Coordinator: Thank you. As a reminder to ask a question please press star 1. Joshua Maloney, Niagara Frontier Publications.

Joshua Maloney: Hey Chris, how you doing today? Thanks for your time.

Chris Rock: Hi Josh. How’s it going?

Joshua Maloney: So it seems like nowadays a lot more adult content comedians are jumping into family projects. What for you is the appeal in doing a crossover like this?

Chris Rock: I mean, well I'm obviously already in, you know, with DreamWorks and Jeffrey and all that. I just want to work with the people. They do really good stuff. Kind of gets you with a younger, I mean, you know, you get some of that Hannah Montana money. So, you know, you get in with the kids and that definitely can't hurt.

Joshua Maloney: Are there certain holiday traditions that you have or particular shows that you like to watch this time of year?

Chris Rock: I like the Grinch that Stole Christmas and I like the Charlie Brown Christmas thing.

Joshua Maloney: Good call.

Chris Rock: Yeah.

Joshua Maloney: Very good thanks Chris for your time appreciate it.

Chris Rock: All right, take care.

Coordinator: Mike Hughes, TV America.

Mike Hughes: The voice work has always been kind of good for you. You did Little Penny way back didn't you?

Chris Rock: I did Little Penny yes.

Mike Hughes: Yeah. And that one just turned out to be wildly popular; it was all over the place. Did you find out that doing voice work is just a fun thing and a productive thing to do or?

Chris Rock: Well yeah it’s really, it's, I mean, you can do as much as you want. You can, you know, sometimes on a movie, on a set, you know, you've got other people you have to worry about. And, you know, sometimes they need to get to the next shot. But in, you know, voice work you can, hey, let’s do it again, you know, it doesn't take any time, it doesn't cost them, you know, I don't if any, you know, more money for you to do 30 takes or 7 takes.

Mike Hughes: All right, and your girls now are like 7 and 5 I guess now.

Chris Rock: Yeah.

Mike Hughes: How have they liked the Madagascar thing? When it first came out were they able to watch it or was the youngest one too young and what do they think about it now?

Chris Rock: Oh the youngest one was probably too young but the oldest one loved it. And they loved number two and they’re looking forward to this one. I haven't let them watch it even though I got a little advanced screening tape. So they'll watch it on TV like everybody else.

Mike Hughes: Okay cool thanks.

Coordinator: Jim Halterman, Progressive TV.

Jim Halterman: Hey Chris thanks for your time today.

Chris Rock: Hey how’s it going?

Jim Halterman: Hey with the films and even with the special, is there much room for you guys to ad-lib or do you pretty much just to stick to a script?

Chris Rock: Oh no they hire you to ad-lib. Why would you hire me to not ad-lib, you know?

Jim Halterman: Exactly.

Chris Rock: You know, Don Cheadle is a much better actor than me. I might be able to ad-lib a joke a little better.

Jim Halterman: Yeah.

Chris Rock: So, yeah, there’s a lot of ad-lib, there’s a lot of ad-lib. But the script is really good so you don't have to do that much.

Jim Halterman: Right. And do you think they'll be more TV specials coming down the pike since this was done pretty much for TV?

Chris Rock: You know all that’s up to Jeffrey. See, I mean, I think they've announced were doing number three so...

Jim Halterman: Okay.

Chris Rock: I think Mad 3 is the next in the, you know, in the Madagascar world.

Jim Halterman: Okay. And do you have any other TV projects coming up since Everybody Hates Chris is not on right now?

Chris Rock: Nothing, I need a new one man. That was a good weekly check.

Jim Halterman: Yeah.

Chris Rock: But I'm scaling back now.

Jim Halterman: Exactly. All right thanks so much Chris.

Chris Rock: All right take care.

Coordinator: Sammi Turano, TV Grapevine.

Sammi Turano: Hi, how are you?

Chris Rock: Doing pretty good, how are you?

Sammi Turano: Good, I'm good thank you. My first question for you is what made you decide to become a comedian in the first place?

Chris Rock: I don't know, it's, you know, it’s like, you know, the calling. It’s like being a priest or something, you know, you end up their one day.

Sammi Turano: Okay.

Chris Rock: Yeah. Love comedy, loved comedians, loved, you know, just interested in that, you know, some kids take apart radios and they grow up to the electricians, I would take apart jokes.

Sammi Turano: Okay and who are some of your inspirations out there?

Chris Rock: Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy, Woody Allen, Steve Martin, guys like that.

Sammi Turano: That’s good. Well I'm proud of you and I can't wait to see the movie.

Chris Rock: Oh it’s really good.

Sammi Turano: I can't wait, I'm excited. I'm going to have to take my niece to see it.

Chris Rock: Oh it’s really really good.

Sammi Turano: Good I'm glad. Well I'm proud of you, congratulations on all your success.

Chris Rock: You take care and thanks a lot.

Sammi Turano: Thank you, you too. Bye.

Coordinator: Wayne Hicks, Denver Business Journal.

Wayne Hicks: Hey Chris, you've got a book coming out I think next year sometime. What’s it called and what’s it about?

Chris Rock: I think it’s going to be on negative thinking. Right now the tentative title is The Secret Sucks. So whatever I get out of that. Still working though, still working.

Wayne Hicks: How much have you gotten done with it so far?

Chris Rock: Not enough, I've been filming back-to-back movies this year; two movies and what you call it, what the hell, I've just been pushing Good Hair for the last couple of months so.

Wayne Hicks: Now a lot of comedians are coming out with books lately, Paul Mooney and Kathy Griffin and David Cross and Jeffrey Ross and Sarah Silverman has one coming out next year as well. What you think is prompting all these comedians like yourself to write books?

Chris Rock: I don't know, I guess the publishers just - I guess some of them are selling. I mean, you know, especially when we put our mind to it we can be funny people. I mean that Steve Harvey book I'm sure is triggering most of this, you know, his book is so big so whatever one, you know, some midget wrote a good book, a bestseller, they'd be making a lot of midget books all of a sudden.

Wayne Hicks: And how are you going to make your book stand out among so many others that are out there written by comedians?

Chris Rock: I know, you know, just the same way you make yourself stand out you just, you have a different sense of humor, you know, try to - I know, I like what Steve did, he made a book about one thing, you know. I think that’s why that worked where most comedian books are, you know, kind of like Dumbo. So, you know, it’s a little bit of picture book, it’s a little bit of biography, it’s a little short story, you know, but Steve’s book stuck to one thing.

Wayne Hicks: Well are you going to emulate his success and do something like that picking one topic?

Chris Rock: Maybe, maybe, I mean, I do know, you know, success isn't up to me I'll just try to write something good.

Wayne Hicks: Where do you find time to write?

Chris Rock: Now I'm home for a while, right now I'm kind of home until April. Got a movie coming out in April so not much to do but pick up my kids from school for the next few months.

Wayne Hicks: All right well good luck.

Chris Rock: All right thanks a lot.

Coordinator: (Nick Vano), AOL’s TV Squad.

(Nick Vano): Hi, who are you?

Chris Rock: Hey.

(Nick Vano): Although you've been asked that question about 16 times probably already.

Chris Rock: That’s okay.

(Nick Vano): So what keeps you coming back to this particular franchise for the Madagascar series?

Chris Rock: Money. No, no they’re good, I mean, you know, as you get - you realize as you get longer in this business it’s like the only thing that keeps you working is, you know, doing good stuff. You know, I mean the box office is great too but if people don't like what you do the moment the box office isn't fair that they don't want to work with you anymore.

So I try to align myself with as many good things as possible even if, you know, even if I'm not starring, even if, you know, it always works out. It always works out for the best when you do something good.

(Nick Vano): Now does having kids of your own have anything to do with it? Did you want something - I know some...

Chris Rock: It’s weird, I started the first Madagascar, me and Ben, start the first Madagascar with no kids. You know, we didn't have kids when the movie started. And I don't even think we were even thinking about kids to tell you the truth the couple times we were in the studio together. You know, cut to the movie comes out we both have kids, cut to movie, you know, Madagascar 2, he’s got three and I've got two or what ever, you know, it just turns out that way.

(Nick Vano): Now are there any holiday specials that are tradition in your household or any you particularly want to show your kids?

Chris Rock: I like the Grinch, that’s my favorite. The Grinch is, and I like the Charlie Brown one, those are my two all-time -and you know what the Mr. McGoo Christmas Carol pretty good.

(Nick Vano): Is that just based on the comic aspects of it or is there anything...

Chris Rock: I know they’re all sweet and they’re just really good especially that McGoo one. I haven't seen that one a while.

(Nick Vano): Look for that on YouTube.

Chris Rock: Yeah, now I'm like okay I got it downloaded so I can show it to my kids today.

(Nick Vano): Well thank you very much, appreciate your time.

Chris Rock: Oh no problem.

Coordinator: Kristina Lopez, fancast.com.

Kristina Lopez: Hey how are you?

Chris Rock: Hey Christina.

Kristina Lopez: What’s going on? So besides watching Madagascar 3 but other plans do you have for the holidays with your family this year?

Chris Rock: Oh boy I don't even know I guess we'll just stay home you know, for some normal Christmas get the house ready for Santa, you know, that's, you know, nothing - yeah nothing big. I think we’re going skiing in February but, you know, nothing for Christmas.

Kristina Lopez: Do you have a favorite Christmas memory?

Chris Rock: You know they all kind of - at this, you know, as I enter my 40s they all kind of mix up - they’re all kind of the same. I have a Christmas, you know, like a couple years ago my family we were in Africa on safari for Christmas. And, you know, at a lodge and, you know, my kids are really young and they were so scared Santa wasn't going to show. And just the look on their faces, you know, when their toys were under a tree in Africa. Kind of cool.

Kristina Lopez: Did you always believe in Santa or when did you stop believing?

Chris Rock: I know when did I stop believing, I do know one day I looked out the window and saw my father carrying in a dump truck or something, I don't. It was just like I saw a car being unloaded with toys, oh okay.

Kristina Lopez: So that was like oh I got it.

Chris Rock: Oh that makes sense, you know, you know, I always liked to make sense of things so it was a traumatic actually was a relief. It was like chimney and the guy comes down and reindeer? It doesn't make any sense.

Kristina Lopez: Well thank you very much.

Chris Rock: All right you take care.

Coordinator: Monica Garsky, Flash News.

Monica Garsky: Hey Chris thanks for doing this.

Chris Rock: Hey how are you?

Monica Garsky: I'm good thanks. So earlier you were mentioning, you know, it’s kind of good to get in with the kids with these kinds of movies and stuff. One of your interactions with kids been like, you know, Madagascar, like to do they recognize your voice as Marty when he meets you or have you had any encounters like that?

Chris Rock: They totally recognize my voice. And sometimes they don't then I, you know, it’s because it’s not really like my actual speaking voice so I kind of turn it on and just the looks on their face it’s like wow I can't believe it's...

Monica Garsky: That’s awesome. I bet you they get so excited.

Chris Rock: They get very excited. And my youngest daughter, Zahra, it’s a bragger. She’s very quick to tell people her daddy as Marty the zebra.

Monica Garsky: Do your girls ever make you just like to, you know, things in Marty’s voice light, you know, tell them to go like take a bath in Marty’s voice or anything like that?

Chris Rock: You know it’s weird the voice they like the most and it’s kind of the same voice is they like the mosquito from - what do you call it - from Bee Movie.

Monica Garsky: Oh.

Chris Rock: They love that mosquito.

Monica Garsky: That’s pretty cool so they want you to turn that one on it home and stuff sometimes?

Chris Rock: I literally have to do the mosquito all the time.

Monica Garsky: That’s awesome.

Chris Rock: Mooseblood, Mooseblood.

Monica Garsky: That’s great. Now we have, you know, the Madagascar movies and stuff have you found, you know, has your like love for animals flourished or anything like that, like do you find yourself more into animals at the zoo or anything?

Chris Rock: You know what it’s just weird by happenstance or coincidence I had never been to Africa before Madagascar and before doing the movie. And I've gone since. And now I go on Safari almost every year.

Monica Garsky: That’s pretty cool.

Chris Rock: Yeah so I love it I love going on Safari.

Monica Garsky: So it opened up your world to Safari I suppose?

Chris Rock: Excuse me?

Monica Garsky: It opened up kind of your world to Safaris?

Chris Rock: Yes it did.

Monica Garsky: That’s very cool. All right great well thanks so much Chris happy holidays.

Chris Rock: All right thank you.

Coordinator: April MacIntyre, Monsters and Critics.

April MacIntyre: Hey thanks so much for doing this Chris appreciate it.

Chris Rock: Oh it’s no problem.

April MacIntyre: Well so everyone’s pretty much asked all the - exhausted all the Madagascar questions for Marty. And I appreciate the answers and, you know, I really - I really love your humor and I wanted to know if you could - if you could assemble a dinner party and only invite four or five comedians to join you, ones that you really truly loved, who would they be and why? And they can be living or dead. I'm going to get (unintelligible).

Chris Rock: I don't know who would I invite to dinner - comedians, let’s see. Who do I like...

April MacIntyre: People you really crack you up.

Chris Rock: I love Sandler, he’s great at dinner, is going to make you drink a little. He’s a great hang. Let’s see I don't know got to invite Richard Pryor, you know, hopefully he'll show up, you never know.

April MacIntyre: And if he were alive what would you ask him?

Chris Rock: I don't know what would I ask Richard? I don't know, I'm just like should I take this gig? No, no. I don't know it’s weird, we don't talk about like jokes and stuff when you’re around comedians; you end talking about the Yankees or something.

April MacIntyre: Yeah.

Chris Rock: I don't know who would I invite?

((Crosstalk))

Chris Rock: ...always good at a table.

April MacIntyre: Who?

Chris Rock: Ellen DeGeneres is always good...

April MacIntyre: Okay.

Chris Rock: ...to have around, you know, because she likes chicks too. Like so you can literally talk about women...

April MacIntyre: Right yeah.

Chris Rock: ...like you would if a guy was around.

April MacIntyre: Yeah.

Chris Rock: And she has some interesting insights. Who else? Oh Steve Martin just because I don't know him at all. Just like...

April MacIntyre: Steve Martin.

Chris Rock: What makes you tick Mr. Martin? I never ate with Vince Vaughn, you know, just a guy, I don't know.

April MacIntyre: Yeah.

Chris Rock: The guy cracks me up. He cracks me up. You know, sometimes he’s like you have these people that you don't have any - it’s weird I just did a movie with Kevin James, me, James and Sandler and, you know, at one point I was like man we've never spoken, like sometimes you’re just in the same business...

April MacIntyre: Right.

Chris Rock: ...and, yeah. So, yeah, this year - me and Kevin James, two comedians from New York, you know, both worked - same age, both have two kids, wives, whatever and we've never, ever said two words to each other. We’re never in the same room until this year.

April MacIntyre: Interesting.

Chris Rock: So, yeah, Vince Vaughn cracks me up and I don't, you know, I might have met him once. I think I met him one time.

April MacIntyre: Were you a fan of Swingers?

Chris Rock: I love Swingers. I'm a fan - you know what’s weird when he got me he - Letterman was sick and he hosted the Letterman Show. He hosted the Late Show it was so - it was like the funniest most natural thing I'd ever seen. I was like wow this guy is amazing.

April MacIntyre: You get one more choice, who’s it going to be?

Chris Rock: One more, who else? Who'd I say, Richard Pryor, Sandler, Ellen...

April MacIntyre: Vince Vaughn.

Chris Rock: ...Vince Vaughn, he’s a funny guy that Vince Vaughn. Woody Allen, you've got to get Woody in there.

April MacIntyre: And which one of his films spoke to you?

Chris Rock: Which one? Which one didn't? You know, Husbands and Wives, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Broadway Danny Rose, Manhattan, Annie Hall, you know, Vicky Christina Barcelona, I mean, even though, you know, anything, he’s the best.

April MacIntyre: Did Broadway Danny Rose make you cry?

Chris Rock: I loved Broadway Danny Rose and it does make me cry sometimes and occasionally I will check into a hotel under the name Artie Dunn. Artie Dunn was the ventriloquist who...

April MacIntyre: Right.

Chris Rock: ...who gets beat up. And...

April MacIntyre: Did you...

Chris Rock: You've got to give us a name, Artie Dunn.

April MacIntyre: That’s hilarious. Okay everyone going to know this now, Artie Dunn, when, you know, scouring hotel ledgers.

Chris Rock: Yeah, Artie Dunn, I've check into a few hotels under Artie Dunn.

April MacIntyre: Were you a fan of Radio Days?

Chris Rock: I love Radio Days. I'm telling you it’s really like - with Woody it’s like the movies I don't like and that’s like four movies maybe.

April MacIntyre: Yeah.

Chris Rock: Dude, I like September, okay? I like the Other Woman, I like, you know.

April MacIntyre: Right.

Chris Rock: Interiors, I like Interiors.

April MacIntyre: You’re a fan.

Chris Rock: Okay?

April MacIntyre: Let me ask you a question - another question. If you’re going to watch TV and you have a choice between Glee, Sons of Anarchy or something on the History Channel what are you going to pick?

Chris Rock: Probably I'm going to say Sons of Anarchy.

April MacIntyre: Are you a fan of the Kurt Sutter FX show?

Chris Rock: I haven't even seen it yet I'm just like - as I get older I just want to get lost.

April MacIntyre: Yeah.

Chris Rock: So, you know, Glee so I'm sure is funny, I haven't seen it yet. It’s going to make me think about work.

April MacIntyre: Yeah.

Chris Rock: I'll see it when I need to you know what I mean? Like...

April MacIntyre: Diplomatic.

Chris Rock: I'm sure - I'm sure I'll need to see it at some point, I'll have some meeting with somebody or whatever enough people will tell me it’s funny and I'll, you know, right now I’m watching a lot of Arrested Development.

April MacIntyre: Yeah.

((Crosstalk))

Chris Rock: In the industry you kind of know a lot of it you’re just rewatching it. But...

April MacIntyre: Yeah.

Chris Rock: ...there’s nothing like a good drama to take, you know, especially when you’re not...

April MacIntyre: Right.

Chris Rock: ...in the drama business, you know.

April MacIntyre: I hear you. Looking forward to your Madagascar.

Chris Rock: Thank you.

April MacIntyre: You are funny. Thank you very much.

Chris Rock: All right.

Coordinator: We do have 10 more minutes for questions. Bill Harris, Sun Media.

Bill Harris: Hey how are you doing?

Chris Rock: Pretty good, Bill, you?

Bill Harris: Not too bad. When you hear people talk about influential comedians over the past 10, 15 years your name often comes up. I wonder are you the type of person who takes that to heart and things about it or are you too modest, you don't like thinking about stuff like that? You’re very highly thought of in terms of begin ground breaking; how do you take that compliment?

Chris Rock: Really? Really? Really? I'll take it, you know, but, I mean, I don't try to give it that much thought. It’s not good - it’s not good for you, you know what I mean? It's, you know, you know, you know, Derek Jeter can't be thinking of oh you’re an iconic Yankee when he’s up to bat. It doesn't - put it this way it’s great and I'm happy for more for my parents than me. You know what I mean?

Bill Harris: Yeah.

Chris Rock: My parents, my brothers, sister, whatever, they can like really - my family can really like enjoy stuff like that.

((Crosstalk))

Chris Rock: Me I have to work.

Bill Harris: Like does hearing stuff like that make you uncomfortable?

Chris Rock: A little bit. I mean, I mean, a little uncomfortable. At the same time you've been doing it - I've been doing it a long time so it’s nice to, you know, have some mark there. But yeah it's, you know, when somebody says that I'm just like oh I hope my aunt hears this. I hope my mother hears this you know what I mean? Because they get a kick out of it but, you know, I know, you know, the audience doesn't care when I get on stage. And, you know.

Bill Harris: Right, yeah. Is - last thing, generally speaking do you think that comedy is in better shape now than when you started or worse shape?

Chris Rock: I mean it’s a good - when I started - it’s in much better shape it's, you know, when I started, you know, there’s no Comedy Central, there’s no...

Bill Harris: Right.

Chris Rock: ...you know, all these great, you know, shows they do and, you know, forget being a black comic, my God, there was, you know, it was superstar or bust you know what I mean?

Bill Harris: Right.

Chris Rock: It was just like Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Bill Cosby; there was no like here, there was nowhere to be like the black Paul Riser you know what I mean? There was no, you know what I mean, there was no where like you had to be a superstar or you didn't work. And, you know, now there’s all sorts of levels of comedians that you didn't have before; it’s great.

Bill Harris: Well thanks for putting the thought of a black Paul Riser in my head.

Chris Rock: Yeah, you've got gay comedians. That’s great like it’s great - it’s amazing, you know, that you don't have to do what everybody else does to have a career.

Bill Harris: All right well thanks so much.

Chris Rock: Take care.

Coordinator: Lisa Steinberg, Starry Constellation Magazine.

Lisa Steinberg: Hey Chris. Thank you so much for speaking with us this afternoon. I'm a big fan so it’s a real pleasure.

Chris Rock: Oh thanks, it sounds like you’re at a rodeo or something.

Lisa Steinberg: Yeah, well I apologize for that background noise. But I appreciate it once again. And my question is, is that you've got this wonderful comedic timing and you do a lot of voiceover work, and I was wondering how do you inflect that comedic timing in voiceover?

Chris Rock: I mean you've got to - I mean that’s what directors are for. You know, you've got to kind of trust your director - sometimes like when you’re doing a normal movie me personally I'm always trying to make the crew laugh, I'm always trying to make camera guys and grips - especially grips because they've got pretty normal jobs, they get paid normal salaries, they don't have artsy-fartsy face. And when you’re doing, you know, voiceover work you try to make the engineers laugh and the guy, you know, the gopher, the guy who goes and gets coffee like if he’s laughing you’re probably in a good spot.

Lisa Steinberg: Well my other question for you is when it comes to voiceover work is there something about it that makes you jump out and say I want to do this kind of project? Is it a character, is it the actual theme of the story?

Chris Rock: You know, I always - really I'm always looking for a project that’s good enough that it doesn't even need me. Like are they going to make a good movie even if I'm not involved in this? Yes. Then I really want to be involved. But if, you know, the project hinges on, you know, me then I kind of don't want to be involved. So, you know, Jeffrey Katzenberg does quality, quality work, you know, DreamWorks does quality, quality work so I didn't - when I agreed to the first Madagascar I had no idea who else was going to be in it but I trusted, you know, Jeffrey and we got a great cast.

Lisa Steinberg: Well thank you so much once again, I really appreciate it and have a wonderful happy holiday.

Chris Rock: You too.

Lisa Steinberg: You too.

Coordinator: Last question, Zach Oat, televisionwithoutpity.com.

Zach Oat: Hi Chris. You recently told Monique that she scares you in the movie Precious. What'd you think of the movie in general and have you ever thought about going back and doing another serious role?

Chris Rock: I loved the movie, I thought the movie was powerful and just - it was amazing. I thought all the performances were great. I thought Lee Daniels did an amazing job. All his movies are pretty good, you know, I mean even the, you know, the ones he produced too are pretty, pretty - I liked the Woodsman and, you know.

Would I do a serious - I'd love to; no one calls me up with one but yeah if somebody gave me an offer. I'm actually - I've been scouring, looking for a James Baldwin script because I think I could play Baldwin. I just been reading a lot of Baldwin and I punched him up on YouTube and I was like just listening to him and looking at his face and everything. I was like I could probably play James Baldwin. So if you see a James Baldwin script out there I wouldn't mind doing it.

Zach Oat: I will let you know. Thank you for your time.

Chris Rock: Okay.

Coordinator: This concludes the questions.

Nikki Lichterman: Thanks everyone for participating.

Chris Rock: All right.

Nikki Lichterman: Thank you Chris.

Chris Rock: Thank you.

Nikki Lichterman: Bye everyone.

Chris Rock: Take care. All right. Bye.

Coordinator: Thank you for participating in today’s conference. You may disconnect you line at this time.

END