Aries Spears knew his calling at a young age

How to go

Who: Aries Spears

Where: Funny Bone Comedy Club, 88 Plum St., The Greene, Beavercreek

When: 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday

Cost: $22

More info: 937-429-LAFF (5233) or www.daytonfunnybone.com

Artist info: www.ariesspears.com

Aries Spears began his pursuit of comedy at an early age. The New York native, who is performing at the Funny Bone Comedy Club through Sunday, was still in elementary school when he began seriously focusing on being a stand-up comic.

Quick study: While his classmates were consumed with sports, music and other pursuits, Aries Spears was listening to comedy albums and watching comedy specials, studying performances and breaking down jokes. That single-minded focus paid off for the precocious youngster, who was already performing in front of paying audiences by the time he was 14.

Westward bound: Spears dropped out of high school in 1992 to pursue comedy full time. The risky venture paid off for the talented 17-year-old. Later that year, Spears made his commercial breakthrough with a well-received appearance on "Def Comedy Jam." He moved to Los Angeles a few months later and started getting small television parts almost immediately.

Training ground: In 1993, Spears appeared on episodes of "Seinfeld" and "A Different World." The following year, he landed a role on the television series "South of Sunset" opposite former Eagles singer Glenn Frey. Although the show only ran only seven episodes, it provided Spears with practical on-set experience.

Movie time: Spears next set his sights on feature films. He appeared in the 1994 big screen drama "Home of Angels." His other film credits include "Jerry Maguire," "Josie & the Pussycats" and "Hood of Horror." He will be seen later this year in the indie comedies "The 420 Movie: Mary & Jane" and "Promoted."

Sketchy comedy: As a cast member on "MADtv" from 1997-2005, Spears not only created original characters such as Dollar Bill Montgomery, Mother Love and El Diablo Negro he also delivered impressions of James Brown, Al Pacino, Bill Cosby and other stars. He continued to explore sketch comedy on Damon Wayans' short-lived Showtime series "The Underground" in 2006.

Cartoon voices: Even before his career-defining run on "MADtv," Spears had expanded his resume to include voice actor. He voiced several characters on the Fox Kids series "C. Bear and Jamal" in 1996 and 1997. Since then he has worked on popular cartoons such as "The Proud Family" and "The Boondocks."

Viral videos: Spears isn't on a series at the moment, but he continues to write and film comedy sketches, which he posts on his website alongside live clips, interviews, prank phone calls, vintage bits from "MADtv" and other unique content.