by Mia Amber Davis

Across America, Thursday nights belong to NBC and for the past three seasons the hit comedy, "30 Rock" starring Tracy Morgan, Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin is a huge reason why. We caught up with two of "30Rock's" larger than life, award winning actors, Kevin "Dot Com" Brown and Grizz Chapman to talk about mens body issues, the lies people tell themselves and getting animated!

 

Mia: Kev, we were talking at the photo shoot and you mentioned that most people don't know that you're a seasoned stand-up comedian!  Tell our readers about your legendary stand-up career...

 

Kevin: Back in 1989 my brother and I started the Uptown Comedy Club in New York. The club itself became legendary because it was the first black owned comedy club on the east coast.  The Uptown Comedy Club was responsible for starting the hip-hop comedy movement. Shows like Def Comedy Jam came from that movement.  Our club was the first to pair a D.J. with a comedian for an African-American audience. It changed the game.  I never planned to be a comic.  I intended to stay behind the scenes and manage comedians.  In 1999 we recorded a comedy album and I spoke with each of the eight or so comedians on the tape in hopes of managing their careers.  Although I thought each could be the next big thing in comedy the guys seemed crazy and I couldn't see myself investing in them.  I decided to invest in myself and become a comedian.  It was a business move for the betterment of my club because in order to put the club on the map it needed a star.  

 

When I made that decision I started from scratch. I re-invented myself and even got a new name, "Big Kev Dot Com." I didn't use any of my comedy connections to get ahead --I started standing on line and auditioning like everyone else.  I have a lot of respect for the game so I wanted to go about it the right way. I needed to pay my dues. About two years into my stand-up career I was cast on Last Comic Standing. 

 

Mia: Your characters on NBC's, "30 Rock" have really evolved.  What led up to that?

 

Grizz: Well, when we first got the job I really don't think they knew what they had in us. When they found out they had two diamonds in the rough they took a bigger chance on us and it all worked out.

 

Kevin: The characters were originally just "extras" and I remember when the casting director called me asking me to do it I let her know that I didn't do background/extra work anymore.  She asked me three times and I told her no three times! Then she asked me to do it as personal favor so I said yes. We had no idea who was on the show or anything. 

When we shot the pilot there were originally four of us big guys assigned to hang out with Tracy Morgan's character.

 

Tracy and I knew each other from the comedy club. When we first saw each other on set he knew me as Big Kev Dot Com. He introduced us to Tina Fey as his "family" Grizz and Dot Com.  They liked our chemistry and history with Tracy   By the second episode they pulled us aside and promoted us. I remember simultaneously smiling and crying a single tear like Denzel Washington in, "Glory."

Image Credits:

Kevin (Dotcom) Brown and Grizz Chapman

Photographer: www.tonyarmstrongphotos.com