Early Life
Townsend was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Shirley (née Jenkins) and Ed Townsend. Raised by a single mother with four children, Townsend became an actor, comedian, writer, producer, director, and network programming CEO. He has two daughters: Sierra and Skylar (Skye Townsend), both entertainers. He has a son named Isiah.
During a reading of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex at school, Robert captured the class and effortlessly transformed into a character which captured the attention of Chicago’s X Bag Theatre, The Experimental Black Actors Guild. His start began at the Improvisation, a renowned comedy club, launching his career as a comedian.
Read more about this topic: Robert Townsend (actor)
Famous quotes related to early life:
“... goodness is of a modest nature, easily discouraged, and when much elbowed in early life by unabashed vices, is apt to retire into extreme privacy, so that it is more easily believed in by those who construct a selfish old gentleman theoretically, than by those who form the narrower judgments based on his personal acquaintance.”
—George Eliot [Mary Ann (or Marian)