Carlos Mencia was born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, as the 17th of 18 children. When he was just three months old, his parents sent him to the United States, where he was raised by his aunt and uncle in the Maravilla Projects in Los Angeles, California. In his early teens, Mencia moved back to Honduras to escape the gang culture of East Los Angeles, but later returned to Los Angeles, where he excelled academically and was promoted to the tenth grade. He graduated from Garfield High School.
Mencia began his career in stand-up comedy, performing at the Laugh Factory and The Comedy Store, where he became a regular. He was named "International Comedy Grand Champion" on Buscando Estrellas, the Latino version of Star Search, and went on to appear on various TV shows, including In Living Color, The Arsenio Hall Show, and Moesha.
Mencia released a comedy album, Take a Joke, America, and headlined the "Three Amigos" tour with Freddy Soto and Pablo Francisco. He also appeared in independent films, such as Outta Time and 29 Palms, and guest-starred on TV shows like The Shield and The Bernie Mac Show.
Mencia's success led to the development of his own TV show, Mind of Mencia, which debuted on Comedy Central in 2005 and became one of the network's strongest shows. He also starred in the feature film The Heartbreak Kid, alongside Ben Stiller and Michelle Monaghan.
In 2007, Mencia embarked on a nationwide comedy tour, "Carlos Mencia Live Presented by Bud Light," and taped a new comedy special, Performance Enhanced, for Comedy Central. He has since toured the country, performing at various venues and entertaining the troops overseas as part of the USO Tour.
Mencia's career has been marked by controversy, however, as he has been accused of stealing jokes from other comedians. Despite this, he continues to tour and perform, sharing his newest material with audiences around the country.
