He’s of the most successful comedians in the country, and he was born and raised right here in Indianapolis.
Mike Epps is a stand-up comedian and actor most known for his comedy specials and roles in the “Friday” and “Hangover” movie series. He’s also helped put Indiana on the map in pop culture with a leading role in the Indiana-set sitcom “The Upshaws” and the 2023 HGTV show “Buying Back the Block,” which followed Epps and his family revitalizing the properties around his childhood home at 21st Street and Carrollton Avenue. Less known than Epps’ entertainment credits are are his would-be life of crime and his serious skill on a unicycle.
The comedian is still active across Indiana. He had his second annual free community concert at Washington Park last September, he hosted auditions for fellow comedian Druski’s satirical Coulda Been Records project earlier this year and he’s set to emcee the Greater Gary Music Festival in Gary June 27. He’s also headed back to Indianapolis’ Old National Centre for a headlining stand-up show Aug 28.
These are five things to know about Naptown’s own funny man:
Mike Epps was terrible as a criminal — but great as a comedian
Epps grew up on Indianapolis’ east side, and he almost fell into a life of crime. There was one snag to his planned robberies, though: He wasn’t very good at it. Epps turned to comedy after several stints in jail, leaving Indianapolis for New York in 1994.
Epps detailed these early experiences in his 2018 memoir “Unsuccessful Thug: One Comedian’s Journey from Naptown to Tinseltown.” The concept for the book was originally a sitcom that HBO greenlit in 2005. Epps filmed a pilot in 2006, but the series wasn’t picked up for a full run.
Once a high school dropout, Epps returned to Indianapolis and graduated
Epps has been open about his early struggles in the classroom. He was held back in fourth and seventh grades, and he dropped out of high school. In 2016, though, he returned to Indianapolis and got his diploma from Arsenal Tech High School. — and he addressed his fellow graduates at the ceremony.
“This is so emotional to me because I didn’t get a chance to graduate like this,” Epps said. “Now that I’m 45 years old, my beautiful mama is sitting in the audience, she told me when I was younger, she said, ‘Mike, one day you’re gonna wish you’d got your education.’ And I didn’t understand it.”
Mike Epps: one-wheeled wonder
Stand-up comedy isn’t Epps’ only talent: He’s also quite skilled on a unicycle. The one-wheeled mode of transport is a lifelong hobby of his. These days, though, he keeps the activity on the down low: Epps told rapper Kid Cudi that he stopped riding the unicycle in public because people would make fun of him.
“People think I’m a clown when they see me,” Epps said on Kid Cudi’s “Big Bro” podcast. “I ride them by myself now because…people start saying, ‘This dude’s a joke.’”
Mike Epps in movies, music videos and more
Even if you’ve never seen Epps perform his comedy, you’ve likely seen (or heard) him elsewhere. His list of film credits include multiple appearances in the “Hangover” and “Friday” series, voice roles in “Dr. Dolitte 2” and “Open Season 2″ and two brief turns as his comedy hero Richard Pryor. Epps has also appeared in music videos for artists like Kendrick Lamar, Whitney Houston, Ice Cube and Alicia Keys.
That time Mike Epps named himself Indianapolis’ ambassador
Epps is proud to rep Indianapolis — so much that, when the city hosted Super Bowl XLVI in 2012, he took up the mantle as the official Indianapolis ambassador. Throughout Super Bowl weekend, he appeared at events, hosted afterparties and showed his celebrity friends like Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa his favorite spots.
Epps said he saw Indianapolis’ hosting gig as an opportunity to praise his hometown on the national stage, and he hoped that the Super Bowl would boost Indy’s credibility.
“I think it’s a city I can brag on,” Epps told the Associated Press in 2012. “After this weekend, we going to have a different note about us.”
Contact IndyStar Pop Culture Reporter Heather Bushman at hbushman@indystar.com. Follow her on X @hmb_1013.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Mike Epps has serious skill on the mic. He can ride a unicycle too
Reporting by Heather Bushman, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Heather Bushman, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
