hurts my feelings."
Watch the full interview between Chappelle and Kimmel below.
