Since 2005, the MTV series Wild ‘N Out has consistently had audiences in stitches. Nick Cannon’s brainchild was a brilliant format, combining improv comedy with rap battles. Celebrity appearances (Kanye West, Kevin Hart, Wu-Tang Clan) only added to the appeal, keeping viewers tuned in for 15 seasons.
But for the countless celebs, rappers, and comedians that have stood on the Wild ‘N Out stage, the talent of its recurring cast members made the show. One of the most iconic regulars who knew how to bring the laughs was Chico Bean. Find out more about Bean and his life away from the set.
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Who Is Chico Bean?
Chico Bean was born Anthony Jamal Bean on February 20, 1987, in Washington, DC. Bean spent his college years at Winston Salem State University, where he was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. It was during his time in North Carolina that the 5’7” funnyman met fellow members of his future improv crew, the Freestyle Funny Comedy Show.
FFCS regularly performed on the college circuit, but it wasn’t until Bean traveled to New York City and did a set at Nick Cannon’s “Fresh Faces of Comedy” showcase that his career jumped to the next level.
Bean auditioned for the fifth season of Wild ‘N Out and the rest is history. He’s been a fixture on the show ever since, earning cheers from the crowd for spitting bars while making them laugh. Bean brings a throwback style that makes you wonder if he missed an earlier calling as a ’90s MC.
What Is Chico Bean’s Net Worth?
Some sources estimate that Chico Bean is worth a million bucks, but others say he’s banked as much as 5 million. Our guess is that the truth is on the lower end of that scale. Bean has been involved in various small projects outside of Wild ‘N Out—the list includes an appearance on the Tru TV game show Trivial Takedown and a writing gig for an E! pilot. He’s also one-third of the comedy group 85 South (the other two members are fellow Wild ‘N Out castmates DC Young Fly and Karlous Miller). In October 2020, the trio served as the co-hosts of the BET Hip Hop Awards.
But if you think Bean is living large on Wild ‘N Out money, you’d be wrong. In April 2020, Cannon boasted to Vibe magazine that the show was an “almost half a billion-dollar brand.”
While Cannon reportedly earns $70,000 per episode, members of his comedy entourage see paychecks that are significantly smaller. Spanky Hayes, who appeared on the first six seasons, says his salary fell from $27,000 to $1,000 per show after Wild ‘N Out was moved from MTV to MTV2.
For cast members, the job is less about pay than it is prestige. “People thinking I know Nick Cannon for real, that’s the best part,” Chico Bean said while sitting down with BOSSIP in 2014.
“Getting some of that residual fame off of him,” he explained. “I can ride that for as long as he’s famous, ‘cause the pay really ain’t nothing. You know how you got paid on your summer job, like when you first got [a] job and you can just afford school clothes? That’s what Wild ‘N Out is.” For more on his experience on the show, check out the full interview below:
Does Chico Bean Have A Kid?
To date, Chico Bean has revealed very little about his personal life. There’s never been word of a girlfriend or wife for the comedian. However, the 33-year-old is the father of a 12-year old, Pierce Chanel. Bean has never publicly talked about her mother, but he takes regular opportunities to praise his daughter on social media. “I dont know how the time has went so fast but what I do know is that God gave me a angel on earth & I’ll cherish her every single moment that I live on it,” he wrote on Pierce Chanel’s ninth birthday.
“The only downfall to this business is the time I miss with my best friend!!!!!” he also said in an Instagram pic with her in 2018.
This past August, Bean celebrated Pierce Chanel’s birthday by singing along to Nigerian rapper Burna Boy’s “Yawa Dey.” His daughter, seated next to him in his car, timidly joins in while hiding her face behind a fan of fifty dollar bills. “Although this year is different from what we usually do in celebration, the most important part is still intact & that is we are TOGETHER,” Bean wrote in the caption. “My baby isn’t a baby anymore!!!”
Even if we never learn her mother’s identity, or who Bean might currently be linked to, we can be certain that he’s nothing less than a proud and loving father.