Nathaniel Martin Stroman (born May 29, 1963), known professionally as Earthquake, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice artist and radio personality. He presently hosts a radio show entitled, Quakeshouse for SiriusXM and Kevin Hart's Laugh Out Loud Network. His first Netflix special entitled Chappelle's Home Team- Legendary: Earthquake was produced by Dave Chappelle and his Magic Lemonade production entity in February of 2022. The special received rave reviews.
Earthquake | |
---|---|
Birth name | Nathaniel Stroman |
Born | (1963-05-29) May 29, 1963 (age 59) Washington, D.C., United States |
Medium | Stand-up, television, film |
Nationality | American |
Years active | 1980s – present |
Genres | Observational comedy, improvisational comedy, black comedy |
Subject(s) | African-American culture, racism, race relations, relationships |
Spouse | Robin Goings (2002–2005) (divorced) |
Children | 3 |
Notable works and roles | Uncle Mike on Everybody Hates Chris Karl in The Longshots Root in Barnyard & Back at the Barnyard |
Website | www |
Earthquake performed a half-hour HBO special as part of the series One Night Stand, which first aired on August 26, 2005. His collection of comedy specials are lauded fan collectibles and are the stuff of legends. His film credits include a small role in Kevin Smith's cult classic film Clerks II (2006), and a supporting role in the film, The Longshots (2008). He has made numerous television appearances including a recurring role on CBS sitcom The Neighborhood (2018-2021) starring Cedric the Entertainer, cameos on South Side (2019), In the Cut (2017), and more. Earthquake's additional television credits include a recurring role as Chris' Uncle Mike, on Everybody Hates Chris. He voiced Root the Rooster in the 2006 CGI film, Barnyard and in the video game of the same title, and continues to do so on the TV series spinoff, Back at the Barnyard.
Nathaniel “Earthquake” Stroman was born on May 29, 1963, in Washington, D.C.[citation needed] His mother gave him the nickname “Earthquake”.[1] She said: “Any time you take all the precautions not to have a kid, from the diaphragm to .... a condom, and you still have a child, there's nothing else you can name that child but a natural disaster."[1]
Earthquake grew up poor with his mother's sister and her husband in a tough southeast neighborhood, and they often didn't have anything to eat.[citation needed] Earthquake was a class clown, but had no real idea that he could make comedy a career. He later bemoaned the fact that no teacher or advisor had ever pointed him in the direction of performing.[citation needed]
He enlisted in the United States Air Force after he graduated from high school.[citation needed] Later he explained that he joined the military to get out of his mother's house.[2]
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Nathaniel Stroman joined the Air Force in an attempt to remove himself from the negative impacts of the community around him and to further his education.[citation needed] Dodging the many traps of crime and drugs, Nathaniel Stroman enlisted in the Air Force the very next day after his high school graduation. As stated by Nathaniel Stroman to Matt Ehlers of the Raleigh News and Observer “My mother argued with me, hollered at me, and I wasn't getting a check, so how hard could basic training be?”.[1] Stroman would go on to have an eleven-year career with the Air Force spending time on bases located in places like Florida, California, and the Japanese Island of Okinawa. Stroman rose through the ranks all the way to Sergeant in the Air Force. He was honorably discharged and subsequently attended to his thriving comedy career. It was never an actual plan for him to be a stand-up, ‘It was the best decision he made that day’, a quote from Earthquake when asked who inspired his career. Ultimately, Stroman was disheartened by the possibility of the Gulf War of 1991, and he considered it unnecessary. “I didn’t want to go over there and fight for oil” he told Richmond Times-Dispatch. Nathaniel originally joined the military in an attempt to serve his country, while furthering his education and bettering himself, but once the Persian Gulf War broke out Stroman was not in support of the violence that would soon follow in consequence.
In the early 1990s, Earthquake started off doing gigs in small clubs. By 1993 he co-owned Uptown Comedy Corner in Atlanta's vibrant Buckhead entertainment district. While there he continued to hone his skills as the much sought after house host and featured some of the greatest minds in stand-up. Later he opened a club of his own, Earthquake's Comedy Corner II in Dallas, Tx. and Atlanta, Ga., resepectively. In 1997, Earthquake got his national break when he was asked to join the Russell Simmons Def Comedy Jam Tour.[3]
Earthquake started his career in the Airforce in the talent show “Tops and Blues”.[4] In 2002, Earthquake joined Latham Entertainment Presents Comedy Tour.[4] In 2004, he signed a deal with ABC to create his own sitcom called “Earthquake,” which later fell through,[citation needed] although in 2005 he performed one of his most popular best shows “About Goddamn Time”.[5] In 2007, he appeared in All Star Def Comedy Jam,[6] and in 2008 appeared in with TBS Comedy Festival Lollapalooza.[7] In 2009, Earthquake starred in Shaquille O Neal’s All star Comedy Jam Special (comedy zone). In 2011, he made a guest appearance in TV One: Way Black When show.[7]
Earthquake started off in radio contributing every Tuesday and Thursday on The Steve Harvey Morning Show and has been known to fill-in as a personality while Steve Harvey was on vacation. In 2013, Quake joined 107.5 WBLS as a full-time radio personality weekdays from 3pm to 7pm with Déjà Vu.[5] He left the station in February 2016.[8]
In April 2013, he appeared on ABC’s The View in a special segment of stand-up comedians showcased by the cast of The View as their personal favorites; Quake appeared on the show as the favorite of comedic great, Whoopi Goldberg.[9] Comedian John Mulaney included About Got Damn Time on his list of his favorite comedy albums, saying, "just trying to mix Spalding Gray and Earthquake and Bernie Mac into some kind of amalgam has been the goal of my career."[10]