The Real Reason Chris Rock Dropped Out Of School

When Chris Rock got his G.E.D., he decided to enter the workforce after giving community college a go for a year. He explained to Gayle King: "My game plan was to keep working at Red Lobster, get my truck driver's license, and kind of drive a truck like my dad." He even worked alongside his father at one point, loading up paper trucks for the Daily News.

After his dad died in 1989, Rock found himself reconsidering what he wanted from life, explaining to Oprah Winfrey, "None of us should take things too seriously, because everything except death works itself out." From there, the rest is history, and as the star ascended the comedic ladder, he was able to poke fun at his past. "You know what G.E.D. stands for? Good Enough Diploma," he cracked at a standup gig. 

Rock re-lived his experiences with school again when he nabbed "Everybody Hates Chris," which loosely chronicled his childhood. Not only didn't he shy away from depicting the realities of a predominantly white school in Brooklyn, he also addressed dropping out of school in the episode, "Everybody Hates The G.E.D." As a result, the series has a distinctly bittersweet tone.

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