Biography

Spanish was his first language.

He holds dual citizenship in the United States and Mexico.

His real surname, Szekely, is a common Hungarian surname pronounced SEK-kay. When he was young, he changed the pronunciation to SEE-kay because people always had trouble pronouncing it.

Louis's father, Luis Szekely, was born in Mexico. Louis's paternal grandfather was a Hungarian Jewish immigrant, and Louis's paternal grandmother was a Catholic Mexican (of Spanish and Indigenous Mexican descent). Louis's mother, Mary Louise Szekely (née Davis), is American-born, with Irish, German, and English ancestry. Louis's parents met as students at Harvard University. After his birth, in Washington, D.C., his family lived in Mexico City until he was seven years old. His family then settled in Massachusetts.

Is good friends with Chris Rock. Rock offered him the position of head writer on The Chris Rock Show (1997) but he turned it down for The Dana Carvey Show (1996). Carvey's show was short-lived and C.K. ended up as a staff writer on Rock's show.

I just always loved comedy and I really wanted to be good at it. And it was heartbreaking, 'cause I started and I wasn't good at it. I was only 17-years-old, so I had a lot to learn about life in general. But I just kept on trying. I was young enough and stupid enough and I had no other choice. I had nothing else I was good at.

I remember I was in Sacramento doing a TV morning show to promote a comedy club I was working at and the host asked me, "So, uh, you work with Chris Rock. I wouldn't think you'd be a guy that works with Chris Rock!" And I said, "You mean because I'm white?" And he went, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I wasn't going there!" And I said, "Well what else do you mean? Why else would you say that?" And he said, "Well, because if I saw you walking down the street, I just wouldn't say, 'I bet that guy works with Chris Rock.'" And I said, "Yeah... because I'm white!" "No, no!! I'm not being... " And it was just pointless. And that was the whole interview basically!

You know what, it's a mysterious question to me. Chris is a comedian from New York, and so am I. And we did a show together (The Chris Rock Show (1997)) and I had this idea for this movie and we made it. I mean I'm half Mexican actually; my dad is Mexican. All of that race identity doesn't really mean anything to me. - when asked "How did a white guy end up making Pootie Tang (2001)?"

I do have very deep, fond memories of my family in Mexico City, but I also remember feeling funny for not speaking English - I was basically an immigrant. But I picked up the language fast and soon I knew that I wanted to be a writer.

My last name is Szekely. Sounds like Saykay. When I was a little kid I had an instructor in camp who called me Shnizneckely. He would make fun of my name and it hurt my feelings because I was a little pussy and I cried. He said, 'Well, how do you say it?' I said, Seekay. So he wrote 'C.K' on my jersey and everything. He made my name 'C.K' and I just stuck with it.