What is Michael Blackson's Net Worth?
Michael Blackson is a Liberian/Ghanaian actor and comedian with a net worth of $4 million. He is known for his roles in popular TV shows like "Are We There Yet?," "Wild 'n Out," "Hip Hop Squares," and "The Michael Blackson Show." His film credits include "The Savages," "One Night in Vegas," "Meet the Blacks," and "Coming 2 America." Interestingly, his stage name parodies pop legend Michael Jackson.
Early Life
Michael Blackson, originally named Kojo Bediako, was born on November 28, 1972, in Monrovia, Liberia, to Ghanaian parents. He spent his childhood in Liberia and Ghana before moving to the United States in the mid-1980s. After a brief period in Newark, New Jersey, he settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While working at Domino's, a coworker encouraged him to start a comedy career by participating in open mic events.
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Television Career
Inspired by his coworker, Bediako pursued comedy. He first appeared on the TV show "Snaps" in 1995 and performed on BET's "ComicView" in 2000. Adopting the stage name Michael Blackson, he featured on "The Bad Boys of Comedy" in 2005 and appeared briefly on "30 Rock" in 2006. More notable television gigs followed, including "ComicView" (2008) and Martin Lawrence's "1st Amendment Stand-Up" (2009). From 2011 to 2012, he had a recurring role on the TBS sitcom "Are We There Yet?" He later appeared on "The Arsenio Hall Show," "In the Cut," "50 Central," and "Leave it to Stevie."
From 2017 to 2019, he was a cast member on Nick Cannon's sketch show "Wild 'n Out" and a recurring panelist on "Hip Hop Squares." He hosted the BET Social Awards in 2018 and was part of "Rich Africans." In 2019, he hosted the Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards and starred in "Dr. Blackson." In 2020, he judged on "Casting One Mo' Chance" and appeared on "VH1 Couples Retreat" in 2021, followed by "MTV Cribs." In 2023, he featured in "The Michael Blackson Show."
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Film Career
Blackson debuted in the 2000 film "Next Friday" with a minor role. He appeared in "Repos" and "The Last Stand" in 2006 and "The Savages" in 2007. His subsequent work includes direct-to-video releases like "Black Supaman," "You're Triflin," "Internet Dating," and "Ex$pendable." In 2013, he portrayed Mr. Roland in "One Night in Vegas" and later appeared in "Mutumbo the Lost Prince," "Kony Montana," and "Tooken." In 2016, he starred in the black comedy horror film "Meet the Blacks" and its 2021 sequel. In 2018, Blackson appeared in five films, including Tyler Perry's "Nobody's Fool." His 2019 films included "Angel and the Mailman," "I Got the Hook Up 2," and "The Lick Movie." He played a role in "American Dream" in 2020 and appeared in "Coming 2 America" in 2021, starring Eddie Murphy.
Other Media Appearances
Aside from TV and film, Blackson has released comedy albums, including "Modasucka: Welcome to America." He has appeared in music videos like Shawty Put's "Dat Baby Don't Look Like Me," LeLe XO's "Sugar Daddy," and Busta Rhymes's "Czar."
Personal Life
In 2021, Blackson proposed to his girlfriend Rada Darling during a radio interview on "The Breakfast Club" and became a U.S. citizen later that year. In 2023, he helped build the Michael Blackson Academy in Ghana's Central Region, where he grew up.
