Fans of comedy have probably heard of the name Mike Epps. The stand-up comedian and actor has appeared in countless films including “Next Friday,” “The Friday After Next,” “The Hangover” and even “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins.” The 52-year-old entertainer honed his skills as a stand-up comedian before shifting to movies and television. 

These days, Mike Epps is a main cast member on shows like “I’m a Virgo,” an Amazon Prime Video series. With a career spanning decades, many people might be curious how a man from Indianapolis became one of the most recognizable faces of comedy in the Black community. More importantly, just how much is Mike Epps worth?

Mike Epps’ Early Life

While Mike Epps might seem like a man from the coast, he was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. Born into a large family in 1970, not much is known about his childhood except that his social circle — family and friends — encouraged him to grow his natural comedic ability. 

He started working as a stand-up comic while living in Indianapolis and eventually chose to relocate to Atlanta. There, Epps began working at the Comedy Act Theater. Eventually, he moved to New York where he starred in the “Def Comedy Jam” starting in 1995. “Def Comedy Jam” was produced by Russel Simmons and Epps participated in the touring arm of the venture as well as appearing on two broadcast episodes of the series on HBO. 

Shifting into Acting

It did not take long for people to realize that Mike Epps was not only funny, but had what it took to translate that humor on the big screen. In 1997, he snagged his first on-screen appearance in a movie titled “Strays” which was directed by Vin Diesel. Two years later, he appeared opposite Ice Cube in the sequel, “Next Friday,” playing the role of Day-Day Jones. In the same year (1999), Epps would also appear in the film “3 Strikes” and as a supporting character to Jamie Foxx in the movie “Bait.”

The 2000s saw Mike Epps frequently featured in countless films, including a voice role in the 2001 Eddie Murphy film “Dr. Dolittle 2,” opposite Method Man and Redman in “How High” and again paired with Ice Cube in 2002 as a bounty hunter in the movie “All About the Benjamins.” He also reprised his role in “Friday After Next.” During this time, Epps was still performing stand-up and releasing specials along the way. 

Taking on Meatier Roles

While the early 2000s usually saw Epps in roles where he played up his comedic skills, after 2010 he began to land parts that were more substantial. This included earning the role Satin in the 2012 remake of “Sparkle” that featured Jordin Sparks and Whitney Huston, as well as portraying Richard Pryor in the Nina Simone biopic from 2016 that was simply titled, “Nina.” 

Epps later went on to star in the comedy horror film, “Meet the Blacks” and its sequel, “Meet the Blacks 2” in 2016 and 2021 respectively. He also appeared in the Netflix movie “Dolemite Is My Name” opposite Eddie Murphy again — along with an all-star cast that included Wesley Snipes, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan-Michael Key and Tituss Burgess. 

Transitioning to Television

Mike Epps had more than proven himself as an actor that could hold his own on the big screen, but he eventually pivoted to television roles. In 2021 he shifted into television initially as a main cast member on the Netflix sitcom, “The Upshaws,” and even on HBO’s L.A. Laker’s-focused drama series. 

Mike Epps’ Current Net Worth

Mike Epps current net worth is estimated at $5 million as of the time of publication for this article. The bulk of this is linked to movie deals as well as performance royalties paid out for live stand-up performances along with usage fees for broadcast performances including on streaming networks like Netflix.