Chris Tucker
| Chris Tucker | |
|---|---|
 Chris Tucker, April 19, 2005 |
|
| Birth name | Christopher Tucker |
| Born | August 31, 1972 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Influences | Martin Lawrence |
| Influenced | Dave Chappelle |
| Website | http://www.christucker.com/ |
Christopher "Chris" Tucker (born August 31, 1972)[1] is an American actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour trilogy and Smokey in the 1995 film Friday.
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Early life
Tucker was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the youngest son of Mary Louise (née Bryant) and Norris Tucker.[1] His mother was closely involved in church work, and his father was an independent businessman who owned a janitorial service.[2][3] Tucker was raised in Decatur, Georgia.
After graduating from Columbia High School, Tucker moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in comedy and movies.
Career
In 1992, Tucker was a frequent performer on Def Comedy Jam. He made his cinematic debut in House Party 3, and gained greater film recognition alongside rapper Ice Cube in the 1995 film Friday. In 1997, he co-starred with Charlie Sheen in Money Talks, and alongside Bruce Willis in The Fifth Element. He 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.[4] The latter was part of a $40 million two-movie contract with New Line Cinema that also included an unnamed future film film. He was also to receive 20% of the gross against his salary from the Rush Hour 3.[5]
Tucker did not reprise his role of Smokey in Next Friday (2000) because he had become a born-again Christian after filming Money Talks (1997). He did star in Michael Jackson's video "You Rock My World". On February 13, 2009, Tucker participated in the NBA All-Star Weekend's Celebrity Game. Other celebrities participating include rapper Master P, NBA Hall of Famer's Clyde Drexler, 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.[6]
Personal life
Chris has a son named Destin Christopher Tucker, who was born in 2000 and lives with his mother in Los Angeles. He owns homes in the luxury community of Bella Colina in Montverde, Florida, located west of Orlando, as well as in a gated community in Tarzana, California, where he raises his children.
Tucker is friends with fellow Rush Hour star Jackie Chan, and was also close friends with the late singer Michael Jackson, introducing and dancing with him at his 30th Anniversary Special, appearing in Jackson's video "You Rock My World" from his 2001 album Invincible and attending Jackson's memorial service. A friend of Bill Clinton, Tucker has travelled with the former President overseas, though he endorsed Barack Obama rather than Hillary Clinton in the 2008 primaries.[7][8]
Tucker participated in a PBS documentary on the genetic makeup of African Americans. He found he has African American, European American, and Native American ancestry.[9] Through DNA tests (as aired on the 2006 PBS documentary African American Lives), Tucker's paternal ancestry was traced back to the Mbundu ethnic group of Angola and one line of his mother's to the Bamileke of Cameroon.[10][11][12] He also managed to trace his family tree back to the 1830s.[13] Tucker was shown traveling to Angola, the birthplace of his ancestors, with the program's host Henry Louis Gates.[14]
Filmography
Films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | House Party 3 | Johnny Booze | |
| 1995 | Friday | Smokey | |
| Panther | Bodyguard | ||
| Dead Presidents | Skip | ||
| 1997 | Money Talks | Franklin Hatchett | |
| Jackie Brown | Beaumont Livingston | ||
| The Fifth Element | Ruby Rhod | ||
| 1998 | Rush Hour | Detective James Carter | |
| 2001 | Rush Hour 2 | Detective James Carter | |
| 2007 | Rush Hour 3 | Detective James Carter | |
| 2010 | Mr. S: My Life with Frank Sinatra | George Jacobs |
Television
| Year | Series | Role | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Roseanne | Himself | 1 |
| 1992 | Hangin' with Mr. Cooper | Rapper | 1 |
| 1992 | Def Comedy Jam | Frequent Performer | ? |
| 1998 | The Roseanne Show | Himself | 1 |
| 2001 | Diary | Himself | 1 |
| 2006 | African American Lives | Himself | 4 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gates, Jr., Henry Louis (2009). In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary African Americans Reclaimed Their Past. Crown. pp. 397. ISBN0307382400.
- ↑ Chris Tucker Biography - Yahoo! Movies.
- ↑ Chris Tucker Biography filmreference.com.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080123/ap_on_el_pr/obama_rock_star. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
- ↑ Candace Newson (January 26, 2008). "On the trail: Stars talk politics, endorsements as they 'stand for change' with Obama". TheTimesandDemocrat.com. http://www.thetandd.com/articles/2008/01/26/features/fries/12928835.txt. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
- ↑ Richard Willing (2008). "DNA rewrites history for African-Americans". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/genetics/2006-02-01-dna-african-americans_x.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
- ↑ "African Ancestry & DNA Tests: The Results".
- ↑ 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.