D.C. Young Fly

Biography

John Richard Whitfield (born May 2, 1992), known professionally as D.C. Young Fly, is an American comedian, host, singer, and actor. Commencing his acting career in 2014, he garnered prominence as a recurring cast member on the improv comedy series Wild 'n Out (2015-present). He appeared on DigitalLivesMatter (2016). Whitfield assumed the starring role of Spooky in Outlaw Posse.

Early life

John Whitfield was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, specifically within the city's West Side locale. His mother was an educator at the middle school level. He pursued his secondary education at Benjamin E. Mays High School.

2012–2017

Whitfield commenced his career in the entertainment industry as a comedian and thespian. In 2012, Whitfield hosted Gotham Comedy Live in New York City, with Jay Nog, Atheer Yacoub, and Fransisco Ramos in a special edition of the show. In 2015, Whitfield became a recurring cast member on the MTV improv comedy series Wild 'n Out, hosted by comedian Nick Cannon. Although this season debuted with a double bill on June 10, 2015, featuring Kevin Hart and Rae Sremmurd, it concluded its initial run with Shaquille O'Neal and Migos on August 19, 2015.
In 2015, D.C, along with his Wild n’ Out co-stars, Karlous Miller and Chico Bean, started their own podcast, called The 85 South Show, where they speak on various topics, interact with the audience, and freestyle on songs. Whitfield made an appearance as Latavious in an episode of the television series Scream. In August 2016, he secured a leading role in Terri J. Vaughn's #DigitalLivesMatter. That same year, he transitioned to the silver screen, making his cinematic debut as Eric in the film Almost Christmas. This project afforded him the opportunity to share the screen with actors Kimberly Elise, Danny Glover, Omar Epps, and Gabrielle Union. Whitfield made an appearance in My Cousin's Ghetto Wedding.
In 2017, Whitfield appeared in several notable projects. He starred in the critically acclaimed miniseries The New Edition Story in January, which received generally positive reviews. He subsequently appeared in BET's The Quad in February, playing the role of Young Rapper. Whitfield made a guest appearance in Dirty South House Arrest the same month. In March, Whitfield served as an opening act for Chris Brown's Party Tour. Whitfield made appearances on the American television series Hip Hop Squares and Tales, portraying Lil Joe in the latter's June episode. From 2017 to 2019, Whitfield became a main host for the revived TRL on MTV.

2018–present

In 2018, Whitfield appeared in the American teen comedy-drama TV series Grown-ish, a spin-off of the ABC series Black-ish. He played the role of Rafael in two episodes. It was announced he would star alongside Lil Yachty in How High 2, premiering on MTV on April 20, 2019. Whitfield filmed two movies: She Ball with Nick Cannon and I Got the Hook Up 2 with Master P, released on July 12, 2019.
In 2019, he co-hosted the 2019 BET Social Awards with Jess Hilarious. Whitfield joined Eric Bellinger's Cuffing Season Tour as an opening act in December. In 2020, Whitfield became a judge on the internet game show Floored. Whitfield hosted the 2020 BET Hip-Hop Awards alongside Chico Bean and Karlous Miller in October.
In 2021, Whitfield appeared in films For the Love of Money, Envy: Seven Deadly Sins, Miracles Across 125th Street, and in the Starz TV show BMF. In 2022, Whitfield starred in the 2023 remake of House Party, released on January 13, 2023. In 2023, Whitfield was announced as the host of Celebrity Squares, a revival of Hollywood Squares on VH1 (later moved to BET).
Whitfield portrayed the character Rooster in the cinematic production Bosco, which debuted on 2 February 2024. Whitfield assumed the role of Spooky in the Quiver Distribution film Outlaw Posse, released on 1 March 2024.

Personal life

Whitfield was in a relationship with Jacklyn Smith (known professionally as Ms. Jacky Oh), a former Wild 'n Out girl, with whom he had three children. Smith died on May 31, 2023 from complications following a surgery.