Godfrey (comedian)

Godfrey C. Danchimah Jr. (born July 21, 1969), professionally known as Godfrey, is an American comedian, impressionist and actor who has appeared on BET, VH1, Comedy Central, and feature films, such as Soul Plane, Original Gangstas, Zoolander, and Johnson Family Vacation. He was also a spokesperson for 7 Up during the popular '7up yours' advertising campaign and a cast member on the first season of The It Factor, a reality television show. Currently, he is a regular performer at the comedy club Comedy Cellar in New York. He is also known for doing the voices of Mr. Stubborn and Mr. Tall (season 2) in The Mr. Men Show and hosting the FOX game show Bullseye. Godfrey also hosted his own radio show on SiriusXM until he parted ways with the show in July 2019. He now owns and hosts a podcast called 'In Godfrey We Trust' on the Gas Digital Network. He is also known for collaborating with other social media stars such as King Bach, Destorm Power, etc. He was once a regular guest on VladTV.

Godfrey
Godfrey at a 2007 American Music Awards after-party
Born
Godfrey C. Danchimah Jr.

(1969-07-21) July 21, 1969
Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Occupation(s)Comedian, actor, podcast host
Years active1995–present
Websitegodfreylive.com

Biography

Godfrey's parents are from Nigeria. Their Nigerian heritage is of the Igbo tribe. They emigrated to the US to escape the Nigerian Civil War. Godfrey is a nephew of Nigerian musician Sonny Okosun.[1]

Godfrey was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on July 21, 1969. Soon after, the family settled in Chicago where Godfrey grew up. He attended Lane Technical College Preparatory High School and received an academic scholarship to the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where he majored in psychology.

At the University of Illinois, he made the varsity football team and performed at a traditional talent show for new team members. He stole the show, performing impressions of his coaches and teammates and discovered his comedic talent.

Career
Godfrey in 2007

Godfrey honed his stand-up skills at the All Jokes Aside comedy club in Chicago in the early 1990s. He also plays a pretend tough guy on the World Famous Chad Zumock Podcast. In 1995, Godfrey made his New York debut at Carolines on Broadway and the Comic Strip Live and was soon signed by the William Morris Talent Agency. He began working regularly in television, first behind the cameras as a warm-up comedian for Cosby and Soul Man. His first on-camera appearance featured him performing stand-up comedy for NBC's Friday Night Videos, followed by more small television and film roles. In 2000, Godfrey appeared in the Aspen Comedy Festival and on Comedy Central's Premium Blend. He also played a comical role in the movie Soul Plane, acting as an African pilot. He has also been in numerous episodes of BET's Comic View.

A self-styled karate master, he continues to do film and television work alongside his stand-up career in New York. His first one-hour special, "Godfrey: Black by Accident" was shot for Comedy Central on January 22, 2011, at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City to a standing room only audience.[2]

As a guest of Mike Ward's show called "F*ck les variétés", part of the Just for Laughs 2012 festival of Montreal, his performance was highly acclaimed.[3] In the following year, he had his own solo show called "The Godfrey Complex" in the same festival for a whole week.[4]

His second one-hour special, "Godfrey: Regular Black" was shot in Chicago, his home town, on August 12, 2016.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1996 Original Gangstas Marcus
Joe's Apartment Cockroach (voice)
Chain Reaction Chidi Egbuna
2000 In the Weeds Stan
2001 30 Years to Life Comedian
Zoolander Janitor Derek
2004 Johnson Family Vacation Motorcycle Cop
Soul Plane First Officer Leslie Gaemon
The Cookout Jasper
2005 Virginia Griffin
Short Fuse Dogan
2006 Phat Girlz Akibo
2007 Dead Body Perry
A Dennis the Menace Christmas Santa/Bob The Angel
Careless Sabio
2008 Stand Up Dante
Show Stoppers Final Judge
Bum Boot Camp Bum Short
Don't Shoot the Pharmacist! Kevin
The Sweep Jerome
Unemployed Jamal
2009 Omar Saved from Cheating Omar Short
Dane Cook, 30 Premeditated Acts Himself Video
Stand-Up 360: Edition 4 Himself Video
2010 Sexcut TV Actor Short
A Man, a Woman, a Genie, a Gun Genie Short
2016 Like Lambs Officer Michaels
The Hudson Tribes Mayor Joubert Lafitte
2019 Rapid Eye Movement Marcus Crawford
2020 The Binge Hags' Father
The Truth About Santa Claus Herbie
2021 Americanish Gabriel Jackson
Domino: Battle of the Bones Pip Daddy Fresh
2022 Athazagora Stan the Driver Short
2023 The Perfect Find Jimmy

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1995 Midnight Mac HBO Executive Episode: "Episode #1.1"
1999 LateLine Mfune Umbwebwe Episode: "The Minister of Television"
2000 Thunderbox Himself/Host Main Host
Rock of Ages Himself/Host Main Host
2001 30 by 30: Kid Flicks Himself/Host Main Host
2002 The It Factor Himself Main Cast
I Bet You Will Himself/Host Main Host
Late Friday Himself Episode: "Episode #2.6"
It's Showtime at the Apollo Himself Episode: "Queen Latifah/Godfrey"
Third Watch Ricky Episode: "Blackout"
2003 The Celebrity Look-Alike Show Himself/Host Main Host
I Love the '80s Strikes Back Himself TV series
2004 I Love the '90s Himself Episode: "1990", "1991" & "1993"
Retrosexual: The 80's Himself TV series
2005 I Love the '90s: Part Deux Himself TV series
Black in the 80s Himself Episode: "Color in Film" & "Color TV"
Comedy Central Presents Himself Episode: "Godfrey"
I Love the '80s 3-D Himself Episode: "1985"
I Love the Holidays Himself TV series
2006 BET's Top 25 Countdown Himself Episode: "Moments in Black History"
I Love Toys Himself TV series
I Love the '70s: Volume 2 Himself Episode: "1970" & "1973"
Celebrity Paranormal Project Himself Episode: "Pearl's Story"
100 Greatest Songs of the '80s Himself TV series
2006-14 Comics Unleashed Himself Recurring Guest
2007 What I Learned About... From the Movies Himself Episode: "Sports"
2008 I Love the New Millennium Himself Episode: "2000-2001 & 2003-2007"
NESN Comedy All-Stars Himself Episode: "Episode #1.4"
BET News Himself Episode: "The First Black President?"
truTV Presents: World's Dumbest... Himself Recurring Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 2
2008-09 The Mr. Men Show Mr. Stubborn & Mr. Tall (voice) Main Cast
2009 30 Rock Rick Episode: "The Bubble"
Z Rock Pure Dark Episode: "Z Will Rock You"
Black to the Future Himself Episode: "Hour 4: The 00s"
2009-11 Comedy.TV Himself Episode: "Episode #1.7" & "#1.18"
2010 Undateable Himself Main Cast
2010-11 Louie Himself Episode: "Night Out" & "Niece"
Latino 101 Himself Main Cast
2010-12 Laugh Factory Himself Recurring Guest
2011 The Heart, She Holler N-Word The Robot Episode: "Fear Is Dog Spelled Bassackwards"
Love Lust Himself Episode: "Love Lust & Secret Societies"
2012 20/20 Himself Episode: "Best in TV: The Greatest TV Shows of Our Time"
Just for Laughs: All-Access Himself Episode: "Episode #1.6" & "#6.1"
2012-18 The Ha!ifax Comedy Fest Himself Recurring Guest
2013 Juste pour rire Himself Episode: "Gala Fuck les Variétés"
PITtv Himself Episode: "Godfrey: Shout-Out!"
Insane Clown Posse Theater Himself Episode: "Godfrey"
Inside Joke at Moontower Himself Episode: "Day Two: Dana Carvey, Reggie Watts, and Judah Friedlander" & "Godfrey"
Upload with Shaquille O'Neal Himself/Co-Host Main Co-Host
2014 Deadbeat Shaky Hands Recurring Cast: Season 1
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Adam Church Episode: "Reasonable Doubt"
Black Dynamite Al Sharpton (voice) Episode: "Roots: The White Album"
2014-16 Steven Universe Kofi (voice) Recurring Cast
2015 Benders Rajon Tucker Recurring Cast
Bullseye Himself/Co-Host Main Co-Host
World's Funniest Himself/Panelist Episode: "Cat's Entertainment"
Get Your Life Himself Episode: "Girl Get Your NYPTSD"
2016 Above Average Presents Eric Simms Episode: "The Kicker: For Fans. For Fun."
King Bachelor's Pad Himself Episode: "Angry Neighbor"
2017 Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter Plaid Jeff Main Cast: Season 2
2017-18 Lucha Underground FBI Agent Winter Recurring Cast: Season 3-4
2018 Glimpse Christian White Episode: "Esperanto"
Our Cartoon President Barack Obama/Cory Booker (voice) Recurring Cast: Season 1
This Week at the Comedy Cellar Himself Recurring Guest
2019 CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival Himself Episode: "Just My Luck"
King Bachelor's Pad Himself Episode: "Joker Parody"
2020 Tournament of Laughs Himself Episode: "And A Round of 32 We Go, Part 2"
2021 Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready Himself Episode: "Godfrey"
Harlem Cole Thompson Episode: "Saturn Returns"
2021-22 Wild 'n Out Himself/Cast Member Main Cast: Season 16-18
That Damn Michael Che Calvin Recurring Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 2
South Side Delonte Recurring Cast: Season 2, Guest: Season 3
2022 We Need To Talk About Cosby Himself Episode: "Part 1-4"
So Dumb It's Criminal: Hosted by Snoop Dogg Himself Episode: "Hit and Run, Just for Fun"
Human Resources Mr. Beef (voice) Recurring Cast: Season 1
2023 My Dad the Bounty Hunter Ja Boluu Voice

Documentary
Year Title
2002 Comedian
2010 I Am Comic
2011 Stars & Music
2012 40 Greatest Feuds 3
The Science of Doctor Who
2023 Out of the Loop

Comedy releases
Year Title
2011 Godfrey: Black by Accident
2016 Godfrey: Regular Black

See also

References
  1. "Episode 611 – Godfrey". WTF with Marc Maron. June 15, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  2. "Godfrey: BLACK BY ACCIDENT". www.theblacklistnyc.com.
  3. Vallet, Stéphanie (July 19, 2012). "Gala F*ck les variétés: vulgaire et choquant à souhait – Stéphanie Vallet – Juste pour rire". La Presse.
  4. Archived July 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine?
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