Dave Chappelle Returns to Comedy with a New Look
Comedian Dave Chappelle is full of surprises. In 2005, while filming the third season of his popular sketch comedy series, Chappelle’s Show, Dave Chappelle shocked fans everywhere when he walked away from the spotlight and virtually disappeared. Chappelle’s sudden departure led many to believe that he was suffering from a mental illness and/or drug addiction. In an interview with Time Magazine, Chappelle, who was located in South Africa, opened up about his choice to leave his show and dispelled rumors that he was going through some sort of personal break down; however, he did admit to feeling overwhelmed by the fact that the success of his show was interfering with his stand-up career. Chappelle claimed that his biggest problems began with a break down in his inner circle, he stated: “You got to be careful of the company you keep…It’s hard to know how much to say. One of the things that happens when people make the leap from a certain amount of money to tens of millions of dollars is that the people around you dramatically change….During my ascent, I’ve seen other people go through that wall to become really big. They always said that fame didn’t change them but that it changes the people around them. You always hear that but you never really understand it. But now that I’m there that makes a lot of sense and I’m learning what that means.” Chappelle said that his inability to trust those closest to him led him to question some of the decisions he was making about his show.
Now, nearly a decade removed from his sudden exit, Chappelle is still coming to terms with the repercussions of his actions. In an interview with David Letterman during the summer of 2014, Chappelle acknowledged that a part of him regrets walking away from his show and the millions of dollars that came along with it. During his conversation with Letterman, Chappelle said, “whenever there’s something that I’d like to have that I could have afforded that I can’t now afford, well, then I’m upset about it. But then when I see a guy going to do a job that’s time consuming and he doesn’t have the free time to do things that I get to do, then I feel good about it.” Chappelle also noted that while he knows his behavior was “dramatic,” it was something that he had to do in order to clear his head.
However, even though Chappelle has reappeared, his career still hasn’t regained its original power and the memory of his abandoned show continues to haunt him. In the summer of 2013, Chappelle did a stand up show at an arena in Hartford, CT. While trying to complete his set, some of the audience members interrupted Chappelle to tell out a catchphrase from one of the Chappelle Show’s most popular skits. Chappelle immediately became enraged by their behavior and said, “I don’t want anything bad to happen to the United States, but if North Korea ever drops a nuclear bomb on this country, I swear to God I hope it lands in Hartford, Connecticut…” before storming off stage. He made a surprise return to Hartford in the summer of 2014 to apologize, and while his antics had already left a bad taste in the mouths of some fans, many others were just happy to see Chappelle back on his feet and doing well.
However, fans who witnessed Chappelle’s on stage appearances in Hartford were also greeted with another surprise. The once extremely skinny and lanky comedian had apparently been lifting something a little heavier than microphones. Although reports of Chappelle’s new look initially began surfacing in 2012, he was not making many public appearances and only a select few had actually seen him. Rumors then began circulating that Chappelle was taking steroids to enhance his physique; however, those allegations have never been confirmed nor denied.
Either way, fans seem to be less concerned with how Chappelle got buff and more concerned with the fact that he actually is buff. While many are impressed with Chappelle’s ability to go from skinny to strong, others believe that his new look will somehow affect his ability to be funny. So far, his transition back into the public eye has been interesting, and only time will tell if Dave Chappelle is back for good. However, most of his fans tend to agree that whether Chappelle is skinny or buff, the comedy world is a much better place with him in it. Here are five tweets from fans who are reacting to Dave Chappelle’s return to the spotlight and his buff new look.
5.
Dave Chapelle went past regular buff all the way to play Wolverine in a movie buff.
— The Space Pope (@popecrocodylus) July 13, 2014
One of X-Men’s toughest and most popular characters, Wolverine, apparently now has something in common with Dave Chappelle. Hopefully Chappelle’s career has been outfitted with the same metal that makes Wolverine indestructible.
4.
Dave Chapelle got buff and got kinda fine.
At his comedy show last summer I was like Dave is dat you — fluorescent beige ✨ (@margee227) March 4, 2014
Although Chappelle has often been regarded as one of the funniest comedians of his time, he has never been considered a sex symbol. But, according to @LadyMedua_227 all that has changed with Chapelle’s buff new body.
3.
https://twitter.com/AlilahB/status/520353087773347841
Luckily for Chapelle, weird and funny often go hand in hand. However, many fans seem to be having a difficult time adjusting to Chapelle’s new look with some even saying that a buff Dave Chapelle is simply no Dave Chapelle at all.
2.
If Dave Chapelle really buff now he probably won't be funny anymore
— $haka Zulu (@PrincexFbgm) May 1, 2014
Fortunately for Chappelle (and his fans) his new muscles haven’t done anything to effect his ability to make audiences laugh.
1.
https://twitter.com/Iamdavegregory/status/462972305690218496
After putting on several pounds of muscle, the resemblance between Chappelle and actor Bokeem Woodbine is extremely uncanny; however, this user feels the need to clarify that Chapelle and Woodbine are not the same person. Woodbine, who is quite a talented actor, has starred in several films and television roles.
(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
