Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, comedian-turned-actor DeRay Davis has had a successful career in the entertainment industry. He is best known for his role as Jermel, the go-to hitman and cousin of Cookie Lyons, in the popular TV show Empire.
Davis's early career began with his 2005 single-card credit as Spooner in John Carpenter's remake of The Fog. Since then, he has had a steady stream of feature film and network television roles, starring opposite Hollywood heavy hitters such as John Krasinski, Will Ferrell, Eddie Murphy, Katherine Heigl, Robin Williams, and John Travolta, among others.
In addition to his film and television work, Davis has also been a prolific writer and producer. He has written and voiced over characters for several TV shows, including The Boondocks, Black Dynamite, and Wild n Out. He has also hosted several TV shows, including Hip-Hop Squares and Mind of a Man.
Davis's stand-up comedy career has also been successful, with appearances at festivals such as the Laffapalooza Festival in Atlanta, the Comedy Central Laugh Riots Competition, and the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival. He has also had a successful Netflix special, "DeRay Davis: How to Act Black," which was released in 2017 and was so popular that it shut down the Netflix server twice.
Throughout his career, Davis has continued to draw from his own experiences growing up on the south side of Chicago and his experiences as a father and working actor. He has a unique ability to find humor in even the most difficult situations and has become known for his hilarious and sidesplitting anecdotes.
Davis continues to be a rising star in the entertainment industry, with a wide range of projects in the works. He is a talented comedian, actor, writer, and producer who is sure to continue making a name for himself in the years to come.
