Comedian
Chris Tucker wonders why people keep asking him where he’s been for the last
few years.
Funny
thing, he swears he hasn’t purposefully been on hiatus, or anything like that.
The father of one teen son has just been “living and traveling and doing
different things.”
The last
anyone saw of the Def Comedy Jam prodigy he was enjoying a third round of box
office success with the 2007 release of the Rush Hour 3 movie.
“To me,
I’ve never left,” he told the Defender.
But to be
sure, he’ll back in the mix Saturday as he brings his stand up comedy tour to
the Chicago Theatre. The Atlanta native said he loves coming to Chicago, and is
aware of how to treat his Chi-Town fans.
He’s
prepared for no shucking and jiving, realizing that this is home to a former
king of comedy and is the stomping grounds for many more making a mark on the
industry.
“Chicago
is just a sophisticated city,” Tucker said. “And the fans … they love to
laugh.”
The
39-year-old comedian enjoyed a string of big screen successes after his 1995
breakout role as the marijuana-smoking Smokey in the first installment of
gangsta rapper-turned-actor and producer Ice Cube’s film, Friday. Tucker’s
character in the movie catapulted the funny man’s career. He then stepped into
roles in Dead Presidents and Jackie Brown before accepting his first role as
the loud-mouth Det. James Carter in Rush Hour.
Not too
shabby for the southern boy who was “passionate” about his dreams of being a
comedian but was laughed at when he took his country accent west.
His
career and life experience with Hollywood spans over two decades and fans can
expect to laugh about some of it on his current comedy tour.
“Man, 20
years went by like that,” he said. “So much has happened in that 20 years.”
Using his
less high-pitched, more reserved voice, Tucker said he loves standup. He
explained that he has some projects in the works – of course he was all
tight-lipped about what they were – but standup preps him for everything else.
It helps
him get ready for the big screen, he said, because “it’s in the moment, it’s
always evolving, being creative.”
“Right
now I want to do a lot of my own stuff, stand out on my own and let people know
that I can get out there on my own,” he said.
“I was
fortunate enough early in my career to show different sides to me,” he
explained.
And he
has an eclectic mix of big screen co-workers to show for it, including: Pam
Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert DeNiro, Bruce Willis, Charlie Sheen, and, of
course, Jackie Chan.
He said
he had great chemistry with Chan and Ice Cube, though not discounting the
others.
“I was
really blessed to work with those guys. We created something that’s still
lasting and around,” he said.
Blessed
and paid.
The Rush
Hour movies collectively raked in nearly $1 billion and put over $48 million in
Tucker’s pocket. The money was hardly a joke and helped solidify his place as
one of the top grossing comedians in Hollywood.
Unlike
some in his industry who have cracked up a bit, Tucker has avoided major gaffes
and has pretty much steered clear of trouble and public relations quagmires –
never mind his 2005 arrest for reckless driving and fleeing to elude police
after he didn’t immediately pull over. Sheriffs said he was driving 109 mph in
his Bentley. Tucker said he was running late for church.
“Even
anything that people may consider would be challenging, things like that,
that’s always a learning process, too,” he said.
He did
have a brush with the Internal Revenue Service in the last couple of years,
with the tax agency reportedly saying Tucker owed millions in back taxes. The
IRS has stung the likes of singer Ron Isley and actor Wesley Snipes, but Tucker
repeated and even created his own verb in assuring that he’s not in the
crosshairs of the IRS.
“Everything
is great, it’s token (sic) care of; it’s great,” he said.
He’s
focused on getting back in the groove, pretty happy about his previous gigs.
“I think
I really did it right. I didn’t overdo the fame stuff and overdo all the other
stuff for the fast buck. I think that’s what kept me here now so long,” Tucker
said.
To borrow
from Smokey: “And you know this, MAN!”
Copyright
2011 Chicago Defender
