COLE CALL

FROM “BARBERSHOP” TO “BLACK-ISH,” DEON COLE KNOWS HOW TO KEEP AMERICA LAUGHING.

- devon preston

It only takes one night to change the course of your life, and no one knows this better than Deon Cole. Born and raised in Chicago, Cole frequented many comedy clubs in his youth and after watching Eddie Murphy’s first stand-up special, his friend inspired him to get on stage and give it a go. “My friend bet me $50,” Cole says, “and I never looked back after that.”

Cole spent time paying his dues on the Chicago comedy circuit, but his first major break came in 2002, when he landed his first film role in “Barbershop.” Following the success of films like “Boyz n the Hood” and “Friday,” “Barbershop” starred Ice Cube, as well as known comedians Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer. With this pack of funny men, the film was expected to succeed, but many, including Cole, had no idea the film would have such a lasting impact on pop culture. “We knew it was something special, but we didn’t know it was going to be as big as it was,” Cole says. “‘Barbershop’ means a lot to [the black community]. To this day, a barber shop is one of those places where we can go and talk amongst each other about what’s going on in the world.”

Following his breakout role, Cole continued hustling as a stand-up comedian and with some notoriety, he was asked to appear as a guest on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.” And that same night, after performing for O’Brien’s audience, the late-night host gave Cole an opportunity that would take his life in a new direction. “He asked me to come write for him and I was like, ‘Really?’” Cole says. “So that’s what I did.”