Crafty was born on the west side of Chicago to a family of small-time crooks, where he witnessed and found himself in the midst of more chaos than any child should know. By age 15 he was an expert bicycle freestyler with a passion for hip hop - both a means of escape from a life he did not choose, and his family uprooted him to Indianapolis, where he finished high school. He bounced around from job to job and on his first day at an out of town gig, he and the crew were making their 4 hr drive home when the driver fell asleep. The car flying at 75mph off an embankment, Crafty was thrown threw the rear windshield and a witness said the car came down just inches from his head. Eyes hemorrhaging from brain swelling and lungs bruised, he found himself completely alone and it was one of many turning points in his life. After a too-short stay in the hospital, he spent 9 months recovering, with the realization he'd nearly died that day.Shortly thereafter, a petty crime from his past landed him in jail for a period of time. He came out more determined than ever to turn his life around. He used everything he'd experienced to this point to clear his mind, learn and gain more understanding of himself.He decided to take full responsibility for his life and his future and while working as a semi trailer mechanic in 1993, he attended the Gavin Music Seminar, where he was pushing his first rap demo in New Orleans, he decided to give acting a try and fell head over heals in love. He returned to Chicago, auditioned and enrolled in the Second City Conservatory Program, Improv Olympic and Act one studios.After several years of honing his skills, he wrote, produced and directed a tiny play "Found in a Box, Supposedly Empty." The critics split their decision on Crafty's brand of physical comedy, half called it sophomoric humor, the other hailed him as a comic genius. After the run of the play, Crafty had the bug.Fueled on pure determination, he darted off for Hollywood, where on his second day in L.A. he was chosen to be an extra in the movie BLOW.Crafty soon produced another play, hearing from LA critics that his physical comedy was considered classic and often compared to Jerry Lewis or Charles Chaplin. Working in television production to make ends meet meant the long hours limited his time to audition and work on his acting. He vowed to improvise at every possibility that arose, using his creativity and colorful past. A natural physical comedian, he was asked to perform in independent films and began to write his own, as well as writing and producing a pilot and several episodes of an animated reality show.He recently has produced and directed several spec commercials as well as several short films. His own production company, Monopolcom Entertainment has in development several short films geared toward providing an avenue for fresh, overlooked talent and a creative venue for Crafty's many talents.
