Nick Cannon returns as host on "America's Got Talent," NBC's top-rated summer reality competition series, which brings the variety format back to the forefront of American culture. Cited by People Magazine as one of the "Top Ten most successful young people in Hollywood" and featured on the cover of Black Enterprises' 40 Under 40, Nick Cannon, who is 30 years old, is a successful, multi-faceted entertainer: film star, comedian, musician, writer and executive producer of his very own hit TV shows.
A San Diego native, Cannon began performing at the age of eight after his grandfather left him several instruments as a gift. Through what Cannon recalls as "a lot of trial and failure" he recorded his first song at home on his boom box. Shortly after, Cannon took to the stage to perform his music, along with stand-up comedy.
Cannon headed for Hollywood at the age of 15 and landed gigs at world-renowned comedy venues, including The Improv, The Laugh Factory and the Comedy Store. Cannon went on to share the stage with the likes of Chris Tucker, Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock before landing his first television gig as a stand-up audience warm-up for the long-running Nickelodeon hit show "All That." Producers quickly recognized Cannon's calling was in front of the camera and he became a regular on the show as well as a writer, making him the youngest staff writer in television history at the age of 17. This path culminated in the creation of "The Nick Cannon Show" in which he starred, directed and executive produced, earning him his first Kids' Choice Award.
Cannon's powerful stage presence captivated more than just pint-sized audiences. While he enjoyed tremendous success on Nickelodeon, Cannon's career catapulted onto the big screen in 2002. He made an appearance alongside Will Smith in "Men in Black II" before landing a leading role in the classic feature film "Drumline."
That same year he released his own self-titled debut album, and he has collaborated with a host of other musicians, such as Kanye West, The Neptunes, Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Will Smith, R. Kelly and E-40 on soundtracks and other projects.
Cannon later lent his voice to the character of Louis in "Garfield: The Movie" and starred in feature films such as "Underclassman" which he also executive produced, "Shall We Dance" and "Roll Bounce."
In 2005, MTV debuted "Nick Cannon Presents Wild 'N Out," an improv comedy show with musical performances that Cannon created, produced and hosted, which eventually became one of MTV's highest rated shows in the network's history, airing new episodes for four consecutive seasons.
In the fall of 2006, Cannon was featured in the Emilio Estevez written and directed film "Bobby," a fictionalized account of the hours leading up to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. Cannon shared the screen with stars such as Harry Belafonte, Demi Moore, Laurence Fishburne, Anthony Hopkins, and Sharon Stone among many others. His performance earned him a 2007 SAG nomination for "Outstanding Performance" in addition to becoming the first African-American actor in history to be honored at the world-renowned Cannes Film Festival with the "Breakthrough Actor of the Year" award.
In 2008, Cannon hosted the Teen Choice Awards for FBC and was the host/DJ for ABC's highly successful Presidential Inaugural Neighborhood Ball. NBC also tapped Cannon to serve as the host for the new season of their hit show "America's Got Talent" in 2011 following two successful stints as their host in 2010 and 2009, which helped them draw in record-breaking viewership.
Cannon's other film credits include Sundance Film Festival featured films "Weapons," "American Son," and his most recent role in the psychological thriller "The Killing Room." He now has his own multi-media company called NCredible Entertainment, which has several TV shows and films in development, in addition to serving as the Chairman of TeenNick, Nickelodeon's new television network aimed at the teen audience and hosting the No. 1 morning radio show in New York City Tri-State on CBS 92.3 NOW FM.
