The Apple+ comedy film, “Back on the Strip,” was directed and co-written by Chris Spencer.
It is the story of an aspiring young Black magician who becomes the latest member in a troupe of formerly retired male exotic dancers.
Spencer is also the creator of the BET reality TV show parody “Real Husbands of Hollywood.”
Spencer, whose roots stem from standup comedy, says he continues to enjoy performing on stage along with his steady career as an actor, producer, writer, director, and host.
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In addition to his work in film and television, Spencer is probably equally known for his friendships with some well-known Black actors and performers, such as Kevin Hart, Boris Kodjoe, Nick Cannon, Nelly, Dwayne Martin, and so many more. “Real Husbands of Hollywood” pokes fun at their friendships and the celebrity women in their lives.
Spencer is also credited for creating content for several awards shows, including “The Soul Train Music Awards,” “The American Music Awards,” “The Primetime Emmy Awards,” and “The NAACP Image Awards.”
Spencer’s other unscripted credits include “Go Big or Go Home,” “2022: Back That Year Up,” and “Uncensored.” Never one to be stuck behind the scenes, the self-proclaimed “good-looking guy” has also performed as an actor in several film and television projects such as “I Really Hate My Ex,” “Bad Ass,” “The Perfect Gift,” “Black-ish,” “Born Again Virgin,” and “Being Mary Jane.”
Spencer was also a co-executive producer on “Grown-ish,” and he is the creator of the Showtime original series “White Famous.” His credits go on and on from there.
When speaking of his career as a standup comedian, Spencer says he still does it, but he does not travel the country as much anymore performing because of his commitments as a writer and an actor.
“That’s one thing that I think definitely was a detriment to my standup career, is I wasn’t on the road like my peers,” said Spencer.
“Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and Jamie Fox – these were the guys in my class, and they were hitting the road hard, and now they’re all very wealthy comedians.”
Spencer says he would run into them, and they would share their stories from the road, and he sometimes laments not taking the same path. He also believes that this might have changed the trajectory for him as an actor.
“I would have been more of the guy they were developing a TV show around,” said Spencer.
However, Spencer says his early career focused more on hosting comedy-centric television shows like “The Laugh Factory” and his late-night TV talk show, “Vibe,” in the 1990s.
He also hosted the live comedy show “Chocolate Sundays” at the Laugh Factory comedy club with long-time friend Pookey Wigington.
In fact, Spencer credits much of his success to his trusting relationships with his many high-profile friends in entertainment.
When asked about how he has parlayed impactful friendships into impactful business relationships, Spencer replied, “They [celebrities] always have people approaching them with their hands out, you have to let them know you’re not one of those people. They need to know you’re going to have their best interests.”
Spencer has several new projects in development, one is based on his life as a writer transitioning back into standup, a drama about a man who is inside a mental institution, and a new comedy special entitled “Yellow Belt.” He also has a few projects in cue with Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Productions.
Keith L. Underwood is the host of the KBLA Talk 1580 entertainment radio show, “Black In The Green Room.” A former entertainment publicist, he currently develops platforms for performers, creatives, and Hollywood execs to shine and inspire. IG: @umaworldwide.
