Chris Tucker
| Chris Tucker | |
|---|---|
 Tucker at the premiere of Silver Linings Playbook in 2012 | |
| Birth name | Christopher Tucker |
| Born | August 31, 1971 Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Genres | Blue comedy, black comedy, insult comedy, observational comedy |
Christopher "Chris" Tucker (born August 31, 1971) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing the role of Smokey in Friday and as Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour film series. Tucker became a frequent stand up performer on Def Comedy Jam in the 1990s. He has also appeared in Luc Besson's The Fifth Element before beginning work on the highly successful Rush Hour films. In 2007, he negotiated a $25 million salary to appear in Rush Hour 3, which made him the highest paid actor in Hollywood at the time.[2]
Early life
Tucker was born on August 31, 1971[3][4][5] in Atlanta, Georgia, the youngest son of Mary Louise (née Bryant) and Norris Tucker.[4] His father was an independent businessman who owned a janitorial service.[6][7] Tucker grew up in Decatur, Georgia, and after graduating from Columbia High School in Decatur, Tucker moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in comedy and acting.
Career
In 1992, at the age of 20, Tucker was a frequent performer on Def Comedy Jam.[8] He made his cinematic debut in House Party 3,[9] and gained greater film recognition alongside rapper Ice Cube in the 1995 film Friday.[9] In 1997, he co-starred with Charlie Sheen in Money Talks, and alongside Bruce Willis in The Fifth Element.
Along with Jackie Chan, Tucker later starred in the 1998 martial arts action comedy Rush Hour and its sequels, Rush Hour 2 and Rush Hour 3, in which he played James Carter, an abrasive wise-cracking detective. After the commercial success of the first Rush Hour film, Tucker held out for a $20 million salary for Rush Hour 2 and was paid $25 million salary for Rush Hour 3.[10] The latter was part of a $40 million two-movie contract with New Line Cinema that also included an unnamed future film. He was also to receive 20% of the gross against his salary from the Rush Hour 3.[11]
Tucker did not reprise his role as Smokey in Next Friday (2000) or in Friday After Next (2002) because he had become a born-again Christian after filming Money Talks (1997).[12] He starred in Michael Jackson's video "You Rock My World" and made a cameo appearance in Tupac Shakur's "California Love".[13] On February 13, 1999, Tucker participated in the NBA All-Star Weekend's Celebrity Game. Other celebrities participating include rapper Master P, NBA Hall of Famers Clyde Drexler and Dominique Wilkins, wide receiver Terrell Owens, and four Harlem Globetrotters.
Tucker was announced in 2007 to star in the New Line drama film Mr. S: My Life with Frank Sinatra, directed by Brett Ratner and based on George Jacobs' autobiography of working as Frank Sinatra's valet during the Rat Pack era of 1953–1968.[14]
In 2011, Tucker made a comeback to stand-up comedy. The next year, Tucker returned to film in the drama Silver Linings Playbook, co-starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro. Tucker's performance in the film was well received by critics and audiences alike.Template:C\citation needed The film itself received numerous nominations and awards; Tucker was among the winners of the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast in 2012. He also hosted the 2013 BET Awards.
Personal life
Tucker has a son named Destin, who lives with his mother in Los Angeles. He divides his time among Bel Air, Los Angeles and Atlanta, Georgia.
Tucker is good friends with fellow Rush Hour star Jackie Chan, and was also close friends with the singer Michael Jackson, introducing and dancing with him at his 30th Anniversary Special, and appearing in Jackson's video "You Rock My World" from his 2001 album Invincible and attending Jackson's memorial service. Tucker's career was also influenced by Jackson, as he is seen dancing and singing to Jackson's song "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" in a scene in Rush Hour 2 and imitating Jackson's dancing style in Friday. A friend of Bill Clinton, Tucker has traveled with the former President overseas, and endorsed Barack Obama in the 2008 primaries.[15][16]
Tucker participated in a PBS documentary on the genetic makeup of African Americans. He found he has African, European, and Native American ancestry.[17] Through DNA tests (as aired on the 2006 PBS documentary African American Lives), Tucker's patrilineal ancestry was traced back to the Ambundu ethnic group of Angola and one line of his mother's to the Bamileke of Cameroon.[18][19][20] He also managed to trace his family tree back to the 1830s.[21] Tucker was shown visiting Angola, the birthplace of some of his ancestors, with the program's host, Henry Louis Gates.[22]
Filmography
Film
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Hangin' with Mr. Cooper | Rapper | 50 episodes |
| Def Comedy Jam | Himself | 150 episodes | |
| 2001 | Diary | 108 episodes | |
| 2006 | African American Lives | ||
| 2013 | 2013 Bet Awards | Himself | Host |
References
- ^ a b Chris Tucker – Movie and Film Biography and Filmography – AllRovi.com. Allmovie.com. Retrieved on 2011-10-19.
- ^ Friedman, Roger (11 May 2006). "Chris Tucker – Tucker Becomes Highest-Paid Actor, Says hi Report". contactmusic.com. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
- ^ Stated on African American Lives, 2006
- ^ a b Gates, Jr., Henry Louis (January 2009). In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary Blacks Reclaimed Their Past. Crown. p. 397. ISBN 0-307-38240-0.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ http://www.christucker.com/bio/ Official Bio
- ^ Chris Tucker Biography – Yahoo! Movies.
- ^ Chris Tucker Biography filmreference.com.
- ^ mirobo1 Added Aug 31, 2006 All my reviews (2006-08-31). "Def Comedy Jam on". Tv.com. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Chris Tucker at IMDb
- ^ Grossberg, Josh. "Chris Tucker's Taxing Situation", E! News, July 28, 2010
- ^ "Chris Tucker signs onto Brett Ratner's Rush Hour 3". MovieWeb.com, May 5, 2005. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
- ^ Anthony Miccio (2010-12-08). "New Chris Tucker Movie Rumored, Plus 4 Other Comedy Recluses". TheFABlife. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
- ^ You Rock My World at IMDb
- ^ Giles, Jeff. "Chris Tucker, Brett Ratner Reteam for Sinatra", Rotten Tomatoes, September 20, 2007
- ^ Nedra Pickler (January 22, 2008). "Obama sees rock-star power in action". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 2008-01-28. [dead link]
- ^ Candace Newson (January 26, 2008). "On the trail: Stars talk politics, endorsements as they 'stand for change' with Obama". TheTimesandDemocrat.com. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
- ^ Richard Willing (2006-02-01). "DNA rewrites history for African-Americans". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|year=/|date=mismatch (help) - ^ "African Ancestry & DNA Tests: The Results".
- ^ Kam Williams. "Chris Tucker 'Rush Hour 3' Interview with Kam Williams".
- ^ Chris Tucker and Brett Ratner The A.V. Club.
- ^ African Ancestry & DNA Tests.
- ^ Oprah, Bishop Jakes, Chris Tucker Trace Roots On PBS. Retrieved 2007-08-05. [dead link]
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
| Warning | Local parameters are deprecated. |
- 1971 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Male actors from Atlanta, Georgia
- African-American stand-up comedians
- African-American Christians
- American male film actors
- American people of Angolan descent
- American people of Native American descent
- African-American male actors