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Chris Rock had to appear in court in Los Angeles to testify in the racketeering trail of private eye Anthony Pellicano. This story sounds like it was taken straight from the pages of a Raymond Chandler book.

This real life drama has it all: glamour and fame, money and greed, sex and lies. Start with a famous comedian who hires a private eye to investigate a woman claiming she was pregnant with the comedian’s baby. She upped the ante when she later claimed sexual assault. In the end, DNA tests showed Rock was not the father of the baby, although he did have a one night stand with the woman when he and his wife were separated.

That’s almost juicy enough on its own, but now the PI is actually a criminal type who uses illegal means to get dirt on the subjects of the investigation. Anthony Pellicano and four other co-defendants were accused of using wiretaps and illegally accessing criminal databases. Isn’t that what PI’s are supposed to do?

Fictional private investigators often skirt the law, finding clues and trouble after police have called it a day. PI’s rebel against society’s niceties, living in the shadows of humanity and confronting death on a daily basis.

Real investigators are often retired police officers or federal agents who are state-licensed and regulated professionals. They rarely engage in fist fights or high speed car chases, because they’re busy conducting research on the computer, interviewing and performing surveillance.

Legal Investigators assist with the preparation of criminal defenses, locating and interviewing witnesses, gathering and reviewing evidence. They may gather evidence, take photographs and testify in court.

Corporate Investigators conduct internal and external investigations for a corporation. They may look for drug use, theft or espionage.

Insurance Investigators handle claims if fraudulent or criminal activity is suspected, such as arson, falsified workers’ disability claims, staged accidents, or unnecessary medical treatments. Investigators will conduct research, interview claimants and witnesses and conducted surveillance. Investigators often consult with legal counsel and can be expert witnesses in court cases.

Financial Investigators are usually certified public accountants (CPAs) who develop financial profiles of individuals or companies. They may also find hidden assets or uncover fraudulent bookkeeping.

Computer forensic investigators specialize in recovering, analyzing, and presenting data from computers. They may recover data from deleted emails or files.