Carlos Mencia

When comic-cum-actor Carlos Mencia arrived on the scene in the late '90s, initially as the host of the series Funny Is Funny!, he instantly (and justly) attained a reputation as one of the most brutally, unabashedly honest, and scathing contemporary comics -- one unafraid to injure, insult or offend, and one for whom no topic was taboo. An entertainer of Mexican-Honduran heritage, raised in the barrios of East Los Angeles with 17 brothers and sisters, Mencia projected a lightning-fast wit and a heightened social consciousness that he consistently interpolated into his material, rendering it intelligent and thoughtful. Early projects consisted predominantly of filmed standup material, as when Mencia (alongside fellow Latino comics Freddy Soto and Pablo Francisco) headlined the standup concert film The Three Amigos Uncensored! (2001), or when Mencia landed his own cable comedy special, the aptly titled Carlos Mencia: Not for the Easily Offended! (2005). In 2005, the Comedy Central network offered the rising Latino star his own series, Mind of Mencia -- a combination sketch comedy/standup review essentially run by the comedian, with such special guest stars as the late Peter Boyle and the rapper Method Man. It premiered to sensational ratings. In 2007, Mencia tackled roles in both Bob Saget's March of the Penguins parody, the direct-to-video Farce of the Penguins, and in the Farrelly Brothers remake The Heartbreak Kid, starring Ben Stiller.