Nick Cannon Biography

NICK CANNON

Date of Birth: October 17, 1980

Nick Cannon began performing as a youngster, dabbling in drums, harmonica and synthesizers at the age of eight. He soon began writing songs and recorded his first melodies on his boom box. He also proved adept at impersonations, so his father encouraged him to work out a comedy routine. Cannon did, and by the time he was 12, he was performing music and comedy routines in talent shows.

After graduating from high school, Cannon began performing stand up comedy at The Improv, The Laugh Factory and the Comedy Store in Hollywood. Shortly after, he was hired as the warm up act for tapings of Nickelodeon's long-running hit series All That. The show's producers were so impressed that they hired him to be a regular on the series. During a break from the show, he made his motion picture debut with a small role in the teen flick, Whatever It Takes (2000). Cannon stayed with All That for three years, while also making guest appearances on various TV shows, including Cousin Skeeter, Taina and The Parkers. His limitless energy also led him to host Snick House, which involved interviewing music acts such as *NSYNC and Christina Aguilera, as well as hosting In Concert. Not only that, Cannon does all the video picks on Nickelodeon as well. A confessed workaholic, his nickname at Nickelodeon is "The Boy Wonder."

In 2002, he won a Kids' Choice Award for Favorite TV Actor and created his own show, The Nick Cannon Show, taking on the role of executive producer as well as composing the music. He played an autopsy agent in Men In Black II (2002), and the same year, landed the starring role in Drumline (2002), about a hip-hop drummer who gets a scholarship to college, but is later accused of having cheated in order to land his scholarship. The film shot him to star status, and in no time, he landed a starring role in Love Don't Cost a Thing (2003) as well as a supporting role in Shall We Dance? (2004), co-starring Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere.

On April 30, 2008, Nick married singer Mariah Carey in an impromptu ceremony in the Caribbean. They renewed their vows in April 2010 at their home in Beverly Hills and on April 30, 2011, Mariah gave birth to twins, named Monroe and Moroccan.

Unfortunately, in May 2014, the two were legally separated and shortly afterward, filed for divorce.